Imagination opens the doors of fantasy, but at the same time takes us away from reality and the present moment. The creator of Gestalt therapy, Fritz Perls, explains how this therapy invites us to live the present using the space left by the premises. about the future. Only with our feet on earth can we connect with the present moment. All other things, however important their consequences may be, are not happening now.
Gestalt therapy is part of humanist psychology, which conceives the human being as a global being, with a mind, emotions and a body that form a whole, this type of therapy helps people to take responsibility for what is happening to them and promote their own self-realization and personal development. It is a psychotherapy that goes beyond its clinical applications and can be adopted as a way of life.
- “Gestalt therapy is more distinguished by what it avoids doing than it does.
- Do you support the idea that it is enough to be conscious.
- To be present and to be responsible.
- For a change to occur?Claudio Naranjo?.
This stream of psychotherapy was created in the 1950s by Fritz Perls, a psychiatrist and physician who, together with his wife, psychologist Laura Perls, summaryd his learning in a type of therapy. He understands the principles of gothic psychology, considering himself a well-developed theory that combines various approaches and reuses them to create a specific therapy.
This therapy emphasizes the conception of the individual understood as a whole (gestalt). Breaking with traditional psychotherapies, Gestalt sees man in his physical, mental and psychic aspects; are indivisible and interdependent spheres. According to Perls, man has a natural way of ending his existence, although gestalt may be incomplete, repeating open questions from past to present, without allowing new figures (subjects) to manifest themselves in the present. .
Some of the influences that gave rise to Gestalt therapy are: psychoanalysis with its defense mechanisms, Eastern religions, Buddhism, existential philosophy, phenomenology, theater and psychodrama, among others, authors such as Paul Goodman and Isadore From have contributed to the development of this approach beyond therapy, extending to different social and personal areas.
Gestalt therapy is an approach that emphasizes the potential of the person, changing the vision of the pathology by a vision of the individual with his own resources and his capacity for self-regulation, is a therapeutic approach that focuses more on the process than on the therapist will not ask, why, will he ask, how, so that he can understand the process, not the causes of the behavior.
Gestalt focuses on subjective physical and emotional sensations, in this way, tries to help unlock the outstanding problems of the person who is in a therapy process, this approach has common aspects with mindfulness, as it aims to help the person accept what it is. happening, rather than proposing swimming against the current.
“I know who you are, to see who you are and who you are. Leave a moment what you have to do and see what you’re actually doing. Fritz Perls?”
In addition, one of its fundamental concepts is to perceive or “make conscious”, that is to say be aware of the present moment. Put spontaneity under control, allowing you to live and feel what’s going on instead of avoiding and resisting. , if you feel an emotion, you should express it spontaneously rather than inhibiting or imprisoning it.
Gestalt therapy aims to incentivize and increase the support we provide or are willing to provide, so that the person becomes aware of their responsibility for their own psychological well-being, there are important concepts that are used during therapy to achieve this goal. what they are:
Consciousness is a fundamental step for the person to realize how he thinks, feels and acts in concrete situations, when these three axes are not aligned, significant discomfort occurs, it is only from this awareness that circumstances can be changed in the present moment.
Gestalt therapy understands the present as the only possible scenario, as we live life as a “whole”. Therefore, if we are working on the past, it is approached as if it were happening in the present moment. For example, if the person has been bullied in the past, the therapist will ask you to explain the experience as if everything is happening now. In this way, the therapist gives you the opportunity to save the emotions of the past, work with them and manage them from here and now.
The person is asked to take responsibility for their behavior, thoughts and emotions, even if they are negative, self-responsibility generates a greater sense of freedom and autonomy in people, thus acquiring a greater capacity to accept their mistakes and learn. A widely used strategy is to help the person always speak in the first person and appropriate his words.
The gestáltic psychotherapist accompanies the person or client (they do not call him patient because they understand the person as the active subject of the therapy) to facilitate the maturation process towards adulthood, in this approach the therapeutic relationship is horizontal, which means that the therapist knows nothing but the client.
The psychotherapist is a facilitator and doesn’t give advice, but it helps the person find the skills they need to self-regulate and strengthen. Is the person there? Expert? From your own life, and there is no place to tell you what to do, this restores personal responsibility and autonomy.
In conclusion, the purpose of Gestalt Therapy is to facilitate an emotional process where the client can take responsibility for their emotions and “pay the price”. Live in conformity and honesty with them. Honesty, sincerity and presence are fundamental values for understanding this therapy.