Clinical Psychology

general is not an authentic person. Gestalt therapy
forces one to experience and become aware of
these shams. But this awareness is threatening
because it leads to an experience of the very fears
that the shams helped evade. Genuine behavior is
threatening because such behavior could lead to
terrible consequences (or so the client hypothe-
sizes). Indeed, as environmental supports are also
exposed, the client really becomes terrified, feeling
that the inner capacity for growth is not equal to
the relinquishing of neurotic defenses in favor of
honest, independent behavior. Finally, however,
the client becomes aware of the hollowness that
the anxieties, phobias, or doubts are producing.
Such awareness propels the person into an experi-
ence of aliveness, wholeness, and authenticity.

Responsibility. Of great importance in Gestalt
therapy is getting clients to accept responsibility
for their own actions and feelings. These belong
to the client, and the client cannot deny them,
escape them, or blame them on something or
someone else. In summary, if one had to extract
from Gestalt therapy expositions the four most
descriptive words, they might beawareness,experi-
ence,now, andresponsibility.

The Rules. The “rules” of Gestalt therapy
(Levitsky & Perls, 1970) include the following:

1. Communication is in the present tense (look-
   ing backward or forward is discouraged).


2. Communication is between equals (one talks
   with, not at).


3. One uses“I”language rather than“it”lan-
   guage (to encourage the acceptance of
   responsibility).


4. The client continually focuses on immediate
   experience (e.g., the therapist will ask,“How
   does it feel to describe the hostility?”“Tell me
   what you are feeling at this moment”).


5. There is no gossip (talking about someone else).


6. Questions are discouraged (because questions
   are often quiet ways of stating opinions rather
   than seeking information).

Gestalt Games. The Gestaltists have received

much attention for the so-called games they have

developed (Levitsky & Perls, 1970). For example,

clients are taught to add the phrase“and I take

responsibility for that”when describing something

about themselves. Thus,“I am not a very happy

person ... and I take responsibility for that.”

Another game involves getting the client to repeat

again and again (and louder and louder) some

phrase or remark that the therapist deems impor-

tant. Often, various aspects of role-playing are

employed. To what extent any positive effects

from these games are generalized beyond the ther-

apy room has not yet been established empirically.

Moral Precepts. The“moral precepts”(or rules

for patients to live by) of Gestalt therapy are

described by Naranjo (1970):

1. Live now. (Be concerned not with the past or
   the future but with the present.)


2. Live here. (Be concerned with what is present,
   not with what is absent.)


3. Stop imagining. (Experience only the real.)


4. Stop unnecessary thinking. (Be oriented toward
   hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and touching.)


5. Express directly. (Do not explain, judge, or
   manipulate.)


6. Be aware of both the pleasant and the
   unpleasant.


7. Reject all“shoulds”and“oughts”that are not
   your own.


8. Take complete responsibility for your actions,
   thoughts, and feelings.


9. Surrender to being what you really are.

Concluding Comments.As indicated in Chapter 11,

Smith et al. (1980) reported an effect size of .64 for

Gestalt therapies, based on a large meta-analysis of

relevant studies. The average client who received

Gestalt therapy in these studies was functioning bet-

ter than 74% of those not receiving treatment.

Unfortunately, very little research on Gestalt ther-

apy has been published since this review. Of those

PSYCHOTHERAPY: PHENOMENOLOGICAL AND HUMANISTIC-EXISTENTIAL PERSPECTIVES 387