Gestalt Therapy is a therapeutic modality developed by Fritz Perls and others in the middle of the 20th century and focuses on “what is,” rather than “what should be.” It is experiential rather than cognitive and hypothesizes that we can only understand ourselves through the lenses of our relationships with others. As part of that relationship process Gestalt posits that the ways in which we perceive others and their actions and motives are actually projections of our own selves onto them… fractured parts of “self” that we perceive as existing in others, whether or not they actually do.
The “Empty Chair” is a therapeutic tool commonly used in Gestalt therapy and one which I often employ in my practice. It is very powerful in helping clients understand things and events they experienced earlier in life, come to grips with them, and ultimately let them go. In the therapy, which is very “real” in hypnosis, clients are able to release the negative energies associated with past experiences and free themselves to move forward with their lives. Since psychologically based issues so often involve traumatic or at least, misunderstood experiences from our childhood, I commonly use hypnotic regression in conjunction with Gestalt.
Some of the most profound and emotionally freeing, cathartic experiences for my clients occur during this type of combined therapy. It is particularly helpful in resolving cases of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, situations involving the profound loss we experience through the death of a loved one, a business failure, severe illness and divorce, although it is more common for children to suffer greater after-effects of their parents’ breakup than the parents do themselves.
For a free consultation, call me at: (916) 717-9150.
