What is Gestalt? The therapy you need!
What is Gestalt ? A highly positive and practical integrative approach, originally designed as an alternative to conventional psychoanalysis. It is a turning point to Freudian psychotherapy, which started in the 1930’s as its founder Fritz Perls, became interested in some prevailing philosophical questions. Particularly those concerning existence, what is to be human , of consciousness and how we experience the world around us ?
Psychology moves from cognition to process, insight to awareness, regarding the individual as a totality of body, mind, emotions and spirit who experiences reality in a way unique to themselves. Makes it a very lively, spontaneous and creative approach. Gestalt is definitely what you need !
Gestalt is the therapy of awareness and self-responsibility in the Here and Now:
Gestalt is a German word. The closest translation is ‘whole’, ‘pattern’ or ‘form’. It has the sense that meaning cannot be found from breaking things down into parts but rather from appreciation of the whole. In other words, Gestalt is a holistic process. It regards the individual as a totality therefore everything is related. The person and its environment and how the context affects its growing experience.
In practice, Gestalt therapists work with clients to help them focus on self-awareness: on what is happening from one moment to the next or, as we often say, in the Here and Now. Increased awareness and understanding of the present, of one’s immediate thoughts, feelings and behaviour, and of patterns of relating can bring about powerful change and new perspectives.
Gestalt is about process:
Initial interventions guide the client’s attention to his or her immediate experience – the “what and how” of behavior – and away from speculations as to causes – the “whys” for such action. During this process, clients are encouraged to assume increasing responsibility for individual thoughts, feelings, and sensations; and to experience the intimate, basic connection between verbal and nonverbal behaviors.
Inner imbalances, cognitive, emotional, physical, are based on conditioning in our personal history and tend to be maintained by reinforcement of established behavior patterns. In Gestalt work, one validates the principle that factors in consciousness determine behavior.
The core element here is a resolution of the internal conflict resulting from a major reorganization and re-perception of the problem. The more powerfully the conflict rises into awareness, the greater the potential for release.
Gestalt is about choice:
Gestalt is about to learn to look at us with honesty, undo ourselves from what we do not need anymore and hurts us, opening the windows to our denied parts, to recognise us and love us in everything that we are. It is to bet for a better life, with fewer judgments and less “have to”, with more opening, responsability and compassion. Start being your best ally.
Gestalt allows us get in touch with our unconscious mind and the usual emotions associated to it, to free us from all that no longer serves us and keeps us apart from our peace and wellbeing, learning to respond instead of react. Our past experiences live in our present, knowing it can change it and create another future, by providing new choices, empowering new changes.
Gestalt is what you need:
Gestalt therapeutic work has been shown to be effective in treating a wide range of issues such as anxiety, stress, addiction, tension and depression, whether as a long-term therapy or via a number of sessions. At times of personal difficulty, Gestalt offers people a safe, supportive space to explore difficult feelings, to understand the underlying patterns in personal relationships and to begin making practical changes.
Gestalt is also a highly effective and empowering change process for working with individuals, couples, groups, teams and organisations.
Nicolas Laheurte @ MyGestaltPractise
