Gestalt Therapy
At Simply Therapy in Bury with offices in Greater Manchester, Rossendale, Lancashire we offer a bespoke tailor made flexible counselling and psychotherapy service which can be carried out in one of our exclusive offices, in the comfort of your own home or suitable location.
What is Gestalt therapy?
Gestalt therapy refers to a form of psychotherapy derived from the Gestalt school of thought. It is guided by the relational theory principle that every individual is a whole (mind, body and soul). Gestalt rejects dualities i.e. mind and body. According to Perl’s people function as a whole.
Gestalt therapists promotes a non-judgemental self-awareness that enables clients to develop a perspective on life helping them become more aware of how they think, feel and act in the in the “Here and Now”, providing insight into ways they can alleviate their current issues and experiences in order to aspire to their full potential. The therapist needs to be aware that self-awareness can become blocked by negative thoughts and behaviour that can leave people feeling dissatisfied and unhappy.
How is Gestalt Therapy used in practise?
During Gestalt therapy sessions between the client/s and therapist the therapy works through interconnections of key techniques (concepts) as described below:
Person-centred awareness (The ‘Here and Now’), the client is encouraged to work in the “Here and Now” not in the “There and Then” taking responsibility for their destiny and identity. I supported the anger client being in the “Here and Now” allowing them to analyse, problem solve, reflect and more importantly become aware what they are doing and experiencing. Thereby the anger client will soon realise dropping those behaviours such and clenching their fists or shouting would benefit their mental health and well-being.
The benefits Gestalt therapy is to help the client/s gain a better understanding of how their emotional and physical needs are connected using the techniques that I identify as the therapist, this enables the client/s to become aware of their internal self which is key to understanding why they react and behave in certain ways. These approaches benefit client/s that can be guarded when it comes to their emotions and find it difficult to process why they feel and act the way they do.
Gestalt therapy is considered particularly valuable for helping to treat a wide range of psychological issues it can be applied as a long-term therapy or as a brief and focused approach. I have found the techniques effective supporting client/s with managing anxiety, addiction, post-traumatic stress, depression and anger.
The Gestalt approach balances intellectual understanding with an individual’s actions and experiences. Rather than simply observing from the outside, Gestalt practitioners heighten and illuminate each client’s experience of life, self and others. The Gestalt approach is a successful, recognized model used by mental health professionals around the world.
Overall, people who participate in gestalt therapy tend to feel more self-confident, calm and at peace with themselves.
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