Introduction to the Origins and Philosophy of Gestalt Therapy

1. Foundations: Perls’ Work – Ego, Hunger, and Aggression

The roots of Gestalt Therapy can be traced back to Fritz Perls’ early book, Ego, Hunger, and Aggression (1947). This work began as an attempt to revise and critique Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, especially its emphasis on unconscious drives and past trauma.

However, unlike Freud who emphasized analysis of repressed memories and unconscious motives, Perls shifted the focus to present moment awareness. He believed that by becoming more aware of our current thoughts, feelings, and actions, we can heal and grow.

Gestalt therapy emerged as a reaction against traditional psychoanalysis, moving away from “why did this happen in your past?” toward “what are you experiencing now?”

2. The Target of Gestalt Therapy: The “Living Perceiver”

Perls emphasized that therapy should focus on the person as they are living and experiencing life right now. He called this the “living, perceiving individual”—someone who is constantly interacting with their environment, making meaning, and responding to stimuli in the present moment.

This means that in Gestalt Therapy, the therapist is not diagnosing or labeling the client, but instead noticing how the client relates to their present environment, their emotions, body language, and tone.

For example:

• A client might say “I’m fine,” while clenching their fists and avoiding eye contact. A Gestalt therapist would gently draw attention to the contradiction between words and behavior:“I notice you’re clenching your fists. What are you feeling in your body right now?”

  
  

3. Value of Action Over Words

In Gestalt Therapy, doing is more important than talking. The therapist prioritizes action and direct experience—what the client feels, does, and becomes aware of in the moment—rather than abstract reasoning or overthinking.

“Don’t tell me about your feelings; show me what you feel.”

For instance, instead of endlessly talking about a conflict with a parent, a client might be asked to role-play a conversation with them using the empty chair technique. This helps the client confront unresolved feelings more vividly and gain awareness.

4. Therapeutic Process Over Belief Change

Gestalt therapists do not aim to change clients’ beliefs or fix them. Instead, they trust that growth and change occur naturally when the client becomes more aware of themselves in the present moment.

• Awareness = choice = change

This means therapy is not about convincing the client of something, but about inviting them to notice and explore their own experience, such as bodily sensations, emotions, and patterns.

5. Case Management in Gestalt Therapy

Unlike traditional “case management” which focuses on coordinating care and services, in Gestalt Therapy this means maintaining a meaningful therapeutic relationship while honoring the principles of presence, contact, and dialogue.

• The therapist tracks the client’s process, not just their symptoms.

• Contact is not just clinical – it’s relational and authentic.

For example, a therapist may say: “When you look away every time you talk about your sister, I feel something shifts in the room. What’s happening for you right now?”

This kind of ongoing, emotionally present dialogue is central to managing the therapeutic relationship.

6. Strength and Weakness: The Interpersonal Nature of Gestalt

Strength: The interpersonal, relational aspect of Gestalt Therapy is one of its biggest strengths in practice. Because healing often occurs in relationship, the therapeutic relationship becomes a live laboratory where old patterns can be revisited and transformed.

Weakness: However, this interpersonal focus is a theoretical challenge. Gestalt Therapy lacks a comprehensive diagnostic model or detailed structure compared to more systematized approaches like CBT or psychodynamic therapy. It’s often seen as too “fluid” or “improvised,” making it hard to replicate or study scientifically.

Summary: The strength is that therapy feels human, responsive, and real, but the weakness is that it lacks a fixed structure or clear roadmap, which can be confusing for new therapists or hard to research systematically.

Gestalt Therapy is alive, experiential, and centered around the present moment. It's less about interpreting the past or changing the mind, and more about increasing awareness so people can reintegrate disowned parts of themselves and become more whole.

If you take away one thing, remember this: