Gestalt Theory - BM

Gestalt Theory

Belle A McGathy

Founders

View of Human Nature

Source of dysfunction

Healing Process

Roles of Counselor and Client

Skills/Techniques/Interventions

Multicultural Considerations

Timeline

Resources

Index

Founders

01

Developed by Fritz and Laura Perls in the 1940s, and Paul Goodman in the 1950s (History of Gestalt: A brief history, 2023; Stoehr, 1997, p. 4-6).

Humans are cared forbest in holistic enviorments that promote growth; humans are inheriently capable of self-awareness and can take personal responcibility. Humans can confront existential concerns and explore diverse relationships with others.

View of Human Nature

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Resources

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Source of Dysfunction

UNFINISHED BUISNESS!

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LOREM

Besides the ghostly dysfunctions, Gestalt also believes that dysfunctions can come from:Lack of Awareness: as individuals may not undertsand their internal stuff well enough to resolve and process.Avoiding and Resisting: used to protect one's self from uncomfortable or painful emotions. Typically temporary defense mechanisms that do not work as long-term strategies.Fragmentation: inner conflicts that arise from disowning one's self - ouch!Maladaptive Relational Patterns: Ghost bugs you so you exorsize the ghost instead of asking what's wrong - ouch!Projection and Blaming: my unresolved stuff is now your stuff; hope you like it because I will blame you or whatever else is around to blame.

Healing Process

"The therapy process [...] can be aptly summarized in nine words [...]: I and thou, here and now, what and how" (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 201, p. 143).Gestalt therapy focuses on bringing awareness to the client's unfinished business, healing through focusing on the present and how to implement plans / appropriate goals.

"I do my thing and you do your thing.I am not in this world to live up to your expectations,And you are not in this world to live up to mine.You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful.If not, it can't be helped."

(Supposedly) Fritze Prels

The counselor in Gestalt theory can take many roles: teacher, facilitator, mirror, and researcher all have solid arguments, but they embody the most Gestalt-ness when in collaborator mode. (Sommers-Flanagan, 2012, p. 143).

Gestalt theory attempts to “enhance awareness," clients need to be learners taking in and applying tools. They need to be willing partners, collaborating with the counselor to get the best results (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2012, p. 143).

Peeling the onion - Looks at the Phony, the phobic, the impasse,the implosive, and the explosive to integrate and bring awareness (p. 143).

Two-Chair Technique uses dialoges to "highten" client's affect and experience (p. 458).

Skills, Techniques, and Interventions

(Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2012, pp. 143-145, 163, 458).

FEILD THEORY

Dream Work - dreams are seen as experiences that can bring about a lot of insight and feeling, but are not to be interpreted (p. 163).

Because Gestalt therapy is not an adjustment therapy and strives to be value-free, with a focus on understanding each unique individual and the individual’s subjective experience as opposed to an “objective” standard for psychological health, there is no population that would be excluded from treatment (Zahm & Gold, 2004).

Multicultural Considerations

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Timeline

Very Basic Timeline...because I am out of time.

1940s - 1951

Fritz and Laura Prels with Paul Goodman start publications and serious study of Gestalt. Forming the key principles.

01

02

1952 - 1990s

Workshop in Cape Cod, MS opens; popularity raises, expands globally.

Present

Contemporary therapists draw from the principles while adding in new techniques and applying integrative healthcare tools.

03

Resources

History of Gestalt: A brief history. (2023). Retrieved from GTIP.Org: https://www.gtip.org/working-with-gestalt-therapist/what-is-gestalt-therapy-theory/history-of-gestalt/Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2012). Counseling and Psychotherapy Theories: In Context and Practice (2nd ed). John Wiley & Sons, INC. https://doi.org/978-1-118-28905-1Stoehr, T. (1997). Here now next: Paul Goodman and the origins of Gestalt Therapy. Jossey-Bass, Inc. https://doi.org/150.198209Zahm, S. G., & Gold, E. K. (2004). Gestalt Therapy: 3 Applications and Exclusions. In C. D. Spielberger, Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology (pp. 95-104). https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/gestalt-therapy.

Self-Portrait With Fur-Trimmed Robe

The Whole, Self-regulated personFeild Theory - View people in their environment; my favorite diet show does this with people's lifestyles and houses by having the doctors live with the cleints for a while to see what expectations are realistic and which ones are not. The Figure-ground-formation processPeeling the onion - Ogres are like onions!The therapy proces - I and Thou, Here and Now, What and How.

Key Action Principles

Click on the Widgets to see groundbreaking art that changed how society viewed human nature, holistic living, and the human-nature connection.

Vitruvian Man 1485

Primavera - 1470s/1480s Humanism

(Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2012, pp. 143 - 145)

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• Generate experiences with your content.
• It’s got the Wow effect. Very Wow.
• Make sure your audience remembers the message.
• Activate and surprise your audience.

Create a new layer with all the Genially features.

Bring it to life with an interactive window

Got an idea?

• Generate experiences with your content.
• It’s got the Wow effect. Very Wow.
• Make sure your audience remembers the message.
• Activate and surprise your audience.

Create a new layer with all the Genially features.

Bring it to life with an interactive window

Got an idea?