Gestalt psychotherapy can be seen as a philosophy of life as well as offering a set of tools to support personal change. In the West, we have a tendency to separate the body, mind and spirit, whereas in Eastern philosophy, these are considered part of the whole. Gestalt therapy combines both philosophies into one integrated approach.

In Gestalt, we use our awareness to encourage insight and acceptance of who we are - which is essential for change, and the development of our potential as loved and living beings. Well-being involves an ongoing creative adjustment between the world and ourselves. The more fully we are aware of ourselves in the world, the better we are able to respond creatively to our situation and find satisfaction in living.

We do this by looking at the way we are living now and exploring how we have developed fixed patterns of behaviour, which often leave us dissatisfied, uncomfortable and ill at ease. By emphasising "how" we behave rather than "why", Gestalt offers the opportunity, moment by moment, to experiment with doing things differently, emphasising quality of contact with self and others.

Getting started

• If you have decided to explore therapy, you are taking a positive step towards your own personal growth and self-empowerment.
• Entering into a therapeutic relationship with a professional practitioner is a sign of strength, not weakness.
• If you would like to explore entering into a therapeutic relationship or would like to just know more about Gestalt therapy, then contact me at GarriWiest@aol.com or telephone on 01296 660231 to make an appointment or obtain further information.

What happens in my therapy sessions?

When I work with a client, I pay close attention to what I experience through my senses. I consider every experience relevant, even my own thoughts and emotions. Therapists who follow my orientation talk about "the field", which is the space between two people, the space that holds and maintains our unwanted, unacknowledged feelings, projections, and experiences.

My role is to be alert to these things, setting aside my own thoughts, ideas, emotions and prejudices, and focussing on all that remains. In this way, I am focussing in on the moment, whilst remaining grounded in this space, even if it's painful, frightening, or confusing.

As and when it feels helpful or relevant, or when what I am noticing is persistent and strong (what we call figural), I reflect the experience back to the client. This is done as an offering, an observation of what is happening in the "here and now"; it's an invitation to the client to check their own experience to see if it matches with what I'm noticing. In this way, I invite the client into the "here and now" experience. Of course, this does not exclude events outside the therapy setting or experiences from the past, never being discussed. On the contrary, these topics are central to the therapy experience. As they are explored, the invitation is offered to step-back into the present to see how it feels to experience these things in the "here and now". As we do this, we face the pain that is present together, seeing that it is possible to stand in the midst, even if it is just for a minute.

Throughout this work we come back to what is, until the client begins to recognise the emotions as his/her own cast-off experience. With this recognition, compassion for oneself, healing can begin. It is in this way, the relationship between a therapist and client mirrors the relationships we have outside this configuration. For those of us who struggle to make sense of what is, working with a therapist can help us find our way back home to one's self.