Gestalt Therapy
As a holistic and integrative psychotherapeutic approach, Gestalt therapy considers the individual as a totality of mind, body, emotions and spirit who experiences reality in a unique way.
In practice, the focus of Gestalt therapy is to increase the person's self-awareness of what is happening in the present moment, in the Here and Now. Increased awareness and understanding of immediate behaviors (thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations) and relationship patterns bring greater responsibility for the choices in the individual's life, as well as new perspectives on their ability to creatively influence the context in which they find themselves.
The therapist's job is to provide enough support to support this self-awareness - what do I feel, here and now, what do I need? - in an experiential and creative way - and thus activate the potential for self-discovery, self-regulation and growth.
Gestalt therapy supports the orientation of personal projects, the exploration of new ways of promoting personal development and/or the relief of psycho-emotional suffering.
In terms of mental health, Gestalt therapy offers effective strategies for coping with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, as well as enhancing relationship dynamics and communication skills. Through this comprehensive approach, individuals can expect an enhanced quality of life and a renewed sense of self.
Basic principles of Gestalt psychotherapy
Awareness
Everything in life is about attention and intention. Awareness in Gestalt therapy means that the person is continuously aware of their experience, their inner world, the outer world and the middle zone (mental activity).
Here and Now
In the Here and Now, I am the only one responsible for the experiences that shape my life. I take responsibility for my behavior. And for my way of experiencing the world. Which is uniquely mine.
Figure - Background
The figure (a need, an emotion) that stands out from the background will depend on what is significant for each person in the Here and Now. Therapeutic work aims to rescue the figures that are closest to consciousness and bring them to completion.
Contact and Support
Contact is the recognition and encounter with the other, the different, the new, the strange. It is not the state we are in or not in, but an activity: I make contact on the border between myself and the other. Gestalt therapy believes that contact can only be relevant and creative to the extent that there is support for it.
Contact boundary
Growth occurs at the boundary between the individual and the environment. In other words, it is the encounter between who am I and who am I not that forces me to invent new responses to deal with the environment and moves me towards change. And through this balance of assimilation and accommodation to the changing environment, I grow.
Polarities
Our inner worlds consist of polarities. Polarities or characteristics that are ego-syntonic, or acceptable to the self (I am strong, secure, kind), and those that are ego-alien (insecure, cruel), or unacceptable to the self. The process of integrating the polarities allows the person to be more fluid and to have a broader self-perception.
Contact me
For more information or to book your first appointment
Email: info.vanjakaradzic@gmail.com
Telefone: (+351) 968 364 426
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