Understanding Gestalt Psychology and Gestalt Therapy

The German word gestalt means the whole, or wholeness. The Introduction to Psychology, 6th Edition, by Rod Plotnik, defines the Gestalt approach to psychology as being the idea that perception is more than a sum of its parts. In 1912, three psychologists, Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Kohler, and Kurt Koffka, set out to study the illusory effect of flashing lights appearing to move. What is today known as apparent motion was then called the phi phenomenon. In the early 1900's, Gestalt theorists took on Structuralists in a heated debate about how perceptions are formed. Structuralists believe that the way in which we perceive something is the result of adding together thousands of elements. They also believe that any given perception can be broken back down to its original elements. Gestalt psychologists were victorious in the debate based on two principal reasons. The first reason is the basis of the Gestalt theory "The whole is more than the sum of its parts". The second winning point was the Gestalt psychologists discovery that our brains follow a set of seven rules to form a perception.

The rules of organization describe the way that the brain puts together pieces to form a rational whole, as in a puzzle.

The figure-ground rule indicates our natural predisposition to distinguish a foreground from the background, resulting in a perception of the most detailed image.

The similarity rule states that we group together elements that appear similar, to form an entire image.

The closure rule suggests that our brain fills in the missing parts of a broken line to complete an image.

The proximity rule states that we group together objects that are physically close, as opposed to those objects that are farther apart.

The simplicity rule dictates that we organize items in the most simple manner possible.

The continuity rule states that we favor continuous paths when interpreting a series of points or lines.

Gestalt therapy is a humanistic, client centered therapy that is more optimistic in nature than traditional psychoanalytic therapies. According to Psychology, Fifth Addition, by Robert A. Baron, this form of therapy focuses on helping clients to acknowledge hidden aspects of their thoughts and feelings.

Many people have difficulty with their thoughts and emotions, often feeling a sense of disassociation. These clients have a difficult time expressing anger or the need for love, and may at times act out with social game playing and manipulative behavior. Gestalt therapy aims to help the clients become aware of their feelings and needs, and to attain psychological wholeness.

Visualization exercises, such as the empty chair method are used to help clients find resolution with their feelings. By visualizing someone from the past in the chair, and holding a conversation with him or her, the client may gain some insight into their emotions.