4 articles
The empty chair is Gestalt therapy's most emblematic technique. It involves inviting the patient to address an empty chair onto which they project an absent person, a part of themselves or an unresolved life aspect. This role-play transforms an intellectual narrative into a living emotional experience, completes unfinished Gestalts and resolves inner conflicts. Validated by research, this technique is now used well beyond Gestalt therapy.
Gestalt therapy is suited to anyone wishing to know themselves better, overcome a relational or emotional difficulty, or navigate a life transition. Its experiential, body-oriented approach makes it particularly adapted to anxiety, depression, couple issues, grief, burnout and personality disorders. Several clinical studies support its effectiveness, particularly for anxiety management and self-esteem improvement.
Gestalt therapy rests on core principles that distinguish it from other psychotherapeutic approaches. Centred on lived experience in the present moment, it views the human being as an inseparable whole — body, emotions, thoughts and environment. The contact cycle, resistance mechanisms and the notion of personal responsibility form the pillars of this humanistic, experiential approach founded by Fritz and Laura Perls in the 1950s.
A Gestalt therapy session is a living, interactive experience that differs radically from the classic image of a patient lying on a couch. The therapist is engaged, present and responsive. The work relies on bodily and emotional experience in the present moment, role-playing, experiential exercises and authentic dialogue between therapist and patient. Whether individual or group, each session is unique and adapted to the experience of the moment.