Gestalt Therapy

507
Humanistic Psychotherapy
psychology
applying
A CLIENT-CENTERED
THERAPY GROUP Carl
Rogers (shown here in
shirtsleeves) believed that people in successful client-centered therapy become
more self-confident, more aware of their
feelings, more accepting of themselves,
more comfortable and genuine with other
people, more reliant on self-evaluation
than on the judgments of others, and
more effective and relaxed.
For example, if they are confused by what a client has said, they would say so rather
than trying to pretend that they always understand everything. When the therapist’s
unconditional positive regard and empathy are genuine, the client is able to see that
relationships can be built on openness and honesty. Ideally, this experience will help
the client become more congruent in other relationships.
Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt therapy A form of treatment
that seeks to create conditions in which
clients can become more unified, more
self-aware, and more self-accepting.
Another form of humanistic treatment was developed by Frederick S. (Fritz) Perls,
along with his wife, Laura Perls. A European psychoanalyst, Frederick Perls was greatly
influenced by Gestalt psychology. (As noted in the chapter on sensation and perception, Gestalt psychologists emphasized the idea that people actively organize their
perceptions of the world.) As a result, he believed that (1) people create their own versions of reality and (2) people’s natural psychological growth continues only as long as
they perceive, remain aware of, and act on their true feelings. Growth stops and symptoms of mental disorder appear, said Perls, when people are not aware of all aspects of
themselves (Perls, 1969; Perls, Hefferline, & Goodman, 1951).
Like client-centered therapy, Gestalt therapy seeks to create conditions in which
clients can become more unified, self-aware, and self-accepting and thus ready to
grow again. However, Gestalt therapists use more direct and dramatic methods than
do Rogerians. Often working with groups, Gestalt therapists prod clients to become
aware of feelings and impulses that they have disowned and to discard feelings, ideas,
and values that are not really their own. For example, the therapist or other group
members might point out inconsistencies between what clients say and how they
behave. Gestalt therapists pay particular attention to clients’ gestures and other
forms of “body language” that appear to conflict with what the clients are saying
(Kepner, 2001). The therapist may also ask clients to engage in imaginary dialogues
with other people, with parts of their own personalities, and even with objects
(Elliott, Watson, & Goldman, 2004a, 2004b). Like a shy person who can be socially
outgoing only while at a costume party, clients often find that these dialogues help
to get them in touch with and express their feelings (Paivio & Greenberg, 1995;
Woldt & Toman, 2005).
In recent years, client-centered and other forms of humanistic therapy have declined
in popularity (Norcross, Hedges, & Castle, 2002), but Carl Rogers’s contributions to
psychotherapy remain significant. In particular, his emphasis on the importance of the
therapeutic relationship in bringing about change has been adopted by many other
treatment approaches (Kirschenbaum & Jourdan, 2005).