The Use of Gestalt Therapy With Adolescents

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Disorders That Can Be Treated Using Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt Therapy Techniques
Background on the Formation of the Group Therapy
Initial Stage
Transition Stage
Working Stage
Termination Stage
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Gestalt therapy is a form of psychotherapy that maximizes a persons freedom, awareness, and self-direction. It is a form of therapy that focuses on the present moments rather than the events of the experience (Bowman, 2019). It is based on the idea that individuals are influenced by their current environment and work to achieve personal balance and growth. Moreover, it focuses on unconditional acceptance as this form enables individuals to get rid of distress by embracing what they feel and trusting people. Through Gestalt therapy, people can innovate new perspectives and bring positive changes into their lives. The paper focuses on group therapy on adolescents through the Gestalt form of therapy. My interest surfaced in graduate school due to the fact there more open than other groups. Hence, I propose using this methodology to prove effective in group therapy and adolescents.

Disorders That Can Be Treated Using Gestalt Therapy

Gestalt therapy is a practical therapeutic approach to treating and addressing mental health conditions, including anxiety. As gestalt therapy deals with present occurrences, it allows individuals to explore the factors that make them feel anxious. The second condition is behavioral health issues, such as drug use; gestalt therapy helps individuals view life differently and develop new lifestyles. The third condition is depression, whereby as gestalt therapy focuses on self-awareness, it can help individuals discover their stressful situations. Moreover, gestalt therapy can enable couples to recognize destructive behaviors that could have adverse effects. Lastly, gestalt therapy also deals with self-esteem issues; individuals can find factors that contribute to their low self-confidence.

Gestalt Therapy Techniques

There are various therapy modes involving a series of exercises and experiments. Therapy can take place in a group or individual setting. However, in our case were to focus on a group therapy setting. Activities and experiments enable people to increase their awareness and understanding of now and here (Bowman, 2019). Different techniques work for other people since each person has distinct past occurrences. In this specific case of group therapy in adolescents, we will use the here-and-now technique. This kind of technique is where an individual opens up about how they feel at that particular moment. This specific model aims to forget past experiences and focus on the present issues. The model is most applicable to adolescents as it presents behavioral issues. The platform creates an environment where adolescents can express themselves, building the healing process.

Background on the Formation of the Group Therapy

When group formation started, it was composed of adult groups, and at times it dealt with childrens therapies. The storytelling in these particular two groups was boring to the author; hence rethought the idea and decided to focus on the here-and-now interactive group that concentrated mainly on adolescents. The influence of using this particular model was to reverse the individuals norm. The group structuration was that each member was required to abide by the rule that attention was directed to the groups issues. There was no discussion of family, job, or health issues in the platform, only if they were concerned with the group experiences. The group therapy had 16 members, as many individuals preferred to be in an interactive session.

Initial Stage

An interactive group can be quite demanding and intense; hence, it requires extra keenness when selecting members. The caution is to avoid having two or more volatile members in the same group; otherwise, having violent participants can lead to fighting and unnecessary drama. A group can only handle one, such as with time; the person will adapt to the other participants behavior as they do not have individuals to challenge. The essence of ensuring this is that if conflicts occur in the group that may be abusive, they may lead to some members quitting. It is also essential to avoid having more than half of the groups have passive members, as the group should be interactive and not monotonous interactive. The preferred group size in this study is a two-hour group composed of eight members, and it involves both genders. The formation of this particular group allows opportunities for crucial issues to evolve and enhance fixed patterns for members to attend the session.

Before initially forming the group, most members were practicing individual therapy; hence when a potential member is identified, preparations are made to refer the individual to the group. When the client responds effectively to the recommendation to join the group, the individual is given a handout describing the group and its benefits (Cole & Reese, 2017). Once the person reads the rules and decides to join the group, the individual must sign a contract. The group is founded on four ground rules: the individuals are only expected to focus on issues that pertain to the group. The rationale for using this model is that individuals will become aware of self-interruption and other hindrances to good living. The second ground rule is that group members are neither encouraged nor discouraged from contacting outside the group. The third rule states that members of the group are responsible for keeping matters related to other members of the group. They have legitimate rights to discuss their issues with outsiders but no other members. The fourth rule is that a member should state if there to miss a session, and lastly, no physical violence is apprehended in the group.

Transition Stage

The transition stage is one of the most challenging stages to get through. The scene comes after the initial step of selecting and preparations of members to join the group. This stage is quite tricky for members are yet to know neither nor understand each hence they all fear talking about their issues. Some members are fearful and shy, while others become defensive as they feel it is too much to share their problems in a group. Thus, as a group leader, one is expected to gain the members trust to trust other individuals. The leader should open an open view and platform to ease the tension and anxiety of being around one individual. A platform should be laid where the counselor outlines similar ties between all the members issues.

Working Stage

The working stage occurs after the members talk about their issues after the transition stage. Several approaches can be applied in this stage, such as gossiping. Clients know minimal information about other members; hence, the participants can talk about anything in the first ten minutes (Greenberg, 2019). The schmoozing can be caught up hastily; therefore, it is difficult to shift from chatting to working. After ten minutes of speaking, the group members are asked to close their eyes and meditate on their lives, and it is for the members to decide what task is to be carried out in the session. Before the session ends, the counselor asks the members to fill in logs where they expound on what they have learned in this particular and how far the progress is.

The leader is expected to comment on their records and provide feedback in the next session. The counselor can also give out handouts to the members to move along during the session. Stillstand as they are not allowed to talk of the past or the future even when the counselor gives examples of the works that have fared okay rule of members still paying attention to the particular session, the events in this session are brief. In contrast, others take time to conclude. Moreover, the counselor emphasizes the importance of practicing skills they have acquired during the session as they can only outgrow through examination.

Termination Stage

The stage involves the counselor dispersing the group after the sessions are done, and individuals are to continue enrolling in their everyday lives. At this stage, the members are used to each other, making it problematic. Moreover, they have adapted to speak of their issues; therefore, they fear leaving as they are unsure how to explain their problems. Hence it is the role of the counselor to assure them that everything will be set to normal and the session they participated in has grown them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the work described above is not easy as one has to keep members on the course. The temptation to tell narratives about other experiences is powerful for many. Usually, three to four members of the group succumb to it. Even when everyone else is faithful to the law, violation of it can get the group off track. Hence it becomes difficult for the counselor to bring people back on track. Although the work can be intense, the rewards are plentiful in the end.

References

Bowman, C. (2019). New directions in gestalt group therapy: Relational ground, authentic self. Gestalt Review, 23(2), 187-190. Web.

Cole, P., & Reese, D. (2017). An introduction to contemporary Gestalt therapy for group therapists. Group, 41(2), 95. Web.

Greenberg, E. (2019). Group therapy with borderline, narcissistic, and schizoid adaptations. Gestalt Review, 23(2), 129-150. Web.

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