Thursday, May 31, 2012

Gestalt Therapy

Gestalt Therapy

 

Fritz Perls 

(1893-1970)

Laura Posner Perls

(1905-1990) 


 Goals:

  • To assist clients in gaining awareness of moment-to-moment experiencing. 

  • To expand the capacity to make choices.

  • To foster integration of the self. 

     

     

    Key Concepts:

    • The emphasis is on the "what" and "how" of experiencing in the here & now in order to help the clients accept all aspects of themselves.

    • Holism- (German)  Whole / completion

    • Figure-formation process - How the individual organizes experience from moment-to-moment.

    • Unfinished business - When figures emerge from the background but are not completed and resolved, individuals are left with unfinished business, which can be manifested in unexpressed feelings such as hate, anger, etc.

    •  Avoidance, Awareness, Contact, & Energy 





      Theories:

      • A person strives for wholeness & integration of thinking, feeling, & behaving.

      • Contact with self and others, contact boundaries, & awareness.

      • Having the capacity to recognize how earlier influences are related to present difficulties.

      • Client is grounded in the here and now & emphasizes awareness, personal choice, & responsibility. 

         

         

       

       

      Other Techniques:

      1. Experiments/exercises for clients

      2. The role of confrontation

      3. Interventions

      4. Empty chair technique (address the invisible person)

      5. Making the rounds (approach the group individually)

      6. The reversal exercise (become your opposite)

      7. The rehearsal exercise  (plan dialogue ahead)

      8. The exaggeration exercise (body language)

      9. Staying with the feeling ( go deeper on topic)

      10. Dream works (bring them to life)

         

         

         

         

        Resources:

        •  Corey, G. (2013)..Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy (9th ed.,). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

        • Google Images

        • YouTube

     

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