Person-Centered and Gestalt Therapy Strengths Thesis

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Person-centered therapeutic advocates would say that the therapist can work swiftly, if that is the client's desire. But if the client is less than 100% committed to working through his or her issues the needed duration of the therapy can vastly exceed the time and money of the client. Still, person-centered therapists would point out that unlike psychoanalysis, the focus of the therapy is about 'being in the moment' and present-day concerns, rather than upon long-ago excavation of the past.

Gestalt therapy is a form of holistic therapy that focuses self-empowerment and self-actualization, which could be called the 'parent' of person-centered therapy. It requires an even more intensive relationship between therapist and client, and is far more structured and directed in its approach. "The goal of Gestalt therapy is to raise clients' awareness regarding how they function in their environment" (Gestalt therapy, 2008, Encyclopedia of mental disorders). But like person-centered therapy, the "focus of therapy is more on what is happening (the moment-to-moment process) than what is being discussed (the content)" (Gestalt therapy, 2008, Encyclopedia of mental disorders). Acceptance is at the heart of the therapy, as with person-centered therapy, but instead of uncritical congruence with the client's mental state and method of self-expression, Gestalt therapists focus on "integration, that is, how the many parts of the person fit together, and how the client makes contact (interacts) with the environment" Gestalt therapy, 2008, Encyclopedia of mental disorders). Being in the moment means to learn to positively self-regulate in the context of the rest of the world.

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The therapist tries to be in the moment as well, employing uncritical empathy during the process. The therapist creates a 'safe space' for the client to openly discuss his or her way of being in the world.

Even before modern medicine demanded extensive pre-screening before therapy, Gestalt therapists made use of such screening sessions, but for a different purpose. Gestalt therapists attempted to gain a sense of the client's true willingness to engage in therapy, a precondition for success. The client is also screened for being a good match with the therapist, as this is a critical aspect of the unconditionally accepting Gestalt relationship. Patient history and the possible need for other supportive care, such as medication are also evaluated. A certain amount of emotional resilience may be required: Gestalt techniques may include role-playing in stark contrast to person-centered therapy's client-directed approach. While person-centered therapy was obviously affected by Gestalt's research, a Gestalt therapist will actively question a client's weak or vague language, use of negative thinking (like 'I can't), and force the client to enter the mindset of others through 'if then' scenarios. This raises some concerns about the great power of the therapist in Gestalt therapy, and the danger of using it with emotionally fragile clients. However, Gestalt therapists would argue that sensitivity tempers some of the hard questions to which clients are exposed and it is ultimately more effective than person-centered techniques.

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