A Gestalt Approach

A Gestalt Approach

Introduction

Gestalt therapy is a holistic, process-oriented, dialogical, phenomenological and existential approach. In other words, it is a therapy, which treats people as a whole, focuses on process, and on what is really happening and how it happens. The concept of Gestalt therapy consist in the representation of the integrity of a person in the physical, psychological, intellectual, emotional, interpersonal and spiritual aspects. Particular attention is paid to the uniqueness of the individual (Melnick & Nevis, 1997). Man will never be reduced to parts and an aspect of the above, but is regarded as one with a congenital growth potential and self-expression.

Discussion

The basic idea is that people tend to balance and health. In doing so they have a full range of possibilities for this, but when confronted on their way to different situations, their ability to maintain a creative and joyful life can be compromised or lost. The aim of Gestalt therapy is to help people in raising awareness of their own living experience, the most complete disclosure of its potential, restoring the capacity for self-regulation, the return of a creative approach to finding new solutions and ways to overcome life's difficulties. The main role of the therapist is to help clients understand all the possible aspects, features, drawbacks of the situation, and the client receives an independent responsible decision to move forward. Gestalt therapy is a form of psychotherapy based on the experience of the "here and now 'awareness, personal responsibility and human relationships with other people and the world (Shub, 1999). At the heart of the approach are the ideas of humanistic and Gestalt psychology, field theory, psychoanalysis, Eastern philosophy.

Gestalt Theoretical Pillars

The focus of therapy is on the relationships that are central to human experience and are a major mechanism of "healing" in Gestalt therapy. The focus of attention is directed to the contact (dialogue) between the client and Gestalt therapist, relationship development, customer awareness, and inherent ways to break contact. A person becomes a full (full) "alive" when he appropriately refers to himself and achieves a good relationship with the environment, other people. Therapy is aimed at supporting all aspects of the experience occurring in the present. But human experience is more than just thoughts and memories, although they are certainly important (Zinker, 1991). Experience also includes the emotions, perceptions, behavior, and bodily sensations. Following are the four main Gestalt Theoretical pillars:

A Phenomenological, Here and Now Attention

Gestalt Therapy is located within the mainstream of humanistic psychology. It is also called an existential or phenomenological approach because of its philosophical references. This phenomenology was inspired by the emphasis on the uniqueness and individuality of human experience in the "here and now." This personal experience can be recognized as a highly interesting, and objectivity and conceptual way of recognizing reality, rejected as too speculative. Certainly, the influence of Gestalt philosophy has been defined, that emphasized on the man's responsibility for individual decisions, and Martin Buber describes the importance of dialogue in the ...