A common phenomenon in the modern era is the belief that Gestalt therapy is only recommended for people struggling with mental disorders. Nothing could be further from the truth. While it is true that people’s awareness and knowledge of psychotherapy has been increasing over the years, it is not yet complete enough to continue not to cause reserve or concern. There are also many currents in psychotherapy, which not everyone knows about. We will briefly introduce the method in which we work – the Gestalt method of psychotherapy.
What is Gestalt psychotherapy?
Gestalt psychotherapy is one of the methods of psychotherapy, while it is based on the relationship with another person. In this particular therapy, the most important thing is the person, his individual. The main premise of Gestalt psychotherapy is to expand self-awareness in order to help deal with a crisis, improve relationships or simply find answers to questions that bother us.
Who is it aimed at?
Gestalt psychotherapy is directed to everyone. Someone may ask: “Why do I need psychotherapy if I don’t face any problems? And even if they do arise, I can deal with them myself.”
They do. Many people cope with their problems, but sometimes it is useful to seek advice from a specialist, a neutral, non-judgmental person. Because why should we deal with everything ourselves? How can a therapist working in this particular trend help us?
- In determining the source of our problem,
- In determining the causes and consequences of a problem,
- In response to difficult questions that are important to us,
- In improving relationships,
- In better understanding of oneself,
- In building self-acceptance, self-awareness,
- In knowing your emotions,
- In informed decision-making,
- In working with depression, neurosis, anxiety and other difficulties.
Working with a Gestalt psychotherapist will certainly improve the quality of our lives, but it will also give us a sense of agency, which in turn makes it easier to take control of our own lives.
Gestalt therapy – in what situations might it not be the best choice?
Gestalt psychotherapy is long-term in nature, so if a client dreams of achieving an immediate result from therapy, this type of therapy is definitely not for them. Gestalt does not get rid of the problem in a quick way and does not focus on treating symptoms. For a psychotherapist working with this method, the symptoms that appear at any given time are equally important. They are a form of creative adaptation to a given situation.
The goal of Gestalt psychotherapy is to unlock the natural process of self-regulation, which means that it is the client, in a conscious, thoughtful way, who is able to choose the best course of action for himself in different situations, so it is a long-term process.
Self-discovery is also hugely important in Gestalt psychotherapy. To quote the words of Fritz Perls – the founder of Gestalt – “A person becomes who he is, not who he wants to be.” This, too, is a process, as the psychotherapist does not give ready-made solutions or recommendations, but is a support in discovering the path to one’s own self.
If the goal of the client coming to psychotherapy is not one of the above, but only a quick solution to the problem, this particular form of therapy may not be helpful. It is also worth remembering that no form of psychotherapy lasts a few days. Psychotherapy is a process, and time is needed when working to improve quality of life.
