Gestalt Therapy Flashcards
What is the primary focus of Gestalt therapy?
The here and now, focusing on present experiences and awareness.
What is the holistic view in Gestalt therapy?
It views individuals as unified wholes, considering thoughts, feelings, behaviors, body, and environment as interconnected.
What does Gestalt therapy emphasize about awareness?
Awareness is key to personal growth and change.
What is unfinished business in Gestalt therapy?
Unresolved past experiences or emotions that interfere with present functioning.
How is the therapist’s role defined in Gestalt therapy?
The therapist acts as a guide, fostering awareness and encouraging experimentation.
What is the importance of the therapist’s presence in Gestalt therapy?
The therapist’s genuine presence helps create a safe environment for exploration.
How does the therapist use confrontation in Gestalt therapy?
Confrontation is used respectfully to heighten awareness of discrepancies in behavior or thoughts.
How does Gestalt therapy view individuals?
As inherently capable of growth and self-regulation when they are aware and in contact with their environment.
What causes dysfunction, according to Gestalt therapy?
Avoidance of awareness, interruptions in contact, and unfinished business.
What are boundary disturbances in Gestalt therapy?
Ways individuals disrupt their contact with others and the environment, such as introjection, projection, and deflection.
What is the purpose of techniques in Gestalt therapy?
To enhance awareness, promote integration, and encourage experiencing the present moment.
What is the empty-chair technique?
A method where clients address an imaginary person or aspect of themselves in an empty chair to resolve unfinished business.
What is the experiment in Gestalt therapy?
An intervention that allows clients to test new behaviors or explore feelings in a safe environment.
How does Gestalt therapy use role-playing?
Clients act out different parts of themselves or situations to gain insight and awareness.
What is body awareness in Gestalt therapy?
Paying attention to physical sensations to uncover emotions and increase self-awareness.
What is the main goal of Gestalt therapy?
To increase awareness, integrate all aspects of the self, and live more fully in the present.
How does Gestalt therapy address avoidance?
By helping clients face and work through unresolved emotions or experiences
What is the role of self-support in Gestalt therapy?
Clients learn to rely on their own resources and abilities to meet their needs
What are some contributions of Gestalt therapy?
It emphasizes present awareness, personal responsibility, and experiential techniques that engage clients.
What are the main critiques of Gestalt therapy?
It may lack structure for some clients, be too confrontational, and require a skilled therapist to avoid misuse of techniques.
How has Gestalt therapy influenced modern practice?
It has shaped experiential and mindfulness-based therapies and emphasizes the importance of the present moment.
