About Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt therapy is a humanistic, relational and experiential approach in contemporary psychotherapy, centered around the idea of awareness. Awareness includes cognitive, emotional and bodily components, meaning noticing, feeling and recognizing what is happening in the present moment, here and now, on the levels of bodily sensations, emotions, thoughts and movements.
To be aware means to be responsible and respond to the situation not with usual and familiar response, but through choice. To be aware also means to recognize one's own expressions, uniqueness and personal way of being in contact.
At the core of Gestalt therapy lies the belief that every person is naturally with the resources and the ability to establish mutually enriching contact with others and the environment, to live life fully and creatively, to grow and change.
Gestalt therapy is not just a therapeutic method, it is a way of being in the world. It is an approach to perceiving and sensing ourselves and others, to meeting the other and building relationships through recognizing the cocreated reality that emerges between us.
Gestalt therapy emerged in the middle of 20th century as a response to the needs of evolving and changing society.
The founders of Gestalt therapy are Fritz Perls, his wife Laura Perls and Paul Goodman as well as other contributors, who under the influence of gestalt psychology, existential philosophy created an experimental, holistic and present-centered therapeutic approach to human experience and growth.
In the 1950s–1960s, the actively developing Gestalt therapy took its significant place among the humanistic therapeutic approaches, bringing with it a transformative shift in the understanding of the human being.
It replaced analysis and interpretation with the exploration of experience that unfolds at the contact boundary, and introduced the therapist’s personal involvement in the therapeutic process, as well as attention to bodily manifestations and other experiential phenomena.
Gestalt therapy emphasized the organism’s capacity for self-regulation in contact with the environment and the importance of developing autonomy.
It valued the developing of awareness, the importance of self-support and autonomy, and conscious recognition and satisfaction of one’s own needs.
Gestalt therapy continues to evolve, transform, and deepen — actively and sensitively responding to the ongoing changes and emerging needs of individuals and society.
Today, in line with the shifting demands of life, Gestalt therapy addresses new human needs by developing the relational approach and the field paradigm.
Contemporary Gestalt therapy asserts that experience is co-created within the space between therapist and client — in that field which also exists between the individual and others, and ultimately, between the person and the world.
Within this perspective, the theory of psychopathology is being actively developed in the context of the relational and field paradigms.
The Pillars of Gestalt Therapy
Phenomenological Approach
Guided by the phenomenological perspective, the Gestalt therapist does not seek to uncover an objective truth but rather to notice and stay with what emerges in the moment.
At the heart of the phenomenological approach lies curiosity — a genuine openness to what reveals itself in the field of experience.
In Gestalt therapy, subjective experience is valued as the primary source of meaning.
The therapist respects the client’s perception of themselves and of the world.
They set aside their own interpretations (“put them in brackets”) and strive to meet the client as they are.
Together, therapist and client explore the phenomena of present-moment experience, creating space for their meaningful transformation and integration.
Field Theory
The concept of the field was first introduced by Kurt Lewin, whose ideas laid the foundation for field theory.
Today, the field paradigm continues to evolve while remaining one of the core pillars of the Gestalt approach.
According to field theory, all elements of a person’s life space are interrelated and constantly influence one another.
The field is in a state of continual change and ongoing formation.
Whenever a new element appears in the field — or an existing element changes — the entire field reorganizes accordingly.
Field theory does not focus on causality between phenomena.
Rather, it views experience as emerging within a dynamic web of mutual influence.
We are constantly influencing the field and, at the same time, being influenced by it.
The therapist is never separated from the field; it is always co-created in the encounter between therapist and client.
Dialogue
The Gestalt therapist seeks a genuine meeting with the client, ensuring their full presence in the encounter.
The therapist uses themselves as an instrument of therapy, sharing their awareness and resonance with the client.
Their focus remains on the evolving relationship between therapist and client throughout the therapeutic process.
Through relational dialogue and embodied exploration, the Gestalt therapist supports the client in reconnecting with their vitality and in creating meaningful contact with the world.
Key Concepts of Gestalt Therapy
In Gestalt therapy, all concepts are interrelated and mutually dependent.
As mentioned earlier, at the heart of the Gestalt approach lies the concept of awareness, which always takes place here and now.
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Figure and Ground
When we speak of awareness, we refer to the process through which something in the present moment emerges as a figure, while everything else remains in the ground of experience.
The figure arises from the ground.
When the ground is calm and rich in resources, the figure can form fully and move through the cycle of contact, bringing a sense of satisfaction.
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Contact
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Contact is one of the central concepts in Gestalt therapy.
It refers to the meeting and interaction between the organism and the environment, a process that unfolds through four main phases.
Meaningful and authentic contact leads to the satisfaction of needs and personal growth.
A need emerges as a figure, organizing the person’s perception, emotions, and actions in a way that supports its fulfillment.
This dynamic is described by the cycle of contact.
We enter into contact with our environment through creative adjustment.
When the satisfaction of a need is interrupted, we are left with an unfinished experience, which, if it continues to reappear, becomes a fixed Gestalt.
By nature, the human being is a relational being.
We come into this world and continually shape and discover ourselves through and within relationships.
Gestalt therapy views the person as inseparable from their environment: we create our surrounding world and are co-created by it, forming an indivisible whole.
The meeting between therapist and client occurs at the contact boundary, where the client has the opportunity to experience and become aware of emerging phenomena in the present moment, and to engage in creative styles of contact.
Creative and Experiential Approach
Gestalt therapy is an experiential approach.
The therapist does not follow a pre-designed plan of therapeutic interventions.
Interventions arise within the shared experience of the therapist and the client in the here and now.
The therapist’s creativity is one of their essential professional qualities.
By being attentive to the emerging phenomena, the therapist may propose an experiment aimed at helping the client expand their awareness.
The outcome of the experiment is never predetermined — neither the therapist nor the client knows in advance what will unfold in the process.
​Research Basis
In contemporary Gestalt therapy, numerous studies confirm the effectiveness and applicability of the approach.
Research continues to expand, supporting Gestalt therapy’s theoretical depth and its practical outcomes in various settings.
​Fields of Application
Gestalt therapy is applied across a wide range of professional contexts:
A. Psychotherapy – Individual and group psychotherapy with children, adolescents, and adults; couples and family therapy.
B. Education – Application of Gestalt principles in teaching, personal development, and training processes.
C. Organizational Work – Use of the Gestalt approach in organizational consulting, team development, and leadership processes.
