Lori G, LPC
Therapy
What Is Gestalt Therapy?
Gestalt Therapy is an experiential approach that focuses on increasing awareness of what is happening in the present moment.
Rather than only analyzing why something happened, Gestalt work often pays attention to what you are noticing now - your thoughts, emotions, body sensations, patterns, and reactions as they are happening.
The goal is to help you become more aware of your experience so you have more choice in how you respond.
Awareness in the Present Moment
Gestalt Therapy places a strong emphasis on awareness.
You may already understand something intellectually but still feel disconnected from it emotionally.
Gestalt techniques can help slow things down and bring attention to what is happening in the moment.
That may include noticing:
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What you are feeling
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What happens in your body
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What thoughts show up
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What you want to say but hold back
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How you respond to conflict
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What happens when you feel uncomfortable
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Where you may be avoiding or disconnecting from an experience
Sometimes simply noticing a pattern more clearly creates space for change.
What Gestalt Therapy Is Not
Gestalt Therapy is not about forcing emotional expression or making every session highly intense.
It also does not mean that you have to participate in experiential exercises if they do not feel useful or appropriate.
The work should remain collaborative.
Experiential techniques are tools - not requirements - and they should fit the person, the situation, and what feels clinically useful in the moment.
Related Concerns
Gestalt techniques may be incorporated when working with concerns such as relationship difficulties, grief and loss, trauma-related experiences, emotional regulation, anxiety, depression, life transitions, self-criticism, and recurring interpersonal patterns.
The Empty-Chair Technique
One of the best-known Gestalt interventions is the empty-chair technique.
This may involve imagining another person, a part of yourself, or an unresolved situation in an empty chair and speaking to it directly.
The exercise can help bring out thoughts or emotions that may be difficult to access through ordinary conversation.
It may be useful for:
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Unfinished conversations
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Grief
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Anger
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Conflicting feelings
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Relationship concerns
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Self-criticism
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Difficulty expressing needs
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Exploring different parts of yourself
The goal is not performance. It is awareness.
Sometimes the exercise creates insight. Other times it simply helps put words to something that has been difficult to express.
What It May Look
Like in Session
Gestalt techniques may include:
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Bringing attention to the present moment
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Increasing awareness of emotions and physical sensations
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Exploring unfinished conversations
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Noticing patterns in relationships
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Identifying what is being avoided
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Experimenting with different ways of responding
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Exploring conflicting parts of an experience
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Practicing direct communication
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Using experiential exercises to deepen insight
The goal is not simply to talk about an experience from a distance, but sometimes to notice what happens when you engage with it more directly.
How I Use Gestalt Techniques
I use Gestalt techniques selectively within a broader person-centered and integrative approach.
I may invite you to slow down, notice what is happening emotionally or physically, pay attention to language you are using, or explore something more directly in the room.
At times, that may include an empty-chair exercise or another experiential intervention.
At other times, Gestalt principles may simply influence the way I ask questions or bring attention back to what is happening in the present moment.
I do not use experiential techniques simply because they are part of a model.
They need to make sense for you, the situation, and the work we are doing together.
Gestalt Therapy & Other Approaches
Gestalt techniques can work well alongside:
For me, Gestalt work fits naturally within a person-centered approach because it emphasizes awareness, authenticity, and paying attention to what is happening in the therapeutic relationship and present moment.
Ready to Get Started?
Ready to schedule therapy?
Visit Healthstead Psychiatry for scheduling, availability, and insurance information.
Not sure yet?
Contact me for a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation to see whether we may be a good fit.