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An Exploration of Gestalt Therapy and Its Techniques

Hannel Dsilva

St. Xavier's College (Autonomous), Mumbai

11th June 2025




Gestalt therapy is related to the field of psychotherapy that is philosophically and historically related to Gestalt psychology, existentialism and phenomenology (Yontef & Jacobs, 2008). The main principles of Gestalt therapy were developed by the couple, Fritz and Laura Perls as well as their partner, Paul Goodman. They were of the belief that psychology cannot be fully understood by merely examining the conscience into individual parts but rather focusing on the individual parts as an organized whole (Orfanos, 2021).


In Gestalt therapy theory, the focus is not on the why but rather the how and what. For example, how the structure of our life script is aimed to be understood and whether it requires re-structuring (Holzinger et al., 2021).


Modern psychology was developed by Wilhelm Wundt when he established the first psychology laboratory in Germany in 1879. Around the 1930s, there were major radical changes in Europe. There was rapid growth in the areas of science, technology, art and various other forms of expression (Orfanos, 2021). As modern psychology was developed as a more scientific discipline which focused on analysing concepts with scrutiny and set-rules, Perls wanted to focus on the more philosophical areas such as existentialism, mindfulness and the overall experience of the world (Orfanos, 2021).


This led to the foundation of Gestalt therapy. As it uses an experiential and humanistic approach, it works with the client’s awareness and its skills rather than using traditional psychoanalytic techniques which is through the therapist’s interpretation of the unconscious (Yontef & Jacobs, 2008).


Core Philosophical and Psychological Foundations

Gestalt therapy is built on a few core philosophical and psychological foundations that form the basis of Gestalt Therapy. This includes ideas such as field theory, existentialism, and phenomenology.


Field theory, in Gestalt therapy, can be used to understand how human experience is dynamic and constantly changes based on the context. It originally was a part of science but later contributed in influencing many contemporary psychological theories. It explains that an individual cannot be holistically understood in isolation. They are considered to be part of a larger environment which comprises the physical, emotional, social, and culture field. It helps in understanding how context influences how people experience things (Yontef & Jacobs, 2008).


The philosophical beliefs of phenomenology and existentialism were quite popular during Perlses’ time in Germany and the United States (Yontef & Jacobs, 2008). This highlights how Gestalt therapy got shaped by the philosophies based on present-moment awareness (phenomenology) as well as personal responsibility and choice (existentialism). This explains why Gestalt therapy is so focused on experience, awareness and the here and now.


Existentialism is a core philosophical idea that emphasizes the inherent meaninglessness of life and how we are responsible for making our own life meaningful. It focuses on personal choices, and the search for meaning in life. Humans choose their path and direct themselves to a certain goal and human life which is not determined biologically (Yontef & Jacobs, 2008). Existentialists are of the belief that we are not born with a set purpose but rather we are who we are through our choices. It highlights how individuals tend to create their own reality and meaning by being aware of their environment and experiencing life holistically.


Phenomenology, in simple words, means focusing on an experience from one’s own point of view rather than letting others interpret it for you. It assumes that reality is formed based on the observer and their interpretive observation (Yontef & Jacobs, 2008). It emphasizes the subjective experience rather than objective reality which is a core part of Gestalt therapy.


Techniques in Gestalt therapy

Empty Chair Technique

Empty Chair technique is a gestalt therapy technique in which the client talks to an empty chair imagining that there is someone (or something) who is sitting on that chair with whom he wishes to confront or resolve an issue that he has with them. This technique is used mainly in dealing with unfinished business, especially with loved ones (Mutari et al., 2021), as it helps the client to deal with problems that they have been avoiding (Queenturnble).


Using this technique, the counselee takes both the roles alternatively, either through a one-sided conversation where the person being spoken to in an empty chair does not respond or through dialogues back and forth in which the person on the empty chair may answer (Mutari et al., 2021).


Through the empty chair technique, people are able to express their feelings, thoughts and needs with people who they may have problems with, even if it is imaginary (AVSAR & SEVİM, 2022). This technique is very effective as it can help the patient deal with conflicts with third persons who are not physically present in the therapy session (Mutari et al., 2021). This could even involve a part of themselves, an unresolved decision, or guilt. It has been found that Gestalt counseling which uses the empty chair technique was generally effective for reducing guilty feelings (Trijayanti et al., 2019). It gradually fosters development of new perspectives about themselves, other people they may conflict with and their negative lives (AVSAR & SEVİM, 2022).


Here and Now Technique

The here and now is considered to be a core principle of Gestalt Therapy. It aims at getting to know oneself, accepting, and growing by immersing oneself with what is actual happening in the present. This makes the person clear about what they need, their goals, and values (Yontef & Jacobs, 2008).


As Gestalt Therapy aims to focus on the present, the here and now technique becomes a significant technique used in such a type of therapy. The therapist may suggest that the client focus on the present, how they are feeling, what is happening to their body as they talk about it, among other questions (Queenturnble). The therapist focuses on the body movements and non-verbal cues that are taking place in the moment by insisting the client to retell the traumatic event as if it were happening in real time, making use of fantasy, visualisation, empty chairs, and psychodrama (Mutari et al., 2021). When one is aware of one’s current self, including a possibility that change is probable, one is able to be fully present, accepting their self and the situation or attempting to change what they do not find satisfying (Yontef & Jacobs, 2008). As Perls opined, it is necessary to be in touch with the present if one wants to have a real rather than an illusory life (Wills, 1978).


Dreams

Dreams are not generally discussed theoretically in Gestalt therapy theory, though dreams occupy a valuable and significant place in the practice of Gestalt therapy (Holzinger et al., 2021). In this form of therapy, a special emphasis is placed on working with client’s dreams. Our dreams tend to reveal the fragmented parts of ourselves (Queenturnble). Some of these fragmented parts may be neither interconnected nor do they work together. Therefore, these parts need to come together to become a functional whole and help the individual to work effectively (Holzinger et al., 2021).


In a session, the dream is acted out as if it's happening in real time and the client acts out all the parts that they play in their dream. Every element of the dream is assumed to be a projection of oneself and so, it helps the client be aware of the spectrum of one’s own emotions (Queenturnble). The therapist does not try to interpret the dreams but rather guides the client to reflect on their dreams as a lived experience (Holzinger et al., 2021).


Reversal Technique

In the reversal technique, the client is recommended to act or embody a behaviour that they usually express (or suppress). Often, the way a person behaves on the surface may in reality be the opposite of what they truly feel or want. Hence, the therapist asks the client to play a role that is opposite to what he is complaining about (Sholehati & Netrawati, 2021).


The objective of this technique is to address certain symptoms that often represent repressed and concealed impulses that exist in the individual. The clients are invited to take risks as well as overcome their anxieties and fears (Mutari et al., 2021). This enables the clients to uncover the parts that they usually reject or hide and helps them understand themselves more holistically. They may start accepting their positive and negative parts (Queenturnble) without judging or scrutinizing themselves excessively. From a behavioural viewpoint, this technique pushes the client to confront their emotions by behaving in a completely opposite way than they would typically behave.


This releases emotions that do not align with their problem behaviour, helping them to push out the usual fear and passiveness. However, if the client finds it overly difficult to keep up with this technique, the therapist may initiate the reversal in an abstract or imaginative situation and then move on to making the client act in an assertive way towards the target person (Harper et al., 1976). This helps them become more assertive and outspoken in a more suitable manner (Queenturnble).


Taking Responsibility

Many people tend to avoid confrontation towards threats by placing the blame of one’s reactions or behaviour onto other people or situations that are beyond personal control (Harper et al., 1976). This technique attempts to make the client recognize, accept and take responsibility for their own feelings, behaviour, thoughts and actions instead of projectin their feelings onto other people (Sholehati & Netrawati, 2021).


This is a part of being aware of yourself and your surroundings (Queenturnble) and acknowledging that one has power in directing outcomes of their own actions (Harper et al., 1976). The therapist actively guides the client to change his/her language so that they are taking personal responsibility for their feelings without blaming it on others. This helps the client evaluate themselves and fill in the gaps. It may help them realize that their feelings are coming from inside themselves, not from people outside (Mutari et al., 2021). This reduces feelings of helplessness and passivity (Harper et al., 1976) as the client feels more responsible for his/her actions and becomes more cautious while making a decision. their feelings onto other people (Sholehati & Netrawati, 2021).


This is a part of being aware of yourself and your surroundings (Queenturnble) and acknowledging that one has power in directing outcomes of their own actions (Harper et al., 1976). The therapist actively guides the client to change his/her language so that they are taking personal responsibility for their feelings without blaming it on others. This helps the client evaluate themselves and fill in the gaps. It may help them realize that their feelings are coming from inside themselves, not from people outside (Mutari et al., 2021). This reduces feelings of helplessness and passivity (Harper et al., 1976) as the client feels more responsible for his/her actions and becomes more cautious while making a decision.


Rehearsal Technique

In this technique, the client is asked to “rehearse” for an actual conversation that they are anticipating. It is a form of preparing what they will say and how the other person will respond.


Continually overthinking something in the head and simply internally rehearsing a conversation can result in excessive mental energy consumption. It also inhibits spontaneity and our willingness to experiment with different ways to behave in a particular situation (Queenturnble). Perls believes that individuals tend to repeatedly have the same thoughts over and over again. They believe others have expectations of how they should behave in a particular environment. Due to this, individuals experience anxiety and fear as they feel they would not be able to behave in a way they want to (Mutari et al., 2021). Thus, rehearsal helps the client to be aware of the extent they seek attention and approval of others (Queenturnble).


Two Chair Exercise

This technique is one of the classic techniques used in psychotherapy, counselling, as well as helping individuals deal with internal conflicts, unresolved emotions, or difficult feelings by making the individual act out a conversation between two opposing parts of the self. They play a role apart from themselves when they occupy the empty or auxiliary chair opposite them (Talbot, 1989). This technique is used when one has conflicting views within oneself rather than conflicts with external figures. In this technique, the therapist draws on the client’s recollections to enhance memory retrieval and tries to modify the initial setting in a way that aligns with those recollections. This fosters the clients to experience another perspective on their past. By understanding the social situation that they find stressful from another point of view, the client is better able to make sense of how and why they misinterpreted the social interaction (Talbot , 1989).


Playing the projection

Projection is a concept used in Gestalt therapy that occurs when an individual attributes their own feelings, behaviors, thoughts, or traits onto other people that one does not want to see or accept in themselves (Mutari et al., 2021). A technique that makes use of this concept is ‘playing the projection’ where a client acts out or embodies traits that they have attributed onto others (Sholehati & Netrawati, 2021). This technique, often done in group settings but can also be done in an individual setting (Mutari et al., 2021), is often used to recognize the qualities that they often reject or disown in themselves. People often may deny their feelings and blame the consequences of an event on other people (Mutari et al., 2021).


Thus, in this technique, a counselor asks the client to play the role of a person that the client does not trust to understand the level of distrust the client feels towards others (Mutari et al., 2021). It also demonstrates Gestalt Therapy’s emphasis on polarities as they are asked to directly confront the division between their perceived self and the disowned parts that they project onto others. When they are told to perform their projections consciously in front of others, the patient becomes aware of his/her own behaviour and is unable to deny engaging in this behaviour. Also, when there is no punishment involved, the client feels less threatened to show their own feelings and actions without disowning them (Harper et al., 1976) which makes projection an effective technique in Gestalt therapy.


Exaggeration

This technique in Gestalt therapy is a method in which the therapist invites the client to exaggerate or repeat a gesture, movement, posture, tone, or expression. The aim of this is to increase awareness of underlying emotions or conflicts, explore the meaning connected to the behaviour. This is usually administered when certain actions, body movements, or verbal responses are found to be inhibited or not fully expressed. By inviting the client to repeat an action in a more intensive manner, the implication of the action becomes clearer. Mannerisms that are often constricted and concealed are highlighted and disinhibited due to this technique.


Another use of this technique is to break away from certain unacceptable behaviours that have turned into habits which are done without much conscious awareness. For example, smoking or any other bad habits. Hence, exaggeration technique is used to resolve this issue, as the technique requires one’s conscious effort towards being aware of our behaviour, thoughts, and feelings and consequently putting it under control. This helps in making the client aware of their behaviour leading them to not engage in it in the future (Harper et al., 1976).


Stay with the Feeling

This technique involves the therapist asking the client to focus on the current emotion the client is experiencing, especially those emotions that they feel are uncomforting, vague, or are being avoided. When the client wants to escape an unpleasant feeling or mood, this technique in Gestalt therapy is used. The therapist encourages them to bear such fear or pain he is feeling at the moment and fosters them to explore the actions and feelings he wants to avoid (Sholehati & Netrawati, 2021).


Applications of Gestalt therapy

Gestalt therapy is an area of psychotherapy that encourages clients to stay in the present moment and gain clarity in what is really occurring in their lives currently, instead of interpreting events on the basis of past experiences. This helps them to be more aware of their own negative thinking patterns that obstruct them to be happy and live a fulfilled life (Mutari et al., 2021). The therapist does not assume to know what is best for the client, nor do they aim for a specific outcome (Zahm & Gold, 2002). The primary objective of gestalt therapy is to enable clients to not be dependent on others and discover their capabilities fully (Sholehati & Netrawati, 2021) as well as have an increased sense of awareness, which in turn opens doors to greater personal choice (Zahm & Gold, 2002)


In terms of children and adolescents, creative activities are employed that are aimed at helping them understand feelings, thoughts, and actions towards themselves as well as others and embrace the aspects of their identity that are rooted to their experiences and internal reality. For example, a technique like the Empty Chair can help children in dealing with frustration, anger, resentment, or other unfinished business (Sholehati & Netrawati, 2021).


Gestalt therapy may also help in inculcating a sense of responsibility in clients. However, this rule may not always be effective as some patients, especially clinically depressed individuals, may have a very low responsive level such that they are hardly capable of taking responsibility for their behaviour. It would also be inappropriate to make a depressed patient focus on their negative emotions or ask them to assume responsibility for their inaction and helplessness. Thus, the initial step in such a case is to acknowledge their feelings and distress and try to make changes in their environment that can help them recover. When signs of change in moods and behaviour become visible, the clients are encouraged to respond in their own manner in their own time (Harper et al., 1976).


Gestalt therapy has no set archetype of people that can only be part of the therapy. It can be used with all patient populations ranging from children to geriatric, prison inmates, physically/mentally challenged and much more. It is also applicable to a wide range of issues such as eating disorders, PTSD, anxiety issues, loss, and grief. This is because it does not enforce adjustments in one’s life but rather focuses on understanding each individual and their subjective experiences over objective standards for psychological health (Zahm & Gold, 2002).


Conclusion

Gestalt therapy has always remained one of the most significant areas in psychotherapy, fostering an unique emphasis on here and now awareness, personal responsibility, and the holistic connection of mind and body. The core techniques offer powerful tools for enabling emotional awareness and responsibility. By paying attention to the client’s subjective reality over imposing external interpretations, Gestalt therapy provides support towards authentic personal development. Its flexibility across diverse populations and settings highlights its relevance in modern society where mental health care is moving towards a more client-centered approach.


References

Hannel Dsilva is part of the Global Internship Research Program (GIRP) under IJNGP.

Tags THEARPY | EMPTY CHAIR | TECHNIQUES | GESTALT




 
 
 

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