Now, more than ever, with the gradual reduction of resources available to the social services department, the social workers no longer have the time available to devote to each individual client. A good alternative to this ever increasing dilemma is group treatment. Gestalt Therapy is a form of therapy which is used in group treatment and has enhanced progress in this area. German-born psychiatrist, Fritz Perls, conceptualized and developed this theory called Gestalt therapy. The German word gestalt cannot be translated into an equivalent, English term. It encompasses a wide variety of concepts: a shape, a pattern, and a whole form. His theory, stresses a phenomenological and existential point of view. Phenomenology, which grew out of existentialism, is a philosophy that encourages ‘going to the things themselves’. With this attitude the Gestalt therapist is open to and persuades the client to reveal who s/he really is and how s/he functions in the world. The main concern is the immediate grasp of being (what is) without preconceptions, or speculations. Gestalt therapy's view of human nature is grounded in four major concepts: biological field theory, the entity of the organism, the need for contact and relationship, and the capacity for making wholes. These concepts include ideas about Gestalt as an approach to human change with the centrality of contact, awareness, personal responsiveness and responsibility. Primacy is given to the exclusivity of the individual. The person is never reduced to parts but viewed as an incorporated whole with innate potential for growth and mature self-expression. The ultimate aim of Gestalt therapy is to assist the client in restoring his/her own natural ability to self-regulate as an organism and ...
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...e for operations; what pilots do in learning to navigate airplanes; what millions of soldiers do in the course of military exercises-it's all role playing. The wide ranging usage of Role play is profound; however there are some drawbacks to this form of therapy. The most common problem with role playing is that of the leader not appreciating its fundamental nature: It is an improvisational procedure, and improvisation requires a feeling of relative safety. This must be developed in a group; the therapist must employ the group in a "warming-up" process in which they get to know each other in a more trusting fashion. Hence, Gestalt Therapy and Role Play work hand in hand to enhance the lives of those in need.
Works Cited
• www.gestalttherapy.net
• Touro Library-SAGE- Gestalt therapy and Social work (R. Felton)
• “Journal of Heart Centered Therapies”- (Amy Casey)
The theory of therapy that I have personalized and developed is that of an Integrative Play Therapy Approach (IPT). Gil, Konrath, Shaw, Goldin & McTaggart Bryan (2015) describe this method as an approach which utilizes a combination of two or more therapeutic styles. This will allow my personal theory to be customized as needed to meet varying client needs. In developing my individual theoretical orientation of therapy, I took into consideration my experiences within the field and my previous education, as well as my own values, personality traits and my natural therapeutic style. Additionally, the setting in which this therapeutic style is being utilized is taken into account. Given this, it is important to highlight that my approach will
As this book points out, and what I found interesting, the therapeutic relationship between therapist and client, can be even more important than how the therapy sessions are conducted. A therapists needs to be congruent. This is important because a client needs a sense of stability. To know what is expected from him or her while being in this transitional period of change. In some cases this congruency may be the only stability in his life, and without it, there is no way of him trusting in his t...
Both Gestalt theory and cognitive therapy are both anchored in phenomenology and are undogmatic in their attitude toward integration of elements from other therapeutic and scientific approaches, as long as such elements do not violate the phenomenological principles (Tonnesvang et al., 2010). Cognitive therapy has become increasingly respected and popular in academia where Gestalt therapy is lacking recognition in these areas. Better adaptability of cognitive therapy to training models for applied therapeutic approach compared to experiential models. Gestalt has been more or an oral tradition with a comparatively sparse production of written material and an almost nonproduction of traditional research.
Many gestalt therapists are against assessments or favor a gestalt version of an assessment (Brownell, 2010). Despite the lack of general assessments for gestalt therapy, therapists focus on four concepts during treatment: phenomenological method, dialogical relationship, field-theoretical strategies, and experimental freedom. Phenomenological method is used to bring awareness to the client. The therapist observes the client’s actions, such as if they choose to roll their eyes. He or she will describe these details out loud and treats each action with equal value. The dialogical relationship is where the therapist is honest and upfront with the client, instead of taking on a persona. The therapist also accepts however the client chooses to portray themselves. Field theoretical strategies enable the therapist to interpret a person’s character as dynamic rather than static. Lastly, experimental freedom is the concept that gestalt therapy is more than just talk. The therapist can experiment and try something new with the client as the therapy persists (RGI, 2013).
This approach emphasizes the importance of the potential of humans and sought to make up for the missing component of conscious in the psychodynamic approach. The humanistic approach oriented psychologist has the belief that human behavior is guided by intent and the individual’s set of values (Association, 2014). Those who subscribe to this orientation believe there are both an unconscious and a conscious element to determining behavior. The unconscious element is considered to be the individual’s application of learned norms and experience, while the conscious element is applied by making deliberate choices and decisions. A humanistic oriented practitioner will use differing types of therapy such as client-centered therapy, Gestalt therapy, or existential therapy (American Psychological, 2015). Client-centered therapy or person-centered therapy was developed by Carl Rogers and places the client as the leader of the therapy. This approach allows for the growth and better understanding of self within the individual, as they solve their own problems, while the therapist is there to provide empathetic support (Australian, 2010). Gestalt therapy focuses on the responsibility of the individual for their current situation and considers relationships, environment, and social experiences occurring, and influencing behavior (Polster & Polster, 2010). This process consists of the practitioner acting as a guide and offer advise in helping the client to deal with their current issue. Existential therapy consists of allowing an individual the ability to live with their issues within their own existence (Price, 2011). This means a therapist uses this type of therapy to assist clients with understanding what the present problem is and learning to deal with the consequences of that issue in their every day life. With
The theory of psychoanalysis, founded by Freud, asserted that people could be cured by “…making conscious their unconscious thoughts and motivations…”, therefore gaining insight into their behavior and state of being (CITE). The aim of psychoanalytic therapy is to release repressed emotions and experiences, because Freud believed that psychological problems are rooted in the unconscious mind. In certain cases, individuals would have manifested symptoms caused by “…latent…”, or hidden disturbances (CITE). Typical causes could include unresolved issues during development or as a result of repressed trauma. Those who practice psychoanalysis believe that only with a cathartic experience can be the person be helped and therefore cured. In other words, , Freud’s treatment focused on bringing the repressed conflict to consciousness, where the patent then could wo...
The rapport and friendship built throughout this movie is vital to the success of the therapy exhibited here. This is a great example of Gestalt therapeutic approach and helps to identify most of the techniques incorporated. The techniques and ways of gently confronting but pushing a client all the way through are very beneficial to each viewer of this film.
Gestalt therapy can be described as process active, experiential work and can help shed light on suppressed feelings by helping us focus our awareness on feelings in the present. In working through negative the client can realize negative behavior patterns that may have become ingrained. Understanding the relationship between what we tell ourselves (bad gestalts) and negative thought processes and can become a part of the healing process. Through this form of therapeutic process, individuals can become better equipped to understand themselves and make better or healthier choices, creating a unity of mind, body and spirit.
Gestalt therapy is existential, phenomenological, and process-based approach created on the premise that individuals must be understood in the context of their ongoing relationship with the environment. Awareness, choice and responsibility are the cornerstone of practice (Corey, 2013).
Person-Centred Counselling established its origins in the late 1940 during a conference when Carl Rogers gave a talk entitled ‘New Concepts in Psychotherapy’. The summarisation of the talk resulted in the theory that the client in a counselling relationship should be at the center of the relationship and lead the counselling process. The Client, in effect became the expert on their life and/or problems. The fundamental belief is that an individual is capable of change, growth and fulfillment (self-concept). Person-Centred counselling looks at ‘the here and now’ and how to make changes that affect the future. Person-Centred Counselling generated a system known as the ‘Core Conditions Model’ which emphasized three key components: Empathy, Congruence and Acceptance.
In existential the focus is on assisting individuals on becoming authors of their own lives with the philosophical framework of what it means to be human. Psychodrama allows individuals to explore problems through role play to develop new behavioral skills. Gestalt therapy warrants the here-and-now, bringing unfinished business to the present, allowing individuals to deal with those problems now. Person-centered approach concentrates on self-exploration, learning to accept one’s self, and determining avenues to take to change. Collectively, I found the most valuable and meaningful aspects of experiential and relationship oriented approaches to be self-exploration and bringing unfinished business to the present to help individuals deal with those problems
The main goal (though this theory is not as goal-oriented as some other theories) of this theory is to expand a client’s awareness of their here and now. The attempt is to get the client to become more aware of what they are thinking, feeling, and doing. A big saying that is often said when thinking of gestalt therapy is that people are always
The Adlerian approach in therapy differs from all other approaches in its perception of human emotions and strivings. As the other theories solely focused on the past of humans and their unconscious minds, Adler and his followers stressed more on social interest and community feeling, even though they don’t ignore other factors such as one’s childhood events. The latter believed than people have an innate sense of inferiority that will make them pursue happiness, success as well as fulfill their ambitions. In other words, Adlerians tend to help clients in therapy sessions to become more aware of these free privileges that they can have access to. Hence, the therapy journey is characterized by four main phases through which the therapist hope to achieve his goals in accordance with the client’s case. First of all, the therapist will begin by establishing a healthy relationship with the client. Therefore he creates a secure environment for the client to let him feel that he can open up and describe his experiences without having to worry about being judged. The therapist will also set his goals clear, share them with the client, and provide him with important information about his rights (Corey, 2009). The second phase will focus then on exploring the client’s psychological dynamics and general information about the person’s lifestyle. The exploration takes place in two parts: the objective interview and the subjective interview. In the subjective interview, the therapist will assist the client in exploring persistent habits and patterns in his daily life. Whereas the objective interview will tackle more general ideas about the client’s medical and social history that may help identi...
Gestalt and TA concept have been widely recognized for their role in psychotherapy. In this context, they provide the therapist with a framework which can be used to help their patients overcome mental problems and issues. As result, personal growth and development is likely to be attained. Their significance is illuminated by the fact that both of them encourage the patient’s ‘here and now’ awareness, which is fundamental in personal development (Brenner 2000).
Gestalt will help Maria with her resentments and traumatic experiences. This therapy is an existential and processed based approach. Clients need to have awareness of their experience at this current moment. Gestalt therapy helps people experience growth and healing through interpersonal and insight contact. Also, this therapy focuses on the here and now the clients present. They are expected to do their own working in noticing their feelings, sensations and interpreting. Gestalt also looks at the unresolved business of the client’s