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What is Gestalt Therapy?  Gestalt therapy is a scientific based therapy method in the humanistic tradition. It was founded in the 1950's by Fritz Perls, Laura Perls and Paul Goodman. Gestalt therapy has evolved from Psychoanalysis of Freud, but has integrated aspects of Gestalt psychology, Feld theory, phenomenology and existential philosophy. Gestalt therapy should not be confused with "Gestaltungstherapie". Gestalt therapy is an experience-based psychotherapeutic method, which can be used in one-on-one settings as well as couples therapy or group sessions and for adults, adolescents or kids. Subsequently, some of the basic concepts of Gestalt therapy are described. Humanistic values Gestalt therapy is part of the humanistic tradition and therefore represents a positive, resource- oriented understanding of a person. Every individual is capable of growing and changing creatively. One goal of therapy consists in liberating the vitality and creativity of a person and developing the personal capabilities and resources of building and structuring their environment, as well as distancing oneself from unhealthy states. Symptoms as creative solution attempts Contrary to traditional behavioral therapy where symptoms are viewed as "dysfunctional" or "maladaptive" and need to be changed as quickly as possible, Gestalt therapy understands symptoms as creative attempts of adaptation from an earlier time. Often times, children have chosen the best available strategy at that time to get through a difficult situation or time period. This different way of understanding symptoms as a creative effort instead of a failed one, constitutes the positive and supportive approach of Gestalt therapy. It supports patients in accepting who they are by appreciating and understanding their efforts so far. In the course of therapy, the symptoms - or chronified solution attempts - need to be reevaluated from the momentary perspective. ​Integration Each individual has facets of his personality which he prefers and others which he rather would hide in the closet. Those hidden parts hinder a lively, vibrant, intelligent and realistic exchange with the actual world around him. In order to regain this lost treasure, to become whole and balanced as a person again and to be able to react appropriately to the challenges of every day life, it is helpful to explore and appreciate the hidden aspects of ones persona. That way these aspects can be brought back to awareness and integrated in the unity of an individual's personality. Successful psychotherapy achieves integration. Integration requires identification with all vital functions - not with only some of the patient's ideas, emotions and actions. Any rejection of one's own ideas, emotions or actions results in alienation. Reowning allows the person to be whole. The task then, in therapy, is to have the person become aware of previously alienated parts and taste them, consider them and assimilate them if they are ego-syntonic or reject them if they prove to be ego-alien. Experience instead of interpretation Learning usually happens through a personal experience. More than any other therapy, Gestalt therapy emphasizes that whatever exists is here and now and that experience is more reliable than interpretation. That is why Gestalt therapy is called an experience-based psychotherapy method. The patient is taught the difference between talking about what occurred five minutes ago (or 20 years ago) and experiencing what is now. The contact between therapist and patient offers a safe place to absorb, experience and explore the current life situation and to express the inherent feelings in order to close any open Gestalt. Holistic approach Gestalt therapy views body and soul as one unit. Therefore, not only spoken words are of interest but also facial expressions, gestures, posture, language, voice and last but not least, the entirety of the body. The ultimate goal is to reach a higher awareness of one's self. Awareness / mindfulness Gestalt therapy embodies a keen interest for life and your own person. The world and especially your own body is full of cues of information which can help us facilitate our decisions in life. A fine radar for phenomena of the inner self as well as for the outer world will not only deepen your life experience but are necessary to be able to react appropriately in difficult situatons. Also they will help achieving happiness through striving for your personal needs. Generally, four dimensions of phenomena can be distinguished: (1) all senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, tactile), (2) body functions, (3) thoughts and (4) feelings. We are fortunante that everyone's radar for these phenomena can be improved through practice! The paradox of change The quote by Gestalt therapist Arnold Beisser became one of the major points of orientation in Gestalt therapy: "Change happens, when you become what you are, not when you try to become something you are not." In other words: change will happen when you stop trying to be any different from who you really are but when you succeed in accepting yourself the way you really are. When the therapist rejects the change agent role, change that is orderly and also meaningful is possible. Children swallow whole (introject) ideas and behavior. This results in an enforced morality rather than a personally compatible one. As a result, people frequently feel guilt when they behave in accordance with their wants as opposed to their shoulds. Some people invest an enormous amount of energy in maintaining the split between shoulds and wants. Shoulds sabotage such people, and the more they push to be what they are not, the more resistance is set up, and no change occurs. ​Phenomenology Gestalt therapy practices the observation and description of phenomena free of hypotheses. The obvious and observable information is preferred as opposed to hidden or past information. In other words: Gestalt therapy is a method of "here and now" without denying that every person is formed by his or her past experiences. Instead of digging for those lost memories, Gestalt therapy looks at how a person acts in the present life situation with his or her particular background.   Gestalt The term "Gestalt" derives from the German word meaning "a configuration or pattern of elements so unified as a whole that it cannot be described merely as a sum of its parts". Every Gestalt has a figure and a background. It steps into consciousness, closes itself or stays open / unfinished demanding closure. An open "Gestalt" could be for example an unresolved conflict, an unfulfilled wish or an unprocessed traumatic experience. Through mindfulness practice, a new Gestalt can step forward and change the entire picture, resp. world view. Contact Contact is one of the most basic concepts in Gestalt therapy and means the exchange between a person and its environment. Continuously, we are in contact with somebody or something. Successful contact supports growth. The existential philosopher Martin Buber states that the person ("I") has meaning only in relation to others, in the I-Thou contact. Gestalt therapy helps clients develop their own support for desired contact or withdrawal The meaning of health A healthy person has a good inner outer contact and at the same the capabilities to define his/her borders (inner and outer) - adequately to the situation and the person's state of development. Furthermore, a healthy individual is capable to meet their needs without harming others or the environment. Note Some of these thoughts were taken from the introductory chapter in "Awareness, Dialogue, and Process" published by The Gestalt Journal Press. Copyright 1993 by Gary Yontef. http://www.gestalt.org/yontef.htm More literature about Gestalt therapy: Perls, F., Hefferline, R., ; Goodman, P. (1951) Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and growth in the human personality. New York, NY: Julian. Polster, E. ; Polster, M. (1973) Gestalt Therapy Integrated: Contours of theory and practice. New York, NY: Brunner-Mazel. Joseph Zinker (1977). The Creative Process in Gestalt Therapy. New York, Vintage Books.