Gestalt

Patricia Embick

Gestalt

Counseling Theories

PSY400 XJ

Jessica Jack

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Abstract

Gestalt therapy is important to a new Client Named Ron, he wants to get his life back

together, with some control of his own choices, his parents are forcing him to choose his religion

over his girlfriend. he is seeing a therapist that is using Gestalt therapy in her sessions, however
she

has similar issues as her client, her family wants her to pick her Vietnam’s culture for a mate
over her

choices, but can she be professional without letting her value come through.

In this case I do believe that Ron’s therapist will be able to empathize with Ron, but she

must be careful when projecting, witnessing and identifying because Gestalt therapy should not

overlap her feelings of what is going on in her own life; it would be inappropriate. The

difference between Ron and his therapist is that Ron’s issues are of a religious nature and the

therapist is of a cultural issue. One thing the therapist must keep in mind is that there should be

no transference issues which could hinder the therapy Ron’s if he were aware that she has a

similar background. At this point if the client does not know that the counselor has similar

problems with her parents about whom she should date and marry it is of no consequence to the

client at any point. One would think that she was professional enough to be able to separate the

issues in order to help Ron, I do not see this as an issue for a professional when they are working

together. First the therapist must get the client Ron to realize he is in the here and now, not in

the past but the present. She needs to work with him on the steps to self-actualize. I feel that the

therapist should try to use the empty chair step if Ron tries to evade the therapist’s attempt to

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increase his insight into his own behavior.

Another way to increase awareness is to live in and be conscious of the present moment

rather than remaining tied to the past or focusing on hope of a better future (Seligman, L 2006).

According to Perls(1969a), “Nothing exists except the here and now… The past is no more.

The future is not yet…..You should live in the here and now” (p. 44). When a person is

centered in the present, they are more likely to be congruent. When a person is not fully in the

present, they may be fragmented (Seligman, L 20006). Ones emotions gets stuck in the past and

it can hurt our thoughts in a way that may wander into future anticipations when we talk with

people in the here and now. When a person is not centered on the present it can give confusing

messages to others, making contact difficult when communicating because the person is not

fully present.

Growth Disorders, not all people are emotionally healthy, Perls sometimes used the term

Neurosis to describe emotional problems, he believed that these difficulties should more

accurately be referred to as “growth disorders” (Perls,1969a,p.30). The term describes people

who deny or reject aspect of themselves and their environment, are not living in the present,

are not making fulfilling contact with others, lack awareness, and are not becoming actualized

(Seligman, L 2006). They are stuck; the environment no longer gives them the support they need

grow and mature, but they have no confidence ore their own resources (Seligman, L 2006).

These particular people tend to feel guilty, resentful and hold onto the pass, blaming parents and

others for their failures. People like this do not allow themselves to be aware of, anticipate, and

cope successfully and flexibly with the changes in their lives (Seligman, L 2006).

Perls (1969a) identified five levels or stages of contact and growth:

1. The phony layer. People play games, assume roles, and react in stereotyped and

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inauthentic ways, and are insincere. My ex-husband was great at playing games and

assuming roles of the person he wanted to be, he was never true to himself, he was always

depressed but when it came to his buddy’s he was always showing off, at home he did not want

to be bothered, he tried to play tough guy, but the way he was raised and the way his parents still

treated him he had a hard time handling it. He was always saying if his parents would have just

left him finish out his senior year of football he could have gotten that scholarship, but truth be

told he had bad grades and they pulled him out because of that. He was the middle child he told

me that his mom loved his younger sister the most and he resented her for that, he could never

get past it. Because of this resentment he does not have a relationship with his sister. Our

relationship fell apart fast over something his mom said, and I took her side, before I knew it we

were divorced. I could never get him to understand it was only something simple but it did not

mater it was the fact that I took her side, he could not live with that.

2. The phobic layer. People avoid pain, hide their real selves to prevent rejection, act out of

fear, and feel vulnerable and helpless. I went through this stage after my divorce, I did not want

to date, I did not need anyone, I did not want my ex-husband to see me feel vulnerable, not even

my parents, I was not helpless. I did not feel invincible I just felt like I needed no one, I was

alright as long as everybody left me alone. I went to work every day, paid my bills, mowed my

lawn, washed the car, I functioned. Did I go out, no, did I hang out with friends, no, I avoided

friends, I did not want a pity party, and I was fine.

3. The impasse layer. Having passed through the first two layers, people feel confused,

stuck, and powerless; they seek help from others. Finally I am now in a state of flux, I do not

know what to do, and I do want to see people, but whom? I want to go out but with whom? I

feel like I am no longer in control of my actions or am I ? Right now I am stuck between do I

want to meet someone new or do I just want to rekindle my friendships with my girlfriends first?

What route do I take?

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4. The implosive layer. People become aware that they have limited themselves and begin to

experiment with change, to deal with unfinished business, to lower defenses, and to move

toward greater integration. People connect with their possibilities and give up old layers. This

implosion turns into an explosion in the fifth layer. Wow what have I been missing out on, there

was a festival I could have gone to if I would have reached out sooner to my friends. I am

starting to feel more in control of my thoughts and feelings, I am getting out more, I decided to

look into dating on the web, meant someone, it is going nice. My girlfriends and I have

rekindled our relationship and we are going away to the beach for the weekend, this should be

great.

5. The explosive layer. People experience reintegration and wholeness, become their

authentic selves, gain access to great energy, feel and express emotions, and become more

actualized. I do not look at the past as a failure, I look at it as a life lesson, when I am happy I

laugh, when I am scared I hide, when I am sad I cry, but not for long because I can only be sad

for a short period of time because it is over and the here and now is good so now I am calm,

enjoying life, experiencing new things.

This is my reflection on what I went through with Gestalt therapy and learned from it, I had a lot

of clarity, and I do not harbor on the past. If something needs done and I can do it, the task gets

accomplished by me, if I cannot I do not fret any longer I have a host of people I can call to fix

almost anything so I do not worry. My past is the past, I live for today, thankfully. Sometimes I

am not great about being on time but I do my best with the ability’s I have.

Additional goals of significance in this treatment system include:

 Promoting attention, clarity, and awareness

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 Helping people live in the here and now

 Improving people’s sense of wholeness, integration, and balance

 Enabling people to bring closure to their unfinished business

 Increasing people’s appreciation of an access to their own considerable resources

 Promoting responsibility, appropriate choices, and self-sufficiency.

 Promoting self-esteem, self-acceptance, and actualization

 Facilitating peoples efforts to have meaningful contact with all aspects of themselves,
other people, and their environment

 Developing the skills people need to manage their lives successfully without harming
others (Seligman, L 2006)

The empty chair method for addressing unfinished business is one of Gestalts processes.

The empty chair might represent another person, a troubling and confusing part of a person’s

Dream or fantasy, or physical symptom the person is having such as a headache (Seligman, L

2006). The person visualizes the empty chair as the person or symptom or part of the dream

with whom they have the unfinished business with, this allows them to express their feelings or

thought to the person, symptom or dream in a process that can be uninterrupted. The goal of this

experience is a resolution in which the clients develop greater understanding and acceptance of

the other person or issue, as well as the growth in their own self-confidence (Seligman, L 2006).

Phenomenological Perspective

Because all the choices we make in our lives stem from our perceptions, we are, in effect, the

focus of your universe. Carl Rogers believed that each person exists at the center of a constantly

changing world of experience (Seligman, L 2006). Even when we believe we are being objective

our subjective perceptions determine the direction of our lives. Every moment of the day, we

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have perceptions that evolve out of our experiences and influence all aspects of our lives

(Seligman, L 2006). One is lead to believe that no matter what corner I turn there is always

going to be something or someone who is going to impact my life, it could be brief, it could be

for a few minutes, it could be for a life time. One perception changes when even looking at

something for the 10th time and someone on makes a comment on how they perceive the same

picture, I might know perceive that picture in my mind differently for a moment or it might be

forever changed who knows.

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Resources

Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy: Systems, Strategies, and Skills, 2nd Edition.
Seligman, L 2006
Chapter 10 pages 174, 175
Chapter 12 pages 219, 220, 221 ,222 ,and 226

Perls, F (1969a) Gestalt therapy verbatim. Lafayette, CA: Real Person Press

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