Are you living in the present moment or do your past mistakes and regrets still haunt you? When you can’t let go of the past and live in the present, Gestalt therapy can help.
Gestalt therapy is a client-centred form of psychotherapy that focuses on the client’s present life and challenges instead of digging into their past experiences. It aims to help the person understand what is really happening in their lives right now, not what they perceive that may be happening in the present based on past experiences.
In other words, Gestalt therapy will require you to not simply talk about past situations but rather experience them through re-enactment. You’ll learn how to become more aware of the impact of your negative thought patterns and behaviours that are stopping you from achieving true self-awareness.
When is Gestalt therapy used?
Gestalt therapy can be used for various mental health and physical health issues.
Gestalt therapy can help clients struggling with issues such as anxiety, depression, poor self-esteem, and relationship problems. Yet, this type of treatment can also be used for physical issues such as migraine headaches, ulcerative colitis, and back spasms.
There are also other potential benefits for clients, including:
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Improved communication skills
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Resilience skills
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Better awareness of self-needs
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Improved mindfulness
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Increased emotional understanding
What to expect from Gestalt therapy?
During Gestalt therapy, the counsellor will focus on helping you understand what is happening in the present moment and finding solutions in the present time.
For example, you won’t be discussing why something has happened to you in the past but rather about how that event feels right now. So, instead of encouraging you to talk about your past experiences, you will be encouraged to focus on your feelings.
So, you should expect questions like “what’s going on at this moment?” or “how does this make you feel now?”.
Also, you should expect for the therapist to use techniques like guided fantasy, role-playing, confrontation, and any other technique that will help you bring your past and current problems in the therapeutic setting.
The Gestalt therapist will encourage you to try to become as aware as possible of yourself and your current needs and senses.
Benefits of Gestalt online therapy
You may be wondering whether or not Gestalt online therapy is as effective as if it would happen in a traditional therapeutic setting. Yet, many studies have actually suggested that online therapy is as effective, if not even more effective than traditional in-person therapy.
Compared to traditional therapy, online therapy brings many benefits on the table, which often help the client to feel more willing to open up about sensitive problems in their lives.
For example, online therapy can happen from the client’s home, which is an environment where they feel safe and comfortable. Also, Gestalt online therapy is more beneficial to the client as it can happen from any place at any time. So, if the client doesn’t have access to traditional therapy settings, all they need is a mobile device and Internet connection to connect with the therapist.
