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Mechanisms of Psychotherapy
Old Deficits, New Strengths
The child wants to have a parental relationship which has a
nurturant, ecological,
organismic/environmental balance. For instance, a mother is
obliged to see that the requirements
of the person are answered and that the progress of
potentialities became easier. A child calls for
this warm, fostering type of mirroring. A child also desires
space to resist, to be perturbed, and to
feel failure. A child wants as well to be restricted with limits
and wishes to know what
consequences will follow in case he does not behave in a right
way. When needs are not met for
various reasons the child can get a distorted understanding of
boundaries. This is the reason why
many parents refuse to follow wishes of their children. This
will bring to the wrong
understanding, distorted awareness, low selfesteem.
This is sad, but children are frequently shaped to meet parents!
support on any occasion when
they want something. Therefore the impulsive personality is
replaced by an artificial personality."ther group comprises
children whose needs are not met without reflection about the
independence of others. This brings to the creation of
impulsivity more than spontaneity.
#lients require a therapist who will deal with them in a
contactful manner, at the same time not
losing self by yielding to the wishes of the patient instead of
study and working through or
causing too much nervousness, embarrassment and frustration as
they are considerate, warm,
accessible, direct and straightforward.
#lients entering psychotherapy with diminished awareness of
their requirements and strengths,
more resisting than encouraging their organismic self, are
suffering. They strive to make the
therapist do something for them they are not able to as they
think. $f therapists follow this route,clients cannot reown and
integrate potential they lost, which was not developed
completely.
#onsequently they are not able to manage organismic
selfregulation, with complete
responsibility for themselves. They have no opportunity to learn
if they are strong enough to
e%ist independently as the therapist answer their requirements
but skips such important things as
increasing their awareness alongside with ego boundaries
&'esnick, ()*+.
$n the course of Gestalt therapyclients learn how to get
awareness and responsibility and how
to be in contact, this way they improve their ego functioning.
Thus they get instruments for more
profound e%ploration. The e%perience of the childhood during the
formative years are sub-ected
for further e%ploration without such factors as the regression,
e%tradependency needed in
regressive treatment, without the momentary competence loss
brought by transference neurosis.#hildhood reminiscences are taken
upon the current awareness without the supposition that
clients are influenced by the events of the past. #lients
pro-ect transference material on the
therapist practicing Gestalt theory, by this means giving
possibilities for bigger e%ploration.
The ne%t two e%amples demonstrate clients with various defenses,
who need special treatment,
but with principal issues of the similar type.
A man named Tom was . 0eing proud of his intellect and
independence he did not know of
unsatisfied dependency wants and bitterness he had. This
influenced his marriage much, his
spouse sensed that she was undesired and inferior because she
showed her feelings and wants.
And his selfsufficiency needed reverence it answered the
requirement, was constructive to
some e%tent and was based on his selfesteem.
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12 3with pleasure4 5y mother was very busy when $ was a kid, $
had to rely only on myself.
T2 $ value your strength, when $ imagine you an independent kid.
$ wish to stroke you and show a
little parenting.
12 3with some tears4 6obody did that.
T2 7ou look sad.
12 When $ was little.... 3study brought awareness of a reaction
of shame to busy parents and a
recompensing self-reliance4
0ob was a . 8e felt shame and separated himself in response to
any interaction beside
absolutely positive. 8e was constantly unwilling to e%periment
with nourishment of self.
12 3in a complaining tone4 $ have no notion what $ should do
now.
T2 3keeps silence4
12 $ could tell about the week which passed. 3the look is
puzzled4
T2 it seems to me that you want me to show you the direction
what to do. $ feel that.
12 7es. $s it wrong9
T2 6o. $ would prefer not doing it at the moment.
12 Why9
T2 7ou areable to do it on your own. $ consider that you are
distracting us now from your
internal self. $ don!t wish to do it. 3silence4
12 $ am bewildered.
T2 3keeps silence4
12 7ou will not show me the direction, will you9
T2 7ou are right.
12 :o, let us work on my thinking that $ am not able to care
about myself. 3Client directs a
productive part of work that brings to awareness of abandonment
worry and shame which was
the consequence of busy parents4
Frustration and Support
Gestalt therapykeeps the balance of frustration and support. The
therapist investigates more
than indulge the desires of the patient. This is the frustrating
point for the client. :upplying
contact is encouraging, though truthful contact prevents
manipulation. The ;estalt therapistshows his self and stresses the
importance of e%ploring, together with wish of e%ploration,
indulgence and frustration. The therapist answers to
manipulations by the client not reinforcing
