You might be wondering what Gestalt counselling and therapy involves.

Gestalt is a German word meaning the whole and the sum of all the parts.

As an approach, Gestalt therapy draws on the belief that people have a natural tendency towards health, but old patterns of behaviour and fixed ideas can create blocks interrupting the natural cycle of wellness, therefore affecting communication with others.

Gestalt therapy addresses what is happening in the moment, raising awareness of an individual’s experiences of their responses with others. The belief is that to be fully present in the here and now creates within the client the potential for more excitement, energy, and the courage to live life directly.

In my work, the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts means that every part of you is valued.  All of your patterns and behaviours are considered in the light of how they were appropriate and helpful creative adjustments to an environment that wasn’t able to support you in a way you needed at that time.

I view Gestalt Psychotherapy as a holistic and unifying approach, which can bring about increased self-awareness, improved self-acceptance and better contact with yourself and others, to enable you to feel freer to be yourself and more authentic in your relationships.  As well as offering recovery from symptoms of distress such as depression and anxiety, Gestalt therapy is an important means to all round psychological health and personal development.