GESTALT THERAPY

Gestalt???Its meaning cannot be described in English.It could be

- pattern- configuration- form- whole

“A figure in relation to background”

GESTALT THERAPY

SENSATION Fore-contact

WITHDRAWAL or organism at rest

SATISFACTION or post-contact & Gestalt completion

AWARENESS of emerging social /

biological need: fore-contact phase

Choice of & implementation of appropriate ACTION phase of contact

Full & vibrant FINAL CONTACT

MOBILIZATION & excitement

phase of contact The cycle of Gestalt

formation & destruction

GESTALT THERAPY

A Gestalt Cycle

Key ConceptsGESTALT THERAPY

Field theoryPhenomenology

Contact & resistance to contact

Unfinished businessAvoidance

Layers of neurosis

Key ConceptsField Theory: Individual cannot be separated from envt.

Phenomenology: Seeking an understanding based on what is given, obvious, comprehensible to senses, not on interpretations & meanings by observer

Contact & Resistance to Contact: Resistance to healthy interaction between self & envt. through defense mechanisms

Unfinished Business: Unexpressed feelings

Avoidance: Evasion of the unfinished & expressing undesirable feelings

Layers of neurosis: Creating layers to prevent contact

GESTALT THERAPY

Contact & Resistance to ContactGESTALT THERAPY

DesensitizationDeflection

IntrojectionProjection

RetroflectionEgotism

Confluence

SENSATION

WITHDRAWAL

SATISFACTION

AWARENESS

ACTION

FINAL CONTACT

MOBILIZATION

SELF

PROJECTION

EGOTISM

DESENSITISATION

CONFLUENCE DEFLECTION

RETROFLECTION

INTROJECTION

GESTALT THERAPY

Boundary Disturbances or Interruptions

• Desensitization: Avoiding /experiencing / minimising sensations

• Deflection: Avoiding sensation from making meaningful impact

• Introjection: Being ruled by internalised shoulds• Projection: Seeing in others what one

acknowledges in oneself

SENSATION

WITHDRAWAL

SATISFACTION

AWARENESS

ACTION

FINAL CONTACT

MOBILIZATION

SELF

PROJECTION

EGOTISM

DESENSITISATION

CONFLUENCE DEFLECTION

RETROFLECTION

INTROJECTION

• Retroflection: (to turn sharply back) Doing to oneself instead of doing to others; doing to oneself what one wanted to have done to oneself by others

• Egotism: Blocking spontaneity by control; spectatoring; conscious of mirror image

• Confluence: Dysfunctional closeness; two persons behaving as one.

SENSATION

WITHDRAWAL

SATISFACTION

AWARENESS

ACTION

FINAL CONTACT

MOBILIZATION

SELF

PROJECTION

EGOTISM

DESENSITISATION

CONFLUENCE DEFLECTION

RETROFLECTION

INTROJECTION

(Minimising Sensation)Avoids experiencing himself or the

environment. Sensations & feelings of self are diluted, disregarded, neglected.

E.g. Thirsty person swallowing water & watching TV desensitising against kinaesthetic relief.

GESTALT THERAPY

Disturbances inGestalt Cycle:

Desensitization

SENSATION

WITHDRAWAL

SATISFACTION

AWARENESS

ACTION

FINAL CONTACT

MOBILIZATION

SELF

PROJECTION

EGOTISM

DESENSITISATION

CONFLUENCE DEFLECTION

RETROFLECTION

INTROJECTION

A. (Avoiding Sensations / Meaningful Impact)Turn aside from direct contact, reducing

one’s awareness of environmental contact making it vague generalised and bland, avoiding eye contact.

E.g. “Do you love me?” “What do you think I do?”

GESTALT THERAPY

Disturbances inGestalt Cycle:

Deflection

SENSATION

WITHDRAWAL

SATISFACTION

AWARENESS

ACTION

FINAL CONTACT

MOBILIZATION

SELF

PROJECTION

EGOTISM

DESENSITISATION

CONFLUENCE DEFLECTION

RETROFLECTION

INTROJECTION

(Being ruled by Internalised “shoulds”) Justifing alien ideas / feelings as part of self ignoring own needs; lacking self-directedness

E.g. “You must always work hard.” Maxims, parental statements

GESTALT THERAPY

Disturbances inGestalt Cycle:

Introjection

SENSATION

WITHDRAWAL

SATISFACTION

AWARENESS

ACTION

FINAL CONTACT

MOBILIZATION

SELF

PROJECTION

EGOTISM

DESENSITISATION

CONFLUENCE DEFLECTION

RETROFLECTION

INTROJECTION

(Seeing in Others what I Don’t Acknowledge in Myself ) Parts of our own personality, not experienced as such, but attributed to objects / persons in the envt.

E.g. “He hates me!”Prejudice, shadow qualities

GESTALT THERAPY

Disturbances inGestalt Cycle:

Projection

SENSATION

WITHDRAWAL

SATISFACTION

AWARENESS

ACTION

FINAL CONTACT

MOBILIZATION

SELF

PROJECTION

EGOTISM

DESENSITISATION

CONFLUENCE DEFLECTION

RETROFLECTION

INTROJECTION

(Doing to Self Instead to the Other)

Wanted to have done for you by others.Self-castigation with inward directed hostility. E.g. A person may give to himself the attention, love and care which was not given by the parents.

GESTALT THERAPY

Disturbances inGestalt Cycle:

Retroflection

SENSATION

WITHDRAWAL

SATISFACTION

AWARENESS

ACTION

FINAL CONTACT

MOBILIZATION

SELF

PROJECTION

EGOTISM

DESENSITISATION

CONFLUENCE DEFLECTION

RETROFLECTION

INTROJECTION

(Blocking Spontaneity by Control)Stepping outside of self and becoming a spectator or a commentator on himself and his relationship with the envt.E.g. Instead of mobilising on hearing her baby’s crying a mother may spend time congratulating herself on her sharp hearing.

GESTALT THERAPY

Disturbances inGestalt Cycle:

Egotism

SENSATION

WITHDRAWAL

SATISFACTION

AWARENESS

ACTION

FINAL CONTACT

MOBILIZATION

SELF

PROJECTION

EGOTISM

DESENSITISATION

CONFLUENCE DEFLECTION

RETROFLECTION

INTROJECTION

( Dysfunctional Closeness)Organism and envt. are not differentiated from each other. Merging with another individual without boundaries. Some confluence in relationships can be beneficial.E.g. Empathetic understanding of a partner’s bereavement.

GESTALT THERAPY

Disturbances inGestalt Cycle:

Confluence

SENSATION

WITHDRAWAL

SATISFACTION

AWARENESS

ACTION

FINAL CONTACT

MOBILIZATION

SELF

PROJECTION

EGOTISM

DESENSITISATION

CONFLUENCE DEFLECTION

RETROFLECTION

INTROJECTION

The Commerce of Resistance• Projection: Abdicates responsibility in directing energy to self.

Disowns aspects of self, ascribes to envt.,

• Introjection: Invests energy passively, accepts what envt. provides him.

• Deflection: Invests energy randomly with no focus; hit & miss with envt.

• Retroflection: Invests energy intrapersonally; abandons efforts to separate self from envt.

• Confluence: Invests little energy; permits envt. to take along self without choice; “Others decide, I abide”.

Goals of Therapy

Restoration of awareness Integration of conflicting dimensions

within the personality

GESTALT THERAPY

Dr VINOD CHEBBI, Bangalore

How?Reliving the past in the “now” and

while describing it in

dialogical form.

GESTALT THERAPY

Expression of a

Conflict

Therapeutic Process

Emergence of the problem Working with external polarities Working with internal polarities Integration Homework

GESTALT THERAPY

External dialogue to dramatize inner conflict & its associated feelings to awareness.

Therapeutic Process2. Working with External Polarities

Self Vs Other

Create dialogue between the two internal aspects and dramatize with tension.

Therapeutic Process3. Working with Internal Polarities

Me Vs Me

Therapeutic Process4. Integration

• Reorganization &re-perception of prob.

• Expression of authentic emotions

• Encourage client to describe, not explain.• Attend to moment-to-moment awareness of elements of the field. • Emphasize on the subjective, not objective.• Attempt to be fully present.• Convey that you comprehend & accept client’s experience;• Vigilantly attend to the impact of each intervention made.•Avoid asking, ‘Why?’

Conducting TherapyGESTALT THERAPY

Asking Questions

What does your dizziness seem to tell you? Can you give a shape, form and colour to your

headache? If a conversation can go on between your right

leg and left leg, what would they say to each other?

If you were to address your dead father what would you talk to him?

Supposing you were free from problem, how would you have talked to yourself?

.........

GESTALT THERAPY

Pay attention to client’s…

• Gait, posture• Words, language pattern, nuances• Feelings, thoughts, attitude• Voice, pitch, tone, feelings• Facial expression, eye movements• Gesture, body language• Non-verbal expression

GESTALT THERAPY

Techniques of Gestalt Therapy• Dialogue exercises• Making the round• Owning up responsibility• Playing the projection• Role reversal• Role rehearsal• Exaggerating exercise• Staying with the feeling• Integration of dreams• Psycho-drama

GESTALT THERAPY

Healing Completion of Gestalt cycle

Development of authentic feelings

Resolution of problem

GESTALT THERAPY

Liberation of energy

Homework Assignment

Books1. Gestalt Therapy Integrated: Contours of Theory and Practice; Erving & Miriam Polster (Vintage)

2. Psychotherapies in Counselling: D. John Anthony; Anugraha Publ)

(Asian Trading Corporation, Ph: 080 25487444, 25490444)

3. Gestalt Therapy: History, Theory, and practice (Ed) Ansel Woldt & Sara Toman (Sage publ.)

4. Gestalt Counselling in Action: Petruska Clarkson (Sage)

5. Creative Process in Gestalt Therapy: Joseph Zinker (Vintage)