Gestalt therapy aims to increase awareness, freedom, and self-direction. It can be used to treat anxiety, behavioral issues, depression, relationship difficulties, and low self-esteem. Therapeutic goals include accepting responsibility for actions, increasing internal support, asking for help, and developing awareness. The therapist focuses on the present and encourages awareness through techniques like observing body language, locating emotions in the body, role playing, and empty chair dialogues. Benefits include improved self-awareness, confidence, acceptance, and ability to cope with stress.
2. is a form of
psychotherapy
that is centered
on increasing a
person's
awareness,
freedom, and
self-direction.
3. DISORDERS CAN BE
TREATED USING
GESTALT THERAPY
Anxiety
Behavioral health
issues.
Depression
Relationship
difficulties.
Self-esteem issues.
4. THERAPEUTIC GOALS
– Learn to accept
responsibility for what they
do, including accepting the
consequences of their actions
– Move from outside
support toward increasing
internal support
– Be able to ask for and
get help from others and to
give to others
– Move towards increased
awareness of themselves
– Gradually assume ownership
of their experience
– Develop skills and acquire
values that will allow them to satisfy
their needs without violating the
rights of others
– Become more aware of all of
their senses
5. THERAPIST'S FUNCTION AND ROLE
Therapist should
focus on the “what” &
“how” of a person
without asking the “why”
questions. This is to
promote an awareness
of the moment
Pay attention to the
client's body language.
Therapist encourages the
present time, Bring the past
into the present by re-
enacting it in the present.
6. CLIENT'S EXPERIENCE
IN THERAPY
– They are active participants
who make their own interpretations
& meaning
– Discovery: new view of old
situation
– Accommodation: clients
recognized that they have a choice
– Assimilation: clients learning
how to influence their environment
7. RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THERAPIST
AND CLIENT
– Therapists need to allow
themselves to be affected by
their clients
– Therapists share
experiences in the here and
now
– Therapists do not
manipulate clients
– Therapists give feedback
– The I/thou relationship,
a dialog relationship
8. WORDS AND LANGUAGE
Attention to language
and tone is important in
gestalt therapy. As clients
learn to accept
responsibility, they learn
to use language that
reflects a sense of
personal ownership rather
than focusing on others.
GESTALT TECHNIQUE
9. BODY LANGUAGE
• During a session, a gestalt
therapist will observe the
client's body language and
movement such as tapping
their foot, wringing their
hands, or making a certain
facial expression. The
therapist is likely to mention
their observation of this and
ask what is happening for the
person at that moment.
G E S TALT T E C H N I Q U E
10. LOCATING EMOTION
• During a session, it is
common for people to talk
about emotion. Talking about
emotion is different than
experiencing an emotion.
• As a client talks about
emotion, the therapist may
ask them where they feel that
emotion in their body.
G E S TALT T E C H N I Q U E
11. This technique helps
individuals to open up and
practice talking with an empty
chair.
The goal of this technique is
to visualize yourself opening
up to a particular person you
needed to talk with. When you
open up as if the person was
sitting there listening, the
therapeutic experience of
EMPTY CHAIR TECHNIQUE
G E S TALT T E C H N I Q U E
12. ROLE PLAY • Role-play can help individuals to
experience different feelings
and emotions and better
understand how they present
and organized themselves.
GESTALT TECHNIQUE
14. • The theory of
paradoxical change
focuses on the need
for self-acceptance. It
helps individuals
develop an improved
sense of self-
awareness.
PARADOXICAL CHANGE
GESTALT TECHNIQUE
15. This technique enables
individuals to appreciate past
experiences and how they
influence their present
thoughts and behavior. By
being conscious of internal
factors that influence their
present lives, individuals can
learn to let go of the past.
"HERE" AND "NOW“
GESTALT TECHNIQUE
16. BENEFITS OF
GESTALT THERAPY
• Increased self awareness
• Improved self-confidence
• Ability to make peace with
the past and an improved
sense of acceptance
• Increased ability to deal and
cope with stressful situations
• Being more responsible,
improved ability to own up
for mistakes and behaviors
without placing blames
It's a form of therapy that focuses on the present moment rather than past experiences.
Anxiety. Gestalt therapy helps people focus on the present
Behavioral health issues. Gestalt therapy can help people with behavioral conditions like Bipolar disorder
Depression. Since gestalt therapy focuses on self-awareness, it can help people with Depression become aware of possible stressful situations that trigger their depression
Relationship difficulties. Gestalt therapy can help couples recognize underlying destructive behaviors that may be negatively impacting their relationships.
Self-esteem issues. Gestalt therapy helps people with low self-esteem identify and overcome underlying factors that contribute to their low self-esteem
Questions such as “What is happening now?” or “What are you feeling in this moment?” are used to intensify the experience of the present & create awareness“Why” questions lead only toward rationalizations and “self- deceptions” away from the immediacy of the moment
For example, rather than saying, "If he didn't do that I wouldn't get so mad!" a client might be encouraged to say, "I feel mad when he does that because it makes me feel insignificant and I don't like that."The use of "I" statements is important in gestalt therapy.
Incorporating language, the gestalt therapist may even ask the client to give their foot, hands, or facial expression a voice and speak from that place.
Examples of how a person might describe how they're experiencing emotion in their body include "a pit in my stomach" or "my chest feels tight." Being able to bring the emotional experience to awareness in the body helps the client stay present and process their emotions more effectively.
Used to help the client get in touch with other views or other aspects of self
…
example of role-playing might be what is referred to as "top dog and underdog." In this, it is recognized that a client has different parts of self.
Similar to the empty chair, the client speaks as both the top dog, which is the more demanding side of their personality and the underdog, which is the more submissive and obedient side of their personality.
The therapist may request you to exaggerate a specific behavior or emotion. This helps in identifying and addressing the root of the problem.
When an individual makes peace with who they are as a person, it helps them live in the present. This result in more positive feelings and mood.When an individual makes peace with who they are as a person, it helps them live in the present. This result in more positive feelings and mood.
This helps them focus on the here and now. The objective of this technique is to help them live for the present and make positive changes going forward.