Laura focused on contact and support which differed from Fritz’s attention to intra-psychic phenomena and his focus on awareness. (Corey, 2010, p.212)

It is grounded in the notion that people are always in the process of changing

Field Theory

Focus on the now (The Present)

The Figure-Formation Process

Focus on self support (Organismic Self-Regulation)

When clients speak about their past, the therapist may ask them to reenact it as though they were living it now

Focusing on the past and the future can be a way to avoid coming to terms with the present moment.

It is holistic and focuses on the present for the client.

It assists the client attain greater awareness, and with it greater choice. This includes knowing the environment, knowing oneself, accepting oneself, and being able to make contact.

The Gestalt approach helps clients note their own awareness process so that they can be responsible and can selectively and discriminatingly  make choices. 

The six methodological components considered vital or integral to Gestalt therapy are:

(a) The continuum of experience, (b) the here and now, (c) the paradoxical theory of change, (d) the experiment, (e) the authentic encounter, and (f) process-oriented diagnosis 

Through a creative involvement in Gestalt process, Zinker (1978) expects clients will do the following during Gestalt Therapy" •Move towards increased awareness of themselves •Gradually assume ownership of their experience (as opposed to making others responsible for what they are thinking, feeling, and doing). •Develop skills and acquire values that will allow them to satisfy their needs without violating the rights of others. •Become more aware of all of their senses. •Learn to accept responsibility for what they do, including accepting the consequences of their actions. •Be able to ask for and get help from others and be able to give to others. 

The therapists task is to create a climate in which clients are likely to try out new ways of being and behaving. Gestalt therapists do not force change on clients through confrontation. Instead, they work within a context of I/Thou dialogue in here-and-now framework.

The therapist needs to be alert for gaps in attention and awareness and for incongruities between verbalizations and what clients are doing with their bodies.

Therapists are responsible for the quality of their presence, for knowing themselves and the client, and for remaining open to the client. Additionally, they are also responsible for establishing and maintaining a therapeutic atmosphere that will foster a spirit of work on the clients part.

Gestalt therapists not only allow their clients to be who they are but also remain themselves and do not get lost in a role.

Laura Perls (1976) stressed the notion that the person of the therapist is more important than using techniques. She says, “There are as many styles as there are therapists and clients who discover themselves and each other and together invent their relationship” (p. 223). 

Polster and Polster (1973) emphasized the importance of therapists knowing themselves and being therapeutic instruments. Like artists who need to be in touch with what the are painting, therapists are artistic participants in the creation of new life.

Focuses on things as a whole rather than separate parts. This can cause intense feelings for some clients and confusion.

Basic sense of trust in the client’s ability to move forward in a constructive manner if conditions fostering growth are present (Corey, 2010, p. 178).

Referred to as “father of psychotherapy research

Therapeutic Goals

Therapist Function and Roles

Clients’ Experience in Therapy

Relationship Between Therapist and Client

Therapeutic Core Conditions

Accurate Empathetic Understanding

Helper is to be present & accessible, in the moment-to-moment interchange

The role of a person-centered therapist is rooted in their ways of being and attitudes, not in techniques designed to get the client to “do something” (Corey, 2010, p. 179)

One can direct one’s own life

Assist clients in their growth process so clients can better cope with problems as they identify them

Provide a climate conducive to helping the individual strive toward self-actualization

Encouraging these characteristics is a basic goal: What do people who become more self-actualized have: –An openness to experience –A trust in themselves –An internal source of evaluation –A willingness to continue growing

(Corey, 2010, p. 179)

Therapist helps develop an environment in which the client can grow

Through attitudes of genuine caring, respect and understanding the client is able to let their defenses down & become more self- aware

Therapist reflects client’s view of the world (Phenomenological approach)

• Main focus is on the person & not on the

  person's problems This allows the client to reconnect wit his/herself.

• Client is assisted in therapy so that they can deal with current problems as well as problems that develop in the future

• Focuses on helping a person become aware of their true self & develop congruency

Limited use with non-verbal clients

Additionally, both are focused on the "here and now" or present problems/issues, as opposed to something like psychodynamic/psychoanalytic therapy which tends to focus on past problems or events. 

Gestalt therapy differs in the way that the therapist takes a much more active role. In this type of therapy, the client and the therapist work together as a team to learn about the client. The therapy is based on the assumption that the cleint must take responsibility for their behavior/actions. 

I will integrate Gestalt though clients who may be experiencing a lot of stress. An example of this could be a student who has test anxiety. Additionally, Gestalt can be used with clients who may be experiencing any type of intense feelings in the here and now.

I think that it will take time after I graduate in order to fully understand and grasp these theories. Gestalt requires a lot of training and development, while person-centered is really the basis for all theories. Over time, I think that these theories will become a second nature and be more easily available for me to use.