the phenomenological gestalt 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, Gestalt therapy)
Phenomenology was initially a branch of philosophy which aimed to describe in a faithful and aseptic manner the changing nature of human experience; it can be defined as the language of existentialist thought in general. Psychotherapy of the Gestalt It is strongly related to existentialist philosophy, as are other modern psychotherapies belonging to the humanistic-existential approach; these therapies, although differing in their working methods, are all interested in way in which the person develops in the here and now of the therapeutic encounter. In Gestalt psychotherapy, attention is placed on the here and now of the therapeutic session in which, in each encounter, experiential work with the functions of the person. 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 clearly clarified to avoid being confused with the mistaken idea that the person must always say everything, express everything, and immediately satisfy their needs. Gestalt psychotherapy and the phenomenological here and now require further explanation based on some basic assumptions.
– The here and now begins with the sensation. In Gestalt, much attention is paid to the recognition of sensation, to 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 whether same in an active process of attention.
– Reality always exists in present tenseIn Gestalt therapy, the technique of representing the "when" 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 put into perspective the process taking place in the internal world of the person.
-Reality is determined by space that I occupy and from 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 space unto itself, 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 continuum process. A person is a continuous process of experiencing and does not perceive themselves as static; however, in situations of impasse, the person, interrupting their flow, begins to no longer live comfortably within the changing flow of their experience, giving rise to symptoms and discomfort.
– Reality is connected to the self-possession and the idea that, as I live 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 own their own observations and statements.
-Reality always has content validity for those who experience it. No one can disagree with the validity of the person's experience.
The phenomenological here and now is, therefore, a very personal experience anchored in the senses, in the time and space in which the person finds himself. Gestalt therapy theory rests on two pillars: the time and the howThe now includes everything that exists, here and now, and implies awareness and experiencing the obvious, which the person often cannot and does not want to see. The how includes everything that is the process, what is actually happening through the behavior implemented 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 support themselves
- 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
Dr. Martina Fino, psychologist and psychotherapist in Florence https://www.martinafino.it
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