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Psychotherapy
Gestalt psychotherapy is a growth-oriented, contextual and relational approach to working with people. The Gestalt approach embraces a person's physical, psychological, intellectual, emotional, interpersonal and spiritual experience in a holistic way. Each of these interconnected aspects of living is considered inseparable from a person's environment, history and culture.
A Well lived life
From a Gestalt perspective a well-lived life is grounded in a person's awareness of how they live their life and conduct their relationships, in the present, within their life space. From this perspective, Gestalt therapy seeks to promote a person's awareness, support creative choice and encourage responsibility in a person's effort to realise a meaningful and fulfilling life.
How I work with Clients.
Main philosophical underpinnings
Gestalt is based on the following approaches:
- It is grounded in the here and now
- It emphasises that each person is responsible for his or her own destiny
- It focuses on the client's perception of reality
- Aims to increase awareness both of self and of interconnectedness with others
- It works with the 'what is'; change results from being more fully oneself
- Clients explore what and how they are thinking, feeling and doing with the therapist as an active participant in the process
- The wider field is taken into account; past present and future, the individual, family and culture.
- There is an emphasis on unification, re-owning all parts of self.
- Gestalt is not just a talk therapy; action is seen as important and clients are encouraged to try out new ways of being
- Experiments are always aimed at exploration, discovery and awareness; experiential learning is the aim rather than achieving preset outcomes
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