Gestalt Therapy: Characteristics and Counselling Goals Overview

This assignment provides an analysis of Gestalt therapy, focusing on its core characteristics and counselling goals. It begins by outlining three key characteristics: the emphasis on the present, the priority of process over content, and the importance of meaning-making and perception. The assignment then details three primary goals of Gestalt-based counselling: enhancing clients' awareness of their environment and themselves, promoting holistic functioning and self-acceptance, and fostering collaboration between the client and therapist to improve self-awareness and address challenges in the healing process. References to relevant literature, including books and journals, are also included to support the analysis. This assignment is designed to provide a clear understanding of the fundamental principles and objectives of Gestalt therapy in a counselling context.

Guidance and counselling
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUESTION 2 PART 2....................................................................................................................3
GESTALT THERAPHY.................................................................................................................3
Characteristics..............................................................................................................................3
Counselling goals.........................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4
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QUESTION 2 PART 2
GESTALT THERAPHY
Characteristics
1. Gestalt therapy emphasises on present life and challenges in current situation instead of
getting deeper into past experiences. Its counselling process aims to develop importance
of taking responsibility instead of shifting blames.
2. In Gestalt therapy process is given more priority over content. Thus during therapy
present thoughts and actions are considered instead of analysing the previous actions of
what could or should have been done (Brownell, 2019).
3. The therapy includes meaning making process and perception through which experience
is formed. Thus therapists keep space for clients so that they can feely share their
thoughts and truth without any imposition of judgment from the therapist.
Counselling goals
The key goal of counselling based on Gestalt therapy is to make client aware and capable
about significant sensations in environment and in themselves so that they can show a reasonable
and complete response to situations (Mann, 2020).
Second goals of such types of therapy is to encourage holistic and healthy functioning of
client by helping client so that they can accept their present self and are able to regain cope up
ability.
Third goal for Gestalt based counselling is to enhance the collaboration between client and
therapist so that personal awareness among client can be improved and roadblocks in healing
process can be challenged. It allows individuals to identify their own potential and truth without
being afraid of facing criticism from the counsellors.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Brownell, P. ed., 2019. Handbook for theory, research, and practice in Gestalt therapy.
Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Mann, D., 2020. Gestalt therapy: 100 key points and techniques. Routledge.
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