4-1 Discussion: Gestalt Therapy
Review the “Linda” case vignette located in the Module Four Resources.
Linda agrees to work with you for several months, and you will be using Gestalt procedures with her.
- At some point you might work with Linda’s feelings of anger and hurt toward her boyfriend. What Gestalt techniques can you think of to help her explore these feelings? What techniques could you use to work with her feelings of guilt over not having lived up to her parents’ high expectations? What other Gestalt approaches might you use (with what expected outcomes) to explore with Linda her other feelings associated with being pregnant?
- As you proceed with Linda, what importance will you place on her nonverbal communication? Can you think of examples of how Linda’s body messages might contradict her words?
Please include in your answer some of the following “gestalt” terminology: “why” questions, awareness, catastrophic expectations, dream work, empty chair technique, exaggeration exercise, figure-formation process, here-and-now experiencing, impasse or “stuck point,” integration of polarities, internal dialogue exercise, introjection, making the rounds, playing the projection, projection screen, resistances to contact, reversal technique, staying with the feeling, the “now ethos,” the dialogue experiment, the rehearsal experiment.
Please be sure to ask questions and comment on your peers’ responses, and respond to their questions and comments regarding your own response.
To complete this assignment, review the Discussion Rubric.
