E77 - Gestalt Psychotherapy & Training as a Therapist (with Sarah Paul)
Mar 1, 2024
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Explore Gestalt Psychotherapy with Sarah Paul, focusing on relational therapy and self-insights. Dive into resolving inner conflicts through decision making dilemmas. Unleash spontaneity for growth and discuss integrating psychedelics in therapy. Reflect on resilience and emotional sensitivity, with advice for therapist trainees.
Gestalt psychotherapy emphasizes present experiences and the therapist-client relationship for psychological adjustments.
Relational approach in therapy illuminates client patterns in broader life experiences and relationships.
Therapists balance authentic reactions with providing a supportive space to explore difficult feelings.
Deep dives
The Focus on Gestalt Psychotherapy's Historical Origins and Core Principles
The episode explores the historical roots of Gestalt psychotherapy, developed in the 40s and 50s by Fritz Pehrz, Laura Pehrz, and Paul Goodman. It discusses how Gestalt therapy emphasizes the individual's present experience, relationship with the therapist, and psychological adjustments to their social and environmental context.
The Significance of the Relational Approach in Therapy
The conversation delves into the importance of a relational approach in therapy, highlighting how the client-therapist relationship plays a fundamental role in the healing process. By focusing on how clients relate to their therapists, the therapy aims to illuminate patterns in the clients' broader life experiences and relationships.
Balancing Authenticity and Repairing in Therapy
The discussion emphasizes the balance between authentic reactions and using oneself as a reparative object in therapy. By authentically engaging with clients' emotions and providing a supportive and non-judgmental space, therapists can help clients explore difficult feelings and experiences without feeling shame or judgment.
Resilience and Human Nature in Therapy
The episode reflects on clients' resilience and the depth of human nature, highlighting how people can endure challenging experiences and thrive. It also touches on the interplay between emotional sensitivity and resilience in individuals, pondering on the trade-offs between sensitivity and resilience in the human experience.
Guidance for Therapist Training and Development
The conversation provides insights and advice for individuals considering therapist training, emphasizing the gradual nature of growth and learning in the field. It encourages therapists-in-training to embrace the journey, enjoy the process, and remain patient with themselves as they develop their skills and therapeutic approach.
Gestalt Psychotherapy is an often under-discussed, yet widely practiced form of therapy that was developed in the 40s and 50s by a psychoanalyst Fritz Perls, his wife Laura Perls and Paul Goodman. Gestalt therapy came to prominence during the counterculture movement of the 60s and focused on an individual's experience of the present moment, their relationship with their therapist, and the psychological adjustments people make in response to their environmental and social context.
Today, on the podcast to discuss Gestalt psychotherapy is Sarah Paul. Sarah is a tutor of humanistic psychotherapy at the Metanoia institute in London, a UKCP registered gestalt psychotherapist and a certified couples counsellor. She has been working with people therapeutically for more than 15 years and aside from her psychotherapy experience, she is also experienced in working with individuals with severe mental health difficulties, homelessness and substance misuse problems.
In today’s episode we discuss Gestalt psychotherapy, its historical origins, some of the core principles of the Gestalt approach, its strengths and weaknesses, the barriers people have to changing, Sarah’s own approach to psychotherapy, some of the challenges of training as a therapist, and much more.
Interviewed by Dr. Alex Curmi, a consultant psychiatrist and UKCP registered trainee psychotherapist - Give feedback here - thinkingmindpodcast@gmail.com
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If you would like to enquire about an online psychotherapy appointment with Dr. Alex, you can email - alexcurmitherapy@gmail.com