Gestalt Therapy as it Relates to High School Level Students

¶ … Gestalt Analysis on how client behaviors and student developmental levels effect the group stages and counseling process; particularly high school students. There should be some discussions points on group techniques and how it best works with the high school level students.

Also, I am a career coach at a local high school and I will also need some discussion points on how group techniques tie into background as a career coach for high school seniors.

The high school student, typical of the adolescent period, is going through a transition of finding his identity. Now, if ever, is it particularly important that he be shown how to nurture himself, how to choose, a healthy identity, and how to feel comfortable in the identity he has chosen. *, longtime counselor of adolescents and children, has written a scientific research article of his success in using Gestalt techniques for helping adolescents create and maintain a healthy identity. That article is particularly useful for this project.

In The Therapeutic Process with Children and Adolescents, Oaklander (1997) describes how she uses various techniques from the starting o the finishing session that help her work with the adolescent client. Firstly, she attempts to see the situation from the client's perspective and to value the client for what he/she is. Adolescents like their boundaries; Oaklander specifies the importance of the counselor assuring and granting the client boundaries.

Gestalt places a huge emphasis on being in the moment and feeling one's sensations. The counselor therefore advises the harried or excited client to calm down, stop and feel what his body is telling him, to remain with the physiological sensations of the moment.

Resistance is a normal indicator of adolescent conduct specially when in contact with adults. The counselor expects and accepts this. This is a sign to her that she has to slow down, change direction, or maybe point it out. Using Gestalt techniques, she would tell client that his attitudes/bodily mannerisms tell her that he is resisting. She may then decide to change direction. As career coach for high school seniors, this is a helpful technique for it would tell me when to change directions and to slow down game or adopt different strategies.

Adolescents too are fully engaged with sensual sensation; everything is far more alert and vibrant to them. The counselor would use this too engaging client in sensual experiences. Oaklander (1997) provides the example of her conducting a group therapy session and having each individual in the group sample a piece of organs and contrast how their tastes differed.

Adolescents are experiencing a difficult stage where not only identity has to be worked through but emotion is so much more vivid and fluctuating. The counselor accepts these emotion swings and points out to emotional client how his body feels when he is going through emotions. The counselor urges the client to be still and be in sync with the physiological backdrop of his emotions. Then she may do breathing games and other relaxation techniques involving the body in order to help client defuse these emotions. The purpose is to show client how body that feels the emotions can be used as a tool to help him feel better. Hyperactive adolescents particularly benefit from controlled body games such as yoga or body movement. This can be done in a group setting and is particularly useful for myself as career coach for high school seniors

Other4 strategies are dedicated to strengthening the sense of self. This is achieved by providing clients / adolescents with well-defined boundaries, complimenting them in specific terms as well as correcting them using specificities and clear suggestions for improvement; helping them use their imagination in performing in the sport; helping them make choices so that they experience some power and control; and helping them achieve contact and feel their own aggressive energy.