Fritz Perls and his wife Laura Perls developed Gestalt therapy. It was introduced in the 1940s to replace more traditional psychoanalysis. Gestalt therapy is a type of psychotherapy that focuses more on the present than past experiences. This therapy emphasizes the importance of understanding the context in which a person lives when addressing the difficulties they face. Gestalt therapy encourages people to take responsibility and not place blame. By definition, Gestalt refers to the shape or form of something. It suggests that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. It places emphasis on perception. Gestalt therapy focuses on how we interpret and understand our world and experiences.

To know more about Gestalt therapy and its use of it in therapeutic sessions, connect with Top Psychologist in India or Online Counsellor at TalktoAngel, who will assist you in managing your mental health concerns using Gestalt Therapy.

Techniques for Gestalt therapy

Gestalt therapy can be practiced as a series of exercises and experiments in either an individual or group setting. Here are some main techniques used in Gestalt therapy:

• Empty chair

An empty chair technique allows clients to roleplay with other people or parts of themselves. The exercise is designed to stimulate the individual's thoughts and emotions. It can also help people become more aware of their surroundings and remember the things that are important to them.

• Two-chair

This two-chair method is similar to the empty seat technique. The client is invited to have a conversation with the empty chair next to them. After that, the client can respond to the empty chair by playing the role of another person. The client will sit in one of the chairs and have a conversation with the therapist and then shifts to another chair.

• Statements starting with the letter 'I'

Gestalt therapy is influenced by the language and tone used by clients. Clients are encouraged to take responsibility and taught to do so. To learn personal responsibility, clients are encouraged to use the 'I' statement. Instead of saying "It made me angry", clients could instead say "I feel angry". It is easy to label an emotion an "it" and make it appear that the emotion is an independent entity. Awareness can be improved by taking responsibility for the emotion and acknowledging it as a part of you. Gestalt therapy says that the more clients use the word "I", the greater their awareness.

• Body language

The therapist will be paying close attention to the client's body language, movements, posture, facial expressions, and hand gestures during therapy sessions. The therapist may mention what they notice to the client and then ask them what's happening at the moment. You could ask them to say, "I noticed that you placed your hand on your chest while speaking." What is the reason you believe you did this? The Gestalt therapist might ask clients to use body language to help them understand what they are doing.

• Exaggeration

An Online Counsellor specializing in the Gestalt approach might ask the client to give body language a voice or to repeat the motion several times during the Online Counselling session. This helps them to be more aware of their emotions and to recognize the immediate experience.

• Finding your emotions

Gestalt therapy can often bring up many emotions. An online therapist specializing in gestalt therapy might ask clients where they feel the emotion in their bodies when they talk about it. The client may describe the emotion as a tightness or tightness in their chest, a lump or tension in their shoulders, or a feeling of heavy ness or tightness in the throat. This allows clients to be aware of their emotions, which helps them to process and stay present. Gestalt therapy helps clients to recognize emotions that have been hidden or suppressed by other emotions. The client can bring their emotions to the surface and learn to trust them.

• Creativity

Clients can also use other activities, such as drawing, painting, and sculpting, to gain awareness and stay present. This can help with self-awareness and awareness of past experiences.

What disorders can be treated with Gestalt Therapy?

Gestalt therapy has been a successful therapeutic method for treating a variety of mental health conditions.

• Anxiety. Gestalt Therapy helps you to focus on the present and reduce anxiety symptoms.

• Behavioural issues. Gestalt therapy may be able to help those with behavioural issues and mood disorders such as bipolar disorder and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder.

• Depression. Gestalt therapy is a form of self-awareness that helps people with depression to recognize stressful situations and avoid them.

• Relationship problems. Gestalt Therapy can help couples identify and change the destructive patterns that are hampering their relationship satisfaction and individual well-being.

• Low self-esteem. Gestalt therapy helps people who have low self-esteem to identify and overcome the underlying causes.

If you believe that gestalt therapy will be beneficial for you or a loved one, think about taking the following actions: Request a recommendation from your primary care physician for a gestalt-trained therapist. You can find the Best Psychologist in India who specializes in Gestalt Therapy at TalktoAngel. Online Counselling with Gestalt Therapist can be helpful for you if you have trouble with self-awareness or controlling your emotions.

Contribution by: Dr (Prof) R K Suri, Best Clinical Psychologist & Life Coach & Mr. Utkarsh Yadav, Counselling Psychologist