What is Gestalt Therapy?

Gestalt Therapy is a humanistic, holistic, person-centered form of psychotherapy that is focused on the current context of your life. The word Gestalt itself refers to the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In Gestalt Therapy we focus on how you can make meaning and sense of your unique world and lived experiences. Expressing current feelings and actively taking personal responsibility are the two key points that we focus on to cultivate the authenticity of self.

What Does It Encourage?

• Staying Present

  • Gestalt encourages greater overall awareness of your lived experience and being in the world. It helps you process how things are here and now in the present moment with self-awareness and embodiment of bodily sensations.

• Self-Awareness and Growth

  • Throughout our lives, we learn how to survive experiences that may be painful by creating emotional blocks, that push things out of our awareness so that we can move forward. In therapy, I help you work through blockages to increase awareness in identifying, challenging, and moving through these blocks so you can find integrated healing and personal growth.

• Personal Responsibility

  • A key point in this therapy style is encouraging you to own and accept your experiences. You will be encouraged to challenge patterns of thinking and create meaning about your lived experiences.

• Self-Regulation and Growth

  • By working through emotional blocks and owning your full lived experience, you can gain a greater sense of control over your experiences, learn how to better regulate your emotions, and interact with the world.

How Can Gestalt Therapy Help Me?

Research suggests that gestalt therapy can be effective for treating a variety of conditions including anxiety and personality disorders and is as effective as other psychotherapy approaches.

Some of the benefits include:

• An improved sense of self-control

• Better ability to monitor and regulate mental states

• Better awareness of your needs

• Better tolerance for negative emotions

• Improved communication skills

• Improved mindfulness

• Increased emotional understanding

What is a Gestalt Therapy Session Like?

In Gestalt Therapy, we work with the knowledge that you are the expert on you. You have the space to safely explore your experiences and feelings without fear of judgment. In the Gestalt session, you are encouraged to bring all of your emotions and experiences into the room to be processed in the moment within the therapeutic process. We will collaborate to increase self-awareness and challenge the roadblocks that have been getting in the way of healing.

Some techniques we may use in session are:

You can find more helpful information about starting therapy at:

What Do I Do if I have Anxiety About Getting Help for My Anxiety?

New to Therapy? and What to Ask Yourself Before Starting Therapy