The phenomenological here and now in Gestalt

The phenomenological here and now

"The past is the past." And yet, in the present, in our being, we carry much of that past with us. But we carry much of our past with us only to the extent that we carry unresolved situations with us.
(Perls, la terapia gestaltica)

Phenomenology was originally a branch of philosophy that aimed to faithfully and objectively describe the changing nature of human experience; it can be defined as the language of existentialist thought in general.

Gestalt therapy is closely linked to existentialist philosophy, as are other modern psychotherapies belonging to the humanistic-existential approach. These therapies, while differing in their working methods, are all interested in how the person develops in the here and now of the therapeutic encounter.

In Gestalt therapy, attention is placed on the here and now of the therapeutic session, where, in each session, experiential work with the individual's functioning occurs. Gestalt therapy is, as Perls defines it, a unique example of integration between the behavioral and phenomenological approaches.

In Gestalt therapy, the term "here and now" is often associated with a sort of "slogan" that needs to be clarified to avoid being confused with the mistaken idea that a person must always say everything, express everything, and immediately satisfy their needs.

Gestalt therapy and the phenomenological here and now require further explanation in light of some basic assumptions.

The here and now begins with sensation. In Gestalt, much attention is paid to recognizing sensation, how and where it is felt in the body. Through the experience of the continuum of awareness (what do you feel now?) the person is helped to explore himself in an active process of attention.

Reality always exists in the present tense. In Gestalt therapy, the technique of representing the "whens" of one's life in the "here and now" of the therapy session is often used, as if they were taking place now, in order to revive the memory while it is acted out muscularly and brought into the present. These revisitations become events of the present, not to be confused with events that have actually happened or are about to happen, which allow us to visualize the process underway in the person's internal world.

Reality is determined by the space I occupy and by all my senses. I allow the things I perceive through my senses to enter into me. The here and now of experience does not exist in a separate space, but is contained within the specific person. The dynamic point at which the sensation connects to the object is called the contact boundary.

Reality is a continuous process. The person is the continuous process of their experiencing and is not perceived statically; however, in situations of impasse, by interrupting their flow, the person begins to no longer feel at ease in the changing flow of their experience, giving rise to symptoms and distress.

Reality is connected to self-possession and the idea that, as I experience it, it becomes my reality and that no one can experience it for me and no one can be responsible for my behavior. In Gestalt therapy, the therapist invites the client to take responsibility for themselves, learning to take ownership of their own observations and statements.

Reality always has content validity for those who experience it. No one can disagree with the validity of a person's lived experience.
The phenomenological here and now is, therefore, a very personal experience anchored to the senses, in the time and space in which the person finds himself.

Gestalt therapy theory rests on two pillars: the now and the how. The now encompasses everything that exists, here and now, and involves awareness and experiencing the obvious, which the person often cannot or will not see. The how encompasses everything that is the process, what is actually happening through the behavior enacted by the person.

On the basis of these premises, Gestalt psychotherapy sets itself the following intrinsic objectives:

increase the person's awareness
increase the ability to reclaim one's own experiences, rather than projecting them onto others
facilitate the recognition of one's needs and desires and the ability to satisfy them in a functional manner
develop personal power and the person's ability to self-help
encourage people to take responsibility for their actions and their consequences
develop creativity and imagination and the ability to use it in relation to one's needs and desires

The phenomenological here and now