Premium Essay

Gestalt Therapy with Children and a Comparative Therapy

In:

Submitted By Trina1
Words 3930
Pages 16
Introduction
Gestalt therapy, which was founded by Fritz and Laura Perls in the 1940s, teaches the therapists and their clients the phenomenological awareness method, where feeling, perceiving and acting are differentiated from interpreting and rearranging the pre-existing attitudes. Gestalt therapists and clients’ dialogue, thus communicating their phenomenological perspectives, and their differences in perceptions form the basis and focus of experimentation and continued dialogue. The desired outcome of the therapy process is for the client to become aware of their actions, how they are acting, and the ways they can change their actions and learn to accept and appreciate themselves. Here, the emphasis is mainly on the process rather than the content of the therapy, that is, what is happening rather than what is being discussed. Gestalt therapy was mainly considered for adults. However, Violet Oaklander (2007) says that it is also suitable to be applied to children since it involves the body and the senses, all of which fit the therapeutic works with the children.
The purpose of this paper is to formulate a response in the manner a Gestalt therapist would work with children of ages between 4 and 12. Here, the general and Gestalt literature is explored, synthesized and evaluated on working with this particular population, their specific needs and particular ethical challenges that may emerge while working with them. A comparison is offered on how different modalities with the children, and also a situation of experimentation created for the therapeutic work, built on the analyses.
Gestalt Developmental Theory
According to Jean Piaget (2004), there are four cognitive stages for the development of a child. From the age of 4 to 7, a child perceives a world through their magical thinking and animism. At this stage, children acquire motor skills and also some

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Psychodrama

...Psychodrama therapy of Dr. Jacob L. Moreno is very effective in treating certain disorders such as depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, trauma survivors, and it has been used in marital counseling. In psychodrama a person is helped to gain insights through role playing. This helps the person to gain a better understanding of their problems and turn them into more realistic and meaningful thoughts. Psychodrama can be very effective when used correctly and it continues to offer therapists new ways to treat patients. Therapy Psychotherapy is a technique used to change a person’s behavior, thought process, assumptions, and even sometimes their personality. Therapy is a term often used to encompass all acts of psychotherapy under one common theme, to help the client. Therapy today consists of many different types and themes. Some such as Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck suggested that our cognitive processes are responsible for our behavior, thoughts, and emotions and this developed into the cognitive model (Comer, 2004). Others such as Carl Rogers believed in a more client-centered approach that is “non-directive and based in insights gained from conscious thoughts and feelings” (Coon, 2000). Well known therapies include Freudian psychoanalysis and Gestalt therapy which is most associated with Fritz Perls. The list goes one but it is clear to see there are several methods and means to therapy today. Of...

Words: 4014 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

Mahek

...Chapter 1 SIGMUND FREUD AN INTRODUCTION Sigmund Freud, pioneer of Psychoanalysis, was born on 6th May 1856 in Freiberg to a middle class family. He was born as the eldest child to his father’s second wife. When Freud was four years old, his family shifted and settled in Vienna. Although Freud’s ambition from childhood was a career in law, he decided to enter the field of medicine. In 1873, at the age of seventeen, Freud enrolled in the university as a medical student. During his days in the university, he did his research on the Central Nervous System under the guidance of German physician `Ernst Wilhelm Von Brucke’. Freud received his medical degree in 1881and later in 1883 he began to work in Vienna General Hospital. Freud spent three years working in various departments of the hospital and in 1885 he left his post at the hospital to join the University of Vienna as a lecturer in Neuropathology. Following his appointment as a lecturer, he got the opportunity to work under French neurologist Jean Charcot at Salpetriere, the famous Paris hospital for nervous diseases. So far Freud’s work had been entirely concentrated on physical sciences but Charcot’s work, at that time, concentrated more on hysteria and hypnotism. Freud’s studies under Charcot, which centered largely on hysteria, influenced him greatly in channelising his interests to psychopathology. In 1886, Freud established his private practice in Vienna specializing in nervous diseases...

Words: 155674 - Pages: 623

Premium Essay

Pychology

...Psychology Not to be confused with Phycology, Physiology, or 1 Etymology Psychiatry. Further information: Outline of psychology and Index The word psychology literally means, “study of the soul" of psychology articles (ψυχή psukhē, “breath, spirit, soul” and -λογία -logia, “study of” or “research”).[10] The Latin word psycholoPsychology is an academic and applied discipline that gia was first used by the Croatian humanist and Latinist involves the scientific study of mental functions and Marko Marulić in his book, Psichiologia de ratione anbehaviors.[1][2] Psychology has the immediate goal of imae humanae in the late 15th century or early 16th understanding individuals and groups by both establish- century.[11] The earliest known reference to the word ing general principles and researching specific cases,[3][4] psychology in English was by Steven Blankaart in 1694 and by many accounts it ultimately aims to benefit in The Physical Dictionary which refers to “Anatomy, society.[5][6] In this field, a professional practitioner or which treats the Body, and Psychology, which treats of researcher is called a psychologist and can be classified the Soul.”[12] as a social, behavioral, or cognitive scientist. Psychologists attempt to understand the role of mental functions in individual and social behavior, while also exploring the physiological and biological processes that underlie cognitive functions and behaviors. 2 History Psychologists explore concepts such as perception...

Words: 12427 - Pages: 50

Premium Essay

General Psychology

...Chapter 1 The Dimensions of Psychology Summary: Psychology is an academic and applied discipline that involves the scientific study of mental functions and behaviors. Psychology has the immediate goal of understanding individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases, and by many accounts it ultimately aims to benefit society. In this field, a professional practitioner or researcher is called a psychologist, and can be classified as a social, behavioral, or cognitive scientist. Psychologists attempt to understand the role of mental functions in individual and social behavior, while also exploring the physiological and neurobiological processes that underlie certain cognitive functions and behaviors. Structuralism was the first school of psychology and focused on breaking down mental processes into the most basic components. Researchers tried to understand the basic elements of consciousness using a method known as introspection. Wilhelm Wundt, founder of the first psychology lab, was an advocate of this position and is often considered the founder of structuralism, despite the fact that it was his student, Edward B. Titchener who first coined the term to describe this school of thought. Functionalism formed as a reaction to the structuralism and was heavily influenced by the work of William James and the evolutionary theory of Charles Darwin. Functionalists sought to explain the mental processes in a more systematic and accurate...

Words: 20821 - Pages: 84

Free Essay

Adkkk

...Psychology is an academic and applied discipline that involves the scientific study of mental functions and behaviors.[1][2] Psychology has the immediate goal of understanding individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases,[3][4] and by many accounts it ultimately aims to benefit society.[5][6] In this field, a professional practitioner or researcher is called a psychologist and can be classified as a social, behavioral, or cognitive scientist. Psychologists attempt to understand the role of mental functions in individual and social behavior, while also exploring the physiological and biological processes that underlie cognitive functions and behaviors. Behavior Behavior or behaviour is the range of actions and mannerisms made by organisms, systems, or artificial entities in conjunction with themselves or their environment, which includes the other systems or organisms around as well as the (inanimate) physical environment. It is the response of the system or organism to various stimuli or inputs, whether internal or external, conscious or subconscious, overt or covert, and voluntary or involuntary. Branches of phychology 1. Abnormal Psychology  Abnormal psychology is the branch of psychology that looks at psychopathology and abnormal behavior. The term covers a broad range of disorders, from depression to obsession-compulsion to sexual deviation and many more. Counselors, clinical psychologists, and psychotherapists often...

Words: 1839 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Case Study

...CHAPTER 6 A CRITIQUE OF THE EIGHT PSYCHOLOGISTS Sigmund Freud While Freudian theory is vulnerable to criticisms of being unscientific and too reductionistic (though behaviorists criticize it for not being reductionistic enough), classic psychoanalysis does offer a comprehensive system of personality, pathology, and therapy that has made a lasting contribution to an understanding of human behavior, especially in such areas as defense mechanisms, the reality of unconscious mental dynamics, and the psychodynamics of dreams. Freud’s work was characterized by originality, boldness, and power of communication. In his theory of neurosis, he captured the tragic dimension of human existence, particularly in the selfdestructive antithesis of instinctual conflict. The locus of these destructive impulses is internalized in the individual and not merely derivative from civilization. In this respect, Freud’s portrayal of the human condition has more depth than romantic humanism and yields significant points of correlation with the Christian understanding of sin, guilt, and the need for redemption. Regarding Freud’s theory of personality, there appears to be no unified structure or functional unity between the id, the ego, and the superego, and these personality components are described in intuitive and literary terms that elude scientific analysis. Instead, they are often personified as homunculi that operate in monochromatic ways, yielding a theory...

Words: 6820 - Pages: 28

Free Essay

Written Report on Learning

...------------------------------------------------- LEARNING Submitted to: Prof. Ma. Corazon Cabigao Constantino PSYC1013 Th 10:30am-1:30pm Submitted by: Apiladas, Jessa Marie Bestal, Vanesa Billones, Joanne Camangian, Mae-Ann Cortez, Shayna Dela Cruz, Carlo BSA I-1, GROUP 2 What is “learning”? In ordinary language, this term is applied to many different cases—the development of new skills, the acquisition of new knowledge, and more. Although most people think of learning as “studying”, a lot of situations nonetheless take place outside a classroom. Psychologists define it more broadly as the process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors. It is a relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience. Notice that this definition excludes temporary changes caused by motivation, fatigue, maturation, disease, injury, or drugs. Each of these can alter our behavior, but none qualifies as learning. Merely repeating a response will not necessarily produce learning. You could close your eyes and swing a tennis racket hundreds of times without learning anything about tennis. Merely repeating a response will not necessarily produce learning. You could close your eyes and swing a tennis racket hundreds of times without learning anything about tennis. For one to learn something, one must experience it first, whether directly from the person’s own experience or indirectly through the experiences of others. Learning must also be able to produce...

Words: 13813 - Pages: 56

Premium Essay

Business Psycology

...[Pick the date] [Pick the date] Business Psychology Individual Assignment Business Psychology Individual Assignment Prepared by – Dashny Sarvaloganayagan Lecturer – W.M.S. Rambadagalla Unit code – F/601/1027 Batch No – 13 Edexcel No – GI 18931 American College of Higher Education, Kandy Prepared by – Dashny Sarvaloganayagan Lecturer – W.M.S. Rambadagalla Unit code – F/601/1027 Batch No – 13 Edexcel No – GI 18931 American College of Higher Education, Kandy Contents Plagiarism Acknowledgement Introduction 1.1 Major theoretical approaches 1.2 Assess the contribution of a scientific approach to investigating workplace behaviour 1.3 Assess strength & limitations of qualitative & quantitative approaches to understand the workplace behaviour 2.1 Describe the type of individual differences which have been the subject of assessment 2.2 Assess the usefulness of psychometric instruments with particular references to reliability and validity 2.3 Make justified communications for the use of two types of measures of individual differences in making business decisions 3.1 Use the theory to explain human reactions to change 3.2 Make justified recommendations for implementing change in selected organization 3.3 Make justified...

Words: 13240 - Pages: 53

Premium Essay

Myths

...Contents Preface Acknowledgments Introduction 1 BRAIN POWER Myth #1 Most People Use Only 10% of Their Brain Power Myth #2 Some People Are Left-Brained, Others Are Right-Brained Myth #3 Extrasensory Perception (ESP) Is a Well-Established Scientific Phenomenon Myth #4 Visual Perceptions Are Accompanied by Tiny Emissions from the Eyes Myth #5 Subliminal Messages Can Persuade People to Purchase Products 2 FROM WOMB TO TOMB Myth #6 Playing Mozart’s Music to Infants Boosts Their Intelligence Myth #7 Adolescence Is Inevitably a Time of Psychological Turmoil Myth #8 Most People Experience a Midlife Crisis in | 8 Their 40s or Early 50s Myth #9 Old Age Is Typically Associated with Increased Dissatisfaction and Senility Myth #10 When Dying, People Pass through a Universal Series of Psychological Stages 3 A REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST Myth #11 Human Memory Works like a Tape Recorder or Video Camera, and Accurate Events We’ve Experienced Myth #12 Hypnosis Is Useful for Retrieving Memories of Forgotten Events Myth #13 Individuals Commonly Repress the Memories of Traumatic Experiences Myth #14 Most People with Amnesia Forget All Details of Their Earlier Lives 4 TEACHING OLD DOGS NEW TRICKS Myth #15 Intelligence (IQ) Tests Are Biased against Certain Groups of People My th #16 If You’re Unsure of Your Answer When Taking a Test, It’s Best to Stick with Your Initial Hunch Myth #17 The Defining Feature of Dyslexia Is Reversing Letters Myth #18 Students Learn Best When Teaching Styles Are Matched to...

Words: 130018 - Pages: 521

Free Essay

Total Quality Management

...1 KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION SYLLABUS FOR PROVINCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION The Syllabus and standard for the Competitive Examination for the Provincial Management Service shall be as under : 1. The Examination shall include compulsory and optional subjects, and every candidate shall take all the compulsory subjects and opt for three of the optional subjects carrying 600 marks in all but not more than 200 marks from a single group. 2. A candidate shall answer the language papers in the language concerned. The question paper in Islamiat is to be answered in Urdu or English. All other papers must be answered in English. Violation of this instruction shall incur cancellation of the concerned paper(s) and consequently award of Zero. 3. The compulsory and optional subjects and maximum marks fixed for each subject shall be as below: Sr. No. 1 2 3 COMPULSORY SUBJECTS Subjects English (Précis & Composition) English Essay General Knowledge (a) Current Affairs 100 (b) Every Day Science 100 (c) Pakistan Affairs 100 Islamiat Viva Voce Total Maximum Marks 100 100 300 100 300 900 600 120 4 5 Qualifying marks in the aggregate of written papers: Qualifying marks in the Viva Voce: The non-Muslim candidates will have the option to take Islamiat as a compulsory subject or otherwise Pakistan Affairs (General Knowledge PaperIII) will be treated of 200 marks and counted in lieu of Islamiat. A candidate who fails to appear in any of the compulsory...

Words: 10965 - Pages: 44

Premium Essay

Group Interaction Articles

...GROUP INTERACTION JOURNAL ARTICLES Compiled by Lawrence R. Frey University of Colorado at Boulder Aamodt, M. G., & Kimbrough, W. W. (1982). Effects of group heterogeneity on quality of task solutions. Psychological Review, 50, 171-174. Abbey, D. S. (1982). Conflict in unstructured groups: An explanation from control-theory. Psychological Reports, 51, 177-178. Abele, A. E. (2003). The dynamics of masculine-agentic and feminine-communal traits: Findings from a prospective study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 768-776. Abele, A., Gendolla, G. H. E., & Petzold, P. (1998). Positive mood and in-group—out-group differentiation in a minimal group setting. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 24, 1343-1357. Aberson, C. L., Healy, M., & Romero, V. (2000). Ingroup bias and self-esteem: A meta-analysis. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4, 157-173. Abougendia, M., Joyce, A. S., Piper, W. E., & Ogrodniczuk, J. S. (2004). Alliance as a mediator of expectancy effects in short-term group psychotherapy. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 8, 3-12. Abraham, A. (1973a). Group tensions as measured by configurations of different self and transself aspects. Group Process, 5, 71-89. Abraham, A. (1973b). A model for exploring intra and interindividual processes in groups. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 23, 3-22. Abraham, A. (1974-1975). Processes in groups. Bulletin de Psychogie, 28, 746-758. Abraham, A., Geffroy, Y., & Ancelin-Schutzenberger...

Words: 146784 - Pages: 588

Premium Essay

Global Political Economy

...GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND DIPLOMACY STUDENT GUIDELINE NOTES GLOBAL POLITICAL ECONOMY MODULE Paste the notes here… Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government. Political economy originated in moral philosophy (e.g. Adam Smith was Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Glasgow), it developed in the 18th century as the study of the economies of states — polities, hence political economy. In late nineteenth century, the term "political economy" was generally replaced by the term economics, used by those seeking to place the study of economy upon mathematical and axiomatic bases, rather than the structural relationships of production and consumption (cf. marginalism, Alfred Marshall). History of the term Originally, political economy meant the study of the conditions under which production was organized in the nation-states. The phrase économie politique (translated in English as political economy) first appeared in France in 1615 with the well known book by Antoyne de Montchrétien: Traicté de l’oeconomie politique. French physiocrats, Adam Smith, David Ricardo and Karl Marx were some of the exponents of political economy. In 1805, Thomas Malthus became England's first professor of political economy, at the East India Company College, Haileybury, Hertfordshire. The world's first professorship in political economy was established...

Words: 39122 - Pages: 157

Premium Essay

Phil 235 Course Notes

...Chapter 1: Ethical Theory Meta-ethical positions include: * Ethical non-cognitivism (concept that ethics is a matter of feelings) * Ethical relativism (concept that ethics is relative to a particular point of view) * Ethical objectivism (notion that ethics is objective in nature). Meta-Ethical Positions Ethical Non-cognitivism The basis of ethical non-cognitivism is that ethical disagreement can be a highly emotional affair where no amount of reasoning is likely to convince the other party. * Example: “Let’s just agree to disagree” Ethical Relativism * Ethical relativism says that while ethical statements are cognitively meaningful, they do not hold in any objective sense because they depend on our point of view. * If we accept ethical relativism, then ethical disagreement among people who do not share the same perspective becomes impossible. * It assumes that if people agree on something, then it must be true. * Ethical relativism is suspect for a pragmatic reason: it is fundamentally at variance with our social practice. * Example: “To each his own”, or the belief that what’s right for one group isn’t necessarily right for another Ethical Objectivism * Ethical objectivism holds that right and wrong are objective phenomena. * Example: “I’m right and you’re wrong” What is Ethics? * As a discipline, ethics is a branch of philosophy. * It deals with questions of right and wrong conduct, and with what we ought to do and what...

Words: 23725 - Pages: 95

Free Essay

Apa Referencing Guide

...APA Referencing guide Academic conventions and copyright law require that you acknowledge when you use the ideas of others. In most cases, this means stating which book or journal article is the source of an idea or quotation. This guide draws from the: American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual            of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.).        Washington, DC: Author.   University policy mandates the use of the APA Style defined by this referencing guide. On this page: * List of references * How to cite references within the text of an assignment (including citations from secondary sources and Creative Commons) * Additional help List of References At the end of your essay, place a list of the references you have cited in the text. Arrange this in alphabetical order of authors' surnames, and then chronologically (earliest publication date first) for each author where more than one work by that author is cited. The author's surname is placed first, followed by initials or first name, and then the year of publication is given. If the list contains more than one item published by the same author(s) in the same year, add lower case letters immediately after the year to distinguish them (e.g. 1983a). These are ordered alphabetically by title disregarding any initial articles (a, an or the). * The reference list includes only the sources you have used in any submission. APA Style requires reference lists, not bibliographies...

Words: 9212 - Pages: 37

Premium Essay

Introduction to Psychology

...be covered. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF PSYCHOLOGY Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes. It is an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behaviour. Psychology also refers to the application of such knowledge to various spheres of human activity, including problems of individuals' daily lives and the treatment of mental illness. It is largely concerned with humans, although the behaviour and mental processes of animals can also be part of psychology research, either as a subject in its own right (e.g. animal cognition and ethnology), or somewhat more controversially, as a way of gaining an insight into human psychology by means of comparison (including comparative psychology). Origins of the psychology Near the end of 19th century things started drawing together. Questions raised by philosophers were being examined by physiologists, and vice versa. a. What is the relationship between the mind and the body? b. Why do people loose their minds? What is insanity? c. How do we perceive things? Why are their perceptions of the same stimulus different? d. What affect do our experiences have on us? How important are environmental influences versus characteristics and predispositions we are born with?...

Words: 84844 - Pages: 340