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Gestalt therapy is rooted in the idea that all people experience things subjectively. In other words, not only are people not objective about their experiences, but people are not supposed to be objective about their experiences. Furthermore, even therapists cannot be objective about experiences, as their own context and background influence how they approach scenarios. Therefore, instead of substituting their judgment about a clients’ experiences, therapists are called to accept that their clients are relaying the truth, or at least the client’s subjective truth, about their own experiences.
Because of this approach, Gestalt therapy is not as strictly defined as other types of therapy and Gestalt therapists may take a variety of approaches. However, there are some exercises that are often present in Gestalt therapy: the empty chair technique, the exaggeration exercise, and asking questions. In the empty chair technique, the therapist places the client across from an empty chair and asks them to imagine a person sitting in the chair and to have a dialogue with that person. This can be used alone or in conjunction with confrontation therapy. For example, having a client picture themselves talking to a deceased parent in the chair can help them address issues they may feel like they have not been able to address. Exaggeration exercises ask the client to repeat and exaggerate particular movements or expressions in an effort to make them aware of the emotions attached to the behavior. For example, having a client exaggerate nail biting might make them aware of the anxiety that drives nail biting behaviors. Asking questions is just like it sounds, but it is focused on having the client focus on the present. Having a client relate how they feel, in the present day, about events that occurred in the past, is a way for a therapist to help the client orient in the now.
