Chapter 8: Gestalt Therapy

Question 1

Gestalt therapy founders

Answer 1

Erving Polster + Mariam Polster (expanded on the theory)
Fritz Perls + Laura Perls (main originators)

Question 2

Gestalt Therapy

Answer 2

existential, phenomenological, and process-based approach created on the premise that individuals must be understood in the context of their ongoing relationship with the environment
goals is for clients to expand their awareness, which will lead to change and rediscovering themselves
focuses on hear and now , the what and how of an experience, and authenticity of therapist

Question 3

Cronerstones of gestalt

Answer 3

awareness
choice
responsibility

Question 4

Gestalt processes and goals

Answer 4

self-acceptance, knowledge of the environment, responsibility for choices, and the ability to make contact with their field (systems of interrelationships)

Question 5

relational Gestalt Therapy

Answer 5

stresses dialogue and the I/Thou relationship between client and therapist
work collaboratively with client

Question 6

view of human nature

Answer 6

rooted in existential philosophy
aims at awareness and contact with the environment, (both external and internal)

Question 7

Perls style of gestalt personal agendas

Answer 7

moving the client from environmental support to self support
reintegrating the disowned parts of one’s personality
confrontational

Question 8

Basic assumption of gestalt

Answer 8

individuals have the capacity to self-regulate when they are aware of what is happening in and around them

Question 9

paradoxical theory of change

Answer 9

Arnie Beisser
authethentic change occurs more from being who we are than trying to be who we are not

Question 10

Principles of Gestalt therapy theory

Answer 10

holism
field theory
the figure-formation process
organismic self-regulation

Question 11

holism

Answer 11

value is place on the whole person, not the sum of their parts or aspects of the client

Question 12

field theory

Answer 12

asserts that the organism must be seen in its environment, or context, as part of the constantly changing field
emphasis placed between figure (aspects of clients experience that are most salient at any moment) and the ground (aspect of clients presentation that are often out of their awareness)

Question 13

the figure-formation process

Answer 13

tracks how the individual organizes experience from moment to moment as some aspect of the environmental field emerges from the background and becomes focal point of individuals attention/interest.
therapist helps them work towards or away from this

Question 14

organismic self-regulation

Answer 14

a principle/process by which equilibrium is disturbed by the emergence of a need, sensation, or an interest

Question 15

contact

Answer 15

made by seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and moving
effective = interacting with nature and other people without losing sense of individuality
key to gestalt practice

Question 16

pre-requisites of good contact

Answer 16

clear awareness
full energy
ability to express oneself

Question 17

contact disturbances/resistances

Answer 17

developed as coping process but often prevent us from experiencing the present fully
adopted out of our awareness
may contribute to dysfunctional behavior
keeps us from exploring personal conflicts or painful feelings

Question 18

contact boundary disturbances

Answer 18

both this and interruptions in contact are characteristic styles people employ in their attempts to control their environment through one of these channels of resistance:
Introjection
projection
retroflection
deflection
confluence

Question 19

introjection

Answer 19

tendency to uncritically accept others beliefs and standards without assimilating them to make them congruent with who we are
have not been analyzed and restructured

Question 20

projection

Answer 20

reverse of introjection
disown certain aspects of ourselves by assigning them to the environment
blame others for own shortcomings

Question 21

retroflection

Answer 21

consists of turning back unto ourselves what we would like to do to someone else or doing to ourselves what we would like someone else to do for us
interruption of the action phase in the cycle of experience/it is an anxious time
keep themselves from taking action due to anxiety and embarrassment

Question 22

deflection

Answer 22

the process of distraction or veering off, so that it is difficult to maintain a sustained sense of contact
through the overuse of humor, generalizations, and questions instead of statements

Question 23

confluence

Answer 23

involves blurring the differentiation between the self and the environment
“people pleasing” basically

Question 24

The now

Answer 24

one of the main contributions to the gestalt approach
whatever happening in current moment takes center stage

Question 25

phenomenological inquiry

Answer 25

involves paying attention to what is occurring now involves suspending any preconceived ideas, assumptions, or interpretations concerning the meaning of a clients experience

Question 26

unfinished business

Answer 26

figures that emerge from the background that are not completed and resolved manifested in feelings such as worry, rage, hatred, pain, etc. clutters present-centered awareness

Question 27

impasse

Answer 27

stuck point occurs when external support is not available or the customary way of being does not work therapist help client fully experience this in order to work through it

Question 28

blocked energy

Answer 28

often leads to unfinished business another form of defensive behavior can be manifested as tension therapist helps transform blocked energy into more adaptive behaviors

Question 29

Therapeutic goals

Answer 29

-move toward increased awarnesss -gradually assume ownership of their experience (instead of blaming others) -develop skills and acquire values that will enable them to satisfy their needs without violating the rights of others -become aware of all 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

Question 30

awareness

Answer 30

knowing the environment, knowing oneself, accepting oneself, and being able to make contact

Question 31

therapists function and role

Answer 31

invite clients into an active partnership where they can learn about themselves by adopting an experimental attitude toward life client-focused (like person-centered) & attention to body language

Question 32

aspects of language

Answer 32

it talk: depersonalizing language you talk: tends to keep the person hidden questions: keeps questioner hidden, safe, and unknown language that denies power: listening to client metaphors: listening for language that uncovers a story

Question 33

dialogue

Answer 33

engagement between people who bring their unique experiences to that meeting

Question 34

clients experience in therapy

Answer 34

client is expert in their lives

Question 35

Mariam Polster three-stage integration sequence that characterizes client growth

Answer 35

1: consists of discovery 2: accommodation: client recognizes they have a choice 3:assimilation; client learns how to influence their environment

Question 36

exercises

Answer 36

ready-made techniques that are sometimes used to make something happen in a therapy session our achieve a goal

Question 37

experiments

Answer 37

grow out of the interaction between therapist and client, and they emerge within this dialogic process and provide clients with an opportunity to increase their awareness and try out new ways of thinking/behaving created to fit the individual used to bring out some type of internal conflict/work through stuck points of life basically dramatize/play out problem situations

Question 38

technique

Answer 38

a performed experiment with specific learning foals

Question 39

Forms of gestalt therapy experiments

Answer 39

imagining a threatening future encounter setting up a dialogue between a client and someone in their life reliving a profound moment in life role-play

Question 40

confrontation

Answer 40

set up in a way that invites clients to examine their behaviors, attitudes, and thoughts

Question 41

Gestalt therapy interventions

Answer 41

the internal dialogue exercise empty chair technique future projection technique making the rounds the reversal exercise the rehearsal exercise the exaggeration exercise staying with the feeling gestalt dream work

Question 42

internal dialogue exercise

Answer 42

function is to bring about integrated functioning and acceptance of aspects of ones personality that have been disowned or denies focuses on top dog and underdog and focuses on war between two

Question 43

empty-chair technique

Answer 43

role reversal bring into consciousness the fantasies of what the "other" might be thinking or feeling

Question 44

future projection technique

Answer 44

an anticipated event is brought into present moment and acted out helps client express and clarify concerns they have about the future

Question 45

making the rounds

Answer 45

involves asking a person in a group to go up to others in the group and either speak or do something with them goal is to grow and change

Question 46

the reversal exercise

Answer 46

make contact with hidden parts of self certain symptoms and behaviors often represent reversal of underlying/latent impulses EX; someone who is always positive practices being negative

Question 47

the rehearsal exercise

Answer 47

we rehearse to ourselves to gain acceptance / work with client to share rehearsals out loud

Question 48

The exaggeration exercise

Answer 48

become more ware of the subtle signals and cues they are sending though body language person is to exaggerate movement or gesture repeatedly , which intensifies the feeling attached to it

Question 49

staying with the feeling

Answer 49

urge clients to experience feelings they are fleeing from

Question 50

Gestalt approach to dream work

Answer 50

intent is to bring dreams to life and relive them as if they were happening now, not interpret and analyze them. Perls believes projection is central to dream formation

Question 51

Strengths from a diversity perspective

Answer 51

interventions are unique to client helps integrate polarities within people (people from two cultures)

Question 52

shortcomings from a diversity perspective

Answer 52

too quickly utilizing experiments due to intense emotional showings bringing shame