How is Gestalt important to me?
Here is how Gestalt on a personal as well as professional level is important for some of us in Gestalt Society Association Luxembourg.
The education to become a Gestalt Therapist helped me to reflect on my experiences in life and how these made me the person that I am today. This self-awareness of my personal trigger points and judgements help me to be present for the clients and provide the space for their reflections and development. As a people-oriented person, I enjoy the authentic relationship between therapist and client and the creative experiential approach of Gestalt Therapy.
“The Gestalt method or Gestalt Therapy is important to me because it has changed my life. I was coming from a very different and quite technical background when I, basically by chance – or at least so it felt – ended up studying Gestalt Therapy at the age of 49. The awareness I gain working with the gestalt method affects my relations, my being in different environments, myself, my view on my history and my presence in the moment and made life easier for me.”
“La gestalt m’aide à mettre l’accent sur la conscience de ce qui se passe dans l’instant présent, vu comme une expérience de contact avec autrui ou avec l’environnement.
Elle m’aide à développer la conscience de la manière dont nous déformons l’expérience, nous évitons l’intensité, nous nous enfermons dans les répétitions. Elle m’aide surtout à prendre conscience de mes choix et à expérimenter d’autres façons de vivre, plus créatives, plus vivantes, davantage dans le contact avec l’autre.”
“Pour moi, la gestalt-thérapie est une philosophie de vie. Depuis que je l’ai adoptée, j’apprends à accueillir qui je suis, telle que je suis sans vouloir changer. Elle m’encourage aussi à trouver la forme qui me semble la plus ajustée pour m’exprimer.
Elle m’a permis d’acquérir deux capacités que je trouve fondamentales pour la posture de gestalt-thérapeute : l’acceptation de ce qui est présent et l’ouverture à la nouveauté. C’est ainsi que peut commencer un magnifique processus de transformation.”
I experience it every minute of my life! Yet, from a felt experience to a communicable one, there is a journey. Sometimes, words fail to convey what I feel. At the same time, they have the power to build a bridge between you and I. I like the idea of a bridge, of glasses that I could hand you over so that you get a sense of how I experience the world. I'll go for it!
As I started my 4 years experiential training in Gestalt therapy in Brussels, I had no idea of the life changing adventure I had embarked on. It has literally changed the way I position myself in life. It has given me tools to redesign how I envision myself, others and situations.
Experimenting the Gestalt theory with teachers and peers, as well as in personal therapy, made the difference. By sharing genuine moments, I gradually learnt being OK with my vulnerabilities, emotions, sensations. A sense of trust began to grow. I experienced over and over again that I was able to remain in touch with people through the hardest times and the most emotionally intense moments. I began to realize my strengths and to appreciate and share my singularities. I learnt that to me, food was beyond tastes, colors and textures. I learnt that food was also about precious times alone, about glimpsing a sudden light in the eye of someone, about feeling a shiver or sharing one's blunt harsh truth in the moment.
Along with other holistic approaches I've been exploring in parallel, Gestalt has offered me a life lasting present. It has :
transformed the way I look at things and broadened my horizons
given me a glimpse into my own and very unique "user manual" and a way to rewrite it as often as needed
helped me regain the mastery of listening to my sensations, taking distance with my thoughts and choosing what's best for me
given me solid ground to remain present to what is, from anxiety to excitement
