Application : Therapeutic Techniques and Procedure Client Experiences in Therapy

1.  Client’s Experience in TherapyClient’s Experience in Therapy
 Relationship Between Therapist andRelationship Between Therapist and
ClientClient
Application: Therapeutic Techniques andApplication: Therapeutic Techniques and
ProcedureProcedure
 The Experiment in Gestalt TherapyThe Experiment in Gestalt Therapy
 Preparing Clients for Gestalt ExperimentsPreparing Clients for Gestalt Experiments
Submitted to:Submitted to:
Prof. Agnes MontalboProf. Agnes Montalbo
Rizal Technological UniversityRizal Technological University
Submitted by:Submitted by:
Cruz, Marah Francheska J.Cruz, Marah Francheska J.

2. Client’s Experience inClient’s Experience in
TherapyTherapy
Clients in Gestalt therapy are activeClients in Gestalt therapy are active
participant who make their ownparticipant who make their own
interpretations and meanings. It is theyinterpretations and meanings. It is they
who increase awareness and decidewho increase awareness and decide
what they will or will not do with theirwhat they will or will not do with their
personal meaning.personal meaning.

3. Miriam PolsterMiriam Polster (1987) described a three-(1987) described a three-
stage integration sequence thatstage integration sequence that
characterizes client growth in therapy:characterizes client growth in therapy:
oDiscoveryDiscovery
oAccomodationAccomodation
oAssimilationAssimilation

4. DiscoveryDiscovery
Clients are likely to reach a newClients are likely to reach a new
realization about themselves or torealization about themselves or to
acquire a novel view of an old situation,acquire a novel view of an old situation,
or they may take a new look at someor they may take a new look at some
significant person in their lives.significant person in their lives.

5. AccomodationAccomodation
It involves client’s recognizing thatIt involves client’s recognizing that
they have choice.they have choice.

6. AssimilationAssimilation
It involves client’s learning how toIt involves client’s learning how to
influence their environment. At thisinfluence their environment. At this
phase clients feel capable of dealingphase clients feel capable of dealing
with the surprises they encounter inwith the surprises they encounter in
everyday living.everyday living.

7. Relationship Between TherapistRelationship Between Therapist
and Clientand Client
Gestalt practice involves a person-to-Gestalt practice involves a person-to-
person relationship between therapistperson relationship between therapist
and client.and client.

8. Brown (2007)Brown (2007) suggests that therapistssuggests that therapists
share their reactions with clients, yet sheshare their reactions with clients, yet she
also stresses the importance ofalso stresses the importance of
demonstrating an attitude of respect,demonstrating an attitude of respect,
acceptance, present-centeredness, andacceptance, present-centeredness, and
presence.presence.

9. Laura Perls (1976)Laura Perls (1976) stressed the notion that thestressed the notion that the
person of the therapist is more important than usingperson of the therapist is more important than using
techniques.techniques.
Jacobs (1989)Jacobs (1989) asserts that a current trend in Gestaltasserts that a current trend in Gestalt
practice is toward emphasis on the client-therapistpractice is toward emphasis on the client-therapist
relationship rather than on techniques.relationship rather than on techniques.

10. Polster and Polster (1973) emphasized the
importance of therapists knowing
themselves and being therapeutic
instruments. The Polsters implore therapists
to use their own experiences as essential
ingredients in the therapy process.

11. Therapy is a two-way engagement that changesTherapy is a two-way engagement that changes
both the client and the therapist.both the client and the therapist.
If therapists use experiment when they are frustratedIf therapists use experiment when they are frustrated
with a client and want to change the person, they arewith a client and want to change the person, they are
misusing the experiments and will probably thwartmisusing the experiments and will probably thwart
rather than foster growth and change (Jacobs, 1989).rather than foster growth and change (Jacobs, 1989).

13. The Experiment in Gestalt TherapyThe Experiment in Gestalt Therapy
In Creative Process in Gestalt Therapy,In Creative Process in Gestalt Therapy,
Zinker (1978)Zinker (1978) emphasizes the role of theemphasizes the role of the
therapist as a creative agent of change,therapist as a creative agent of change,
an inventor, and a compassionate andan inventor, and a compassionate and
caring human being.caring human being.

14. What is the difference betweenWhat is the difference between
exercises (techniques) andexercises (techniques) and
experiments?experiments?

15. ExercisesExercises are ready-made techniques that areare ready-made techniques that are
sometimes used to make something happensometimes used to make something happen
in a therapy session or to achieve a goal.in a therapy session or to achieve a goal.
ExperimentsExperiments, in contrast, grow out of the, in contrast, grow out of the
interaction between the client and therapist,interaction between the client and therapist,
and they emerge within this dialogic process.and they emerge within this dialogic process.

16. Experiment is a method that shifts theExperiment is a method that shifts the
focus of counseling from talking about afocus of counseling from talking about a
topic to an activity that will heighten thetopic to an activity that will heighten the
client’s awareness and understandingclient’s awareness and understanding
through experiencethrough experience (Frew, 2008)(Frew, 2008)..
A technique is a performed experiment withA technique is a performed experiment with
specific learning goals…An experiment, onspecific learning goals…An experiment, on
the other hand, flows directly fromthe other hand, flows directly from
psychotherapy theory and is crafted to fitpsychotherapy theory and is crafted to fit
the individual as he or she exists in the herethe individual as he or she exists in the here
and nowand now (Melnick and Nevis, 2005)(Melnick and Nevis, 2005)..
Zinker (1978)Zinker (1978) sees therapy sessions as asees therapy sessions as a
series of experiments, which are theseries of experiments, which are the
avenues for clients to learn experientially.avenues for clients to learn experientially.
Polster (1995)Polster (1995) indicates that experiments areindicates that experiments are
designed by the therapist and evolve from thedesigned by the therapist and evolve from the
theme already developing through therapeutictheme already developing through therapeutic
engagement such as the client’s report of needs,engagement such as the client’s report of needs,
dreams, fantasies, and body awareness.dreams, fantasies, and body awareness.
Gestalt therapists invite clients to engage inGestalt therapists invite clients to engage in
experiments that lead to fresh emotionalexperiments that lead to fresh emotional
experiencing and new insightsexperiencing and new insights (Strumpfel &(Strumpfel &
Goldman, 2002)Goldman, 2002)..
Clients test an experiment to determineClients test an experiment to determine
what does and does not fit for throughwhat does and does not fit for through
their own awarenesstheir own awareness (Yontef, 1993, 1995)(Yontef, 1993, 1995)..
Experiment is a way to bring out some kindExperiment is a way to bring out some kind
of internal conflict by aking this struggle anof internal conflict by aking this struggle an
actual processactual process (M.Polster, 1987)(M.Polster, 1987)..

17. Gestalt experiments can take many forms: imagining aGestalt experiments can take many forms: imagining a
threatening future encounter; setting up a dialogue between athreatening future encounter; setting up a dialogue between a
client and some significant person in his/her life; dramatizing theclient and some significant person in his/her life; dramatizing the
memory of a painful event; relieving a particularly profoundmemory of a painful event; relieving a particularly profound
early experience in the present; focusing on gestures, posture,early experience in the present; focusing on gestures, posture,
and other non-verbal signs of inner expression. Etc.and other non-verbal signs of inner expression. Etc.

18. Preparing ClientPreparing Client
for Gestaltfor Gestalt
ExperimentsExperiments

19. It is important for counselors to personallyIt is important for counselors to personally
experience the power of Gestaltexperience the power of Gestalt
experiments and to feel comfortableexperiments and to feel comfortable
suggesting them to clients.suggesting them to clients.

20. It is also essential that counselors establish aIt is also essential that counselors establish a
relationship with their clients, so that the clientsrelationship with their clients, so that the clients
will feel trusting enough to participate in thewill feel trusting enough to participate in the
learning that can result to gestalt experiments.learning that can result to gestalt experiments.
Clients will get more from Gestalt experiment ifClients will get more from Gestalt experiment if
they are oriented and prepared for them.they are oriented and prepared for them.

21. The essence of current Gestalt therapyThe essence of current Gestalt therapy
involves honoring and respecting reluctanceinvolves honoring and respecting reluctance
or resistance and supporting clients toor resistance and supporting clients to
become more aware of their experience.become more aware of their experience.
Resistance is a term frequently used for clients who are notResistance is a term frequently used for clients who are not
doing what the therapist wants them to do (Frew, 2008).doing what the therapist wants them to do (Frew, 2008).

22. "Obvious therapeutic techniques will alienate him."Obvious therapeutic techniques will alienate him.
Instead I'll try to stay in close contact with him, more likeInstead I'll try to stay in close contact with him, more like
a savvy uncle than a therapist, meeting and matching hima savvy uncle than a therapist, meeting and matching him
with sarcasm, humor, confrontation, and common sense.with sarcasm, humor, confrontation, and common sense.
Everything I say will be as close to the truth andEverything I say will be as close to the truth and
responsive to our interchanges as possible."-responsive to our interchanges as possible."-PolsterPolster

23. Maurer (2005) writes about “appreciating
resistance” as a creative adjustment to a
situation rather than something to
overcome. Maurer claims that we need to
respect resistance and view it as “the
energy” and not “the enemy”.