Gestalt Therapy
What is Gestalt Therapy?
The German noun Gestalt means “form” or “shape,” and the verb gestalten means “to shape, to form, to fashion, to organize, to structure.”
Gestalt therapy, according to its main originator Fritz Perls, is an existential approach that is not simply occupied with symptoms or character structure, but rather with the total existence of a person (Perls, 1969).
Gestalt therapy is a method of working with the awareness continuum, studying direct, lived experience in the here and now. Both therapist and client experience each other — and the world outside themselves — while maintaining a sense of individual separation. In this way, both allow themselves to be moved by the shared experience, capable of changing through what is spoken and felt, all while holding their own self-identity.
As Jacobs (1989) describes, dialogic and relational Gestalt therapy is:
“A specific form of the contacting process between two people, through which each person realizes most fully their distinct humanity. For one’s humanity is manifested only in dialogic relation to others. It emerges from, and requires, self-awareness — a uniquely human characteristic.”
Emotions in Gestalt therapy are not just energy or excitement regulators; they are also unique deliveries of experience — the way we become aware of our deepest concerns, of who we are, and what the world is (Perls et al., 1951).
Emotions are not only essential as energy or excitement regulators but are also ‘unique deliveries of experience which have no substitute – they are the way we become aware of our concerns, and, therefore, of what we are and what the world is’ – (Perls et al., 1951, p. 96)
How can Gestalt Therapy Help?
In Gestalt therapy, you learn to become aware of your awareness itself. The work is kept alive in the present moment, and the dialogic and relational processes are seen as experimental tasks rather than mere conversations.
As Yontef (1976, 1982, 1983) suggested,
“The patient is to learn how to become aware of awareness. How the therapist and the patient experience their relationship is of special concern in Gestalt therapy.”
Gestalt therapists regard the therapeutic relationship as a working relationship, rather than just a talking one. As Yontef and Simkin observed:
“When one is moving from talking about a problem or being with someone in a general way to studying what one is doing, especially being aware of how one is aware, one is working.” (1989)
In my practice, I weave body awareness and mindfulness deeply into Gestalt therapy. By paying close attention to bodily sensations, breath, posture, and subtle shifts in the body, you become more connected to your felt sense and the present moment. This embodied presence helps you uncover patterns, understand your emotional processes, and integrate your experiences fully.
My own life journey has taught me that true healing begins when we come home to ourselves — not only through our thoughts but through our whole being. Gestalt therapy helps you move beyond analysis into direct experience, empowering you to feel more alive, grounded, and authentically connected to yourself and others.
Through this process, you learn to savor life as it unfolds, to meet each moment with curiosity, and to embrace your humanity with compassion.
Please get in touch
Alternatively, you can call me on 07449 484819
Feel free to text my mobile number with your name and telephone number and I will phone you back as soon as I am available.
– Janaina
