As noted in the text Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy (Corey, 2017), the therapeutic goal of psychoanalytic therapy is to understand unconscious motives. During treatment an individual will explore repressed experiences in childhood that may cause restrictions in their current life. In treatment the therapist or ‘analyst’ works with the client in a ‘blank-screen’ approach. This approach presents the analyst with neutrality as they do not participate in self-disclosure. Having a ‘blank-screen’ experience allows the client to explore their unconscious without hesitation or restriction. The objective for the analysis is to help clients gain freedom from their past which will allow them to love and live in the present moment. As noted by from the book Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy (Corey, 2017), gestalt does not claim to be goal-oriented. Instead, the aim is to create awareness in the environment, and oneself through contact. When a client becomes aware they form the ability to understand what they were denying. By understanding denied experiences, or emotions (such as happiness) the client can produce a ‘whole’ version of themselves. Through active partnership the client explores the following concepts of gestalt therapy: awareness of self and their senses; ownership of one’s experience and responsibility for their actions; clients gain the ability to ask for help and give help to others; and lastly, develop skills that will help satisfy their needs without violating According to the book Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy (Corey, 2017), contemporary gestalt therapist believe clients are the experts on their experience and in turn focus on the client's own self-discovery. In order to achieve this, a gestalt therapist works as a guide or leader through various experiments. A focus is placed on the here and now concept and, like psychoanalytical theory an importance is placed on pauses or hesitations in spoken or unspoken language. However, unlike psychoanalytical therapy, gestalt broadens the language to include body language. Your physical body becomes an important tool in the therapeutic process as one may ask, “what do your eyes say?” Questions such as these contribute to a greater awareness of oneself. Other activities surround language include: replacing I with it; replacing you with I; changing questions into statements; removing statements that do not provide personal power (maybe, perhaps, possibly); proposing metaphors as a reality (e.g. I feel blue. How does blue feel?); and lastly, listening for language that uncovers a
Weisel-Barth, J 2014 ‘Review of “The Stories We Tell”’, International Journal of Psychoanalytic Self Psychology, Vol.9(2), p.162-166, DOI: 10.1080/15551024.2014.884526
Gestalt therapy is an experiential and humanistic form of therapy that embraces awareness, freedom and self-direction. Gestalt therapy focus on the “here and now” and allow clients to be more self-aware and to accept their feelings in order to ease distress. Gestalt theory maintains that wellness encompasses taking responsibility for one’s self and being connected to others.
From a psychoanalytic perspective, the goal of counseling is to bring unconscious information to the conscious and strengthen the ego by bringing forth the clients energy to conscious processes (Murdock, 2013). Rasmussen & Salhani (2010) states the following regarding the goal of psychoanalytic theory which further supports Murdock’s statement, “we turn to psychoanalytic theory to understand not only the individual’s conscious, rational thinking, but also the unconscious dynamics and motivation” (Rasmussen & Salhani, 2010).
A gestalt typically has two or more parts that are combined together to be perceived as one. In gestalt therapy, self-awareness is important for the client to comprehend. It helps them achieve personal growth and also helps them develop their full potential. Gestalt counseling is a humanistic, process-oriented therapy that integrates dialogue and field theory (Lewin, 1951). Many gestalt therapist believe that self-actualization cannot fully be achieved if negative thought patterns and behaviors intrude their daily lives. A gestalt therapist focuses on five key concepts when counselling a client. The five concepts are respect, experience, creativity, responsibility, and relationship. In a session, the client is treated with upmost respect and warmness so that he or she will be open to talk. When speaking to a client, a therapist may put emphasis on reliving past experiences to come into terms with root conflictions that are the cause of their problems. Therapist also use various creative and flexible techniques to help a client to feel safe to talk. An emphasis on social responsibility is enforced by the therapist to the client. This emphasis on social responsibility helps the client to view the world as a whole rather than focusing on only their own factors in life. Having good relationships with other people is vital for the well-being of a client. A gestalt therapists acknowledges that their client has achieved whole well-being when the client has a good relationship with themselves and others (Counselling Directory, p.3). Typical methods and techniques for a client’s therapeutic process includes role play, the “open-chair” technique, authentic dialogue, dream interpretation, and attention to body language. Gestalt therapy values each client's unique context and diversity variables and strives to understand the client's experience from his or her perspective (Resnick,
Gestalt therapy is also similar to the psychoanalytic perspective because they both belief that different defense mechanisms influence a person’s relationship with others. It is also similar with the concept that dreams contain messages about a person’s life. Overall, this therapy wants the client to not look so much into what they “should” do, but to live fully without expectations or past habits being an influence (Daniels, 2005). Gestalt therapy does not explore the idea that a person’s thinking as something that needs to be changed (Brownell, 2010).
...t experience the world and his/her experiences to the fullest. The client will be faced with thinking about current situations and connect them with both past and future concerns. Gestalt therapy is also unique to the fact that the therapist does not interpret the information given to them by the client or focus on a diagnosis unlike most other therapies (Daniels, 2005).
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
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.
Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is part of a psychotherapy treatment that can solve mental problems and boost happiness by modifying dysfunctional emotions, behaviors, and thoughts. CBT focuses on encouraging, and challenging patient’s cognitions and change the dysfunctional behavior patterns by effective solutions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is used to treat the mental and emotional part of behavior such as an eating disorder. This type of therapy is done to change how you think and feel about food, eating, and body image. It can also poor eating habits and prevent relapse. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is considered effective for the treatment of eating disorders. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is type of counseling
All people have potential and desire to move from basic needs to self-actualization level. The progress is unfortunately disrupted by failure to achieve the psychological needs. For example, life experiences such as loss of job and divorce may result in stagnation in progress fr...
Clients are encouraged to face the facts about oneself, and learn that in order for others to accept them, they must learn to love and appreciate themselves. Gestalt therapy would help Joan realize that she needs to focus on the now and her current relationship with Hal, as her disapproving relationships in the past are not an important factor in the mending of her current relationship. Furthermore, Gestalt Therapy is a strong form of counseling in how it is personally tailored to each individual, making it applicable across cultures. However, this could cause difficulties in Joan. She seems to contribute much of her self worth as a human to the acceptance she receives from her relationships. It could be a strength, by teaching her how to become more self reliant and self accepting, but it could also be difficult to start with as she is so reliant on others opinions. It’s level of creativity can emphasize nonverbal behaviors, such as with the exaggeration exercise. By exaggerating movements or gestures, it intensifies the feelings the client associates with that gesture. Gestalt Therapy also has its limitations. It can be hard for clients that are not able to think abstractly to do some of the exercises of Gestalt. Such as empty chair or role playing. Therapists can also, if not careful, abuse their power. Some of the techniques used can be forceful and therapists that have not been
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).
Within Gestalt therapy, “the initial goal is for clients to expand their awareness of what they are experiencing in the present moment. Through this awareness, change automatically occurs” (Corey, 2013). This philosophical foundation aligns with my beliefs that people possess the ability to make their own changes when they are fully aware of their circumstances. Additionally, my concept that people, who accept outside sources without sifting through beliefs and standards that may be applicable in their lives parallels with Gestalt’s contact of introjection. People within this stage, willingly assimilate what the environment is feeding them, without dissecting what they need or want (Corey, 2013). Nonetheless, Gestalt’s unfinished business correlates with my opinion that unresolved issues can linger and clutter the present moment, resulting in maladaptive behavior and thinking. When emotions are not fully experienced, “they linger in the background and are carried into present life in ways that interfere with effective contact with oneself and others” (Corey, 2013). Within a counseling context, my beliefs that there should be a partnership between the client and therapist is one of the main goals in Gestalt’s therapeutic process (Corey, 2013). Similar to my idea that the counselor is more of a facilitator to help clients
In this therapeutic approach, he outlines that the therapist and the patient must collectively work together to bring the contents of the patients unconscious into the patient’s conscious awareness. When the patient’s unconscious conflicts are evoked, the therapist helps the patient deal with them positively. Freud was extremely influential in shaping the public view of psychology. Many of his ideas and contributions are cannot be tested using scientific methods, but psychologists widely accept the idea of unconscious mental processes. What people personally go though is extremely important in the study of psychology. ( Grison, Heatherton, Gazzaniga ,2015)
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).