Discussion on Psychological Foundations – Gestalt Perspective

Today’s lesson was all about the Gestalt perspective and the foundations that it laid for practicing counselors. The basic belief of the Gestalt is that knowledge is based on experience and counselors make the person aware of his/her experience since the person has the ability to self-regulate.

The Gestalt theory of change states that the more we attempt to be who or what we are not, the more we remain the same. So we are not trying to change ourselves when we say that we try to be different rather we change when we become aware of what we are.

One of its basic concepts is Holism, which means taking the person as a whole. This means that counselors cannot place value on a particular aspect of a person but attend to the client’s every aspect: thoughts, feelings, behavior, body, dreams, etc.

The Field theory is grounded on the principle that the organism must be seen in its context as part of its constantly-changing field. For the figure-formation process, the figure is the image or the need in focus, the rest becomes the background. Organismic self-regulation is the process in which equilibrium is disturbed due to a need or interest, thus the client would need to self-regulate in order to return to a homeostatic state.

One of the things that I like about the Gestalt perspective is its focus on The Now. The present circumstance is what leads the counselor and it is made concrete to the client by asking “What” and “How” questions. This way, the client feels his/her present emotions, and if the past is affecting the present, he/she will be made aware of the experience, afterwards the feelings are processed.

There is also the thing about the Unfinished Business. These unresolved conflicts are usually manifested in experienced feelings: anxiety, rage, grief, etc. The unacknowledged feelings create unnecessary debris that clutters present-centered awareness, thus it is the goal of the Gestalt therapy to create and attain awareness, which means knowing the environment and accepting oneself.

If I am a counselor with a Gestalt approach, the following would be my functions: assist the client in developing his/her own awareness and experiences, know what is the client’s form and background, encourage client awareness of present moment, do not force change through confrontation but in the context of “I-You” dialogue, focusing on the Here and Now, pay attention to the client’s body language, nonverbal cues, incongruence in the body language and words and the overt speaking habits.