Developed by Fritz and Laura Perls in the 1940s, Gestalt Therapy combines the psychoanalytic perspective of bringing unconscious feelings to awareness with the humanistic emphasis of 'getting in touch with oneself'.
The German word gestalt cannot be translated into a single English term. It encompasses a wide variety of concepts such as shape, form, figure, configuration and structural entity. A gestalt is seen as a whole that is something more than, or different from, the sum of its parts. A gestalt stands out from the background and Gestalt Therapy is working with whatever gestalt comes to the foreground, here-and-now, in every single session.
The contribution Gestalt Therapy can make in your life is to help you become aware of the present moment, of what you are doing, how you are doing it, and how you can change yourself. At the same time, Gestalt Therapy provides you with the opportunity to learn to accept and value yourself more fully while taking responsibility for your feelings and actions.
