The Whole Is Greater Than Its Parts: An Overview Of Gestalt Psychology

The German word "Gestalt" generally translates to the way parts can form together as a whole. In psychology, Gestalt involves a quest to understand how the brain perceives different experiences.

Gestalt theory has played a role in several areas that seek to better understand the brain and social behavior. Among other uses, counselors can employ Gestalt techniques to help people focus on the present instead of feeling consumed by the past.

What Is The Definition Of Gestalt Psychology?

Gestalt psychology is a school of thought that perceives a whole psychological system as more significant than its single parts. Providing a framework for the study of perception, Gestalt theory posits that the attributes of the whole can't be deduced by analyzing any of the parts on their own.

Gestalt researchers proposed the laws of perceptual organization to better illustrate how human perception works, including the laws of similarity, proximity, continuity, inclusiveness, closure, and connectedness. These laws may explain how our brains group things to help us interpret the world. 

How Did Gestalt Psychology Develop?

Gestalt theory originated in Austria and Germany as a reaction to associationism and structuralist schools of thought. 

Associationism theory suggests that pairs of thoughts may connect based on experience. Structuralism, one of psychology's first schools of thought, is founded upon breaking down mental processes into basic components. 

Gestalt theory focuses on the opposite of structuralism. It may involve looking at wholes as transcending their parts. The "wholes" in Gestalt psychology included the study of consciousness, the objects of direct experience, and the science of phenomena.

Early researchers were unsettled by what seemed to be a sterile approach to the scientific study of mental health processes. Gestalt psychology was developed partly to add a humanistic element to the study of perception. Researchers in Gestalt psychology brought the qualities of form, meaning, and value into their work, whereas previous researchers had ignored them.

Who Is The Founder Of Gestalt Psychology?

Max Wertheimer founded the Gestalt movement and became the first Gestalt psychologist. Additional credit may go to psychologists like Wolfgang Köhler, Kurt Koffka, Kurt Goldstein, and Fritz. Later researchers in Gestalt psychology were Kurt Lewin, Rudolf Arnheim, and Hans Wallach.

Max Wertheimer wrote "Experimentelle Studien über das Sehen von Bewegung" (Experimental Studies of the Perception of Movement) in 1912, which became an eminent "textbook" of Gestalt psychology. Wertheimer worked in conjunction with psychologists Köhler and Koffka to develop the theory. Wertheimer also proved how Gestalt principles could be used to explain problems in ethics, the nature of truth, and political behavior.

The trio then applied Gestalt theory to issues of perception, including problem-solving, learning, and thinking. Wertheimer, Köhler, and Koffka had all relocated to the United States by the mid-1930s and became professors.

Later, and primarily by Kurt Lewin, Gestalt principles were also applied to motivation, social psychology, personality, aesthetics, and economic behavior.

Who Is The Founder Of Gestalt Therapy?

In 1926, Fritz Perls, a German psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, went to Frankfurt to become the assistant to Kurt Goldstein at the Institute for Brain-Damaged Soldiers. Goldstein was also a researcher in Gestalt theory. Perls had become disenchanted with specific Freudian theories and methods and sought to develop a new system of psychotherapy. 

In Frankfurt, Perls came under the tutelage of many psychologists, and psychoanalysts, all of whom had direct or indirect roles in Gestalt principles and therapy. At the Institute for Brain-Damaged Soldiers, Perls met his wife, Laura, who was also a student of Gestalt therapy.

The goal of Gestalt therapy is often to help clients become aware of their primary sensations and environment so they can respond more effectively in the present moment. Therapists guide clients to focus on the "here and now" instead of past experiences. Once clients can fully experience the present, they may more easily confront past conflicts or, as Perls called them, "incomplete Gestalts."

What Are Examples Of Gestalt Psychology?

You may be able to find examples of Gestalt psychology in your daily life.

Have you ever had a flipbook of animated drawings where you run the pages of a small book through your fingers? Each page is a separate drawing, but when you flip them in rapid succession, you have the illusion that the subject is moving. This occurrence is an example, which became the basis for motion pictures. If you draw a circle on a piece of paper, erase half the circle, and view it again, your mind may attempt to see it as a whole. This illusion is an example of continuity. 

If you've ever looked closely at an oil or acrylic painting of a landscape, you may notice that the painting is made up of varying brush strokes or effects from a palette knife that don't make sense when viewed up close. However, if you back away from the painting, you may perceive the brushstrokes as grass, trees, and solid ground. This is an example of similarity. We perceive the brushstrokes similarly to how we might see plants in nature.

When you enter a restaurant, and a group of people is standing by the bar in proximity, you may assume that they are a group of friends because they are close together. This is an example of proximity.

What About Gestalt Psychology Today?

Today there are just over 60 Gestalt therapy institutions of learning around the world, and the number is growing. Nearly all major cities within the United States have at least one Gestalt institute. 

To date, there is no national organization devoted to Gestalt psychology. As such, there are no standards for the institutes to follow nor standards for trainers or trainees. Each institution develops its curriculum and has its own criteria for selecting students. 

For potential clients seeking to benefit from Gestalt therapy, each person may come to their own conclusions about Gestalt therapists' training and whether this type of therapy is the best treatment for them.

What Can I Expect From Gestalt Therapy? 

Gestalt therapy techniques emphasize personal responsibility for attaining one's psychological and physical needs. A Gestalt therapist may consider issues like freedom and responsibility, the immediacy of experience, and your role in creating meaning in your life. 

Gestalt therapy is often a holistic approach that may aim to resolve conflicts and ambiguities stemming from the inability to integrate various personality features.

Participants may be urged to discuss memories and concerns using the present tense in therapy. The therapist might dramatize conflicts to help participants make sense of their problems. For example, a therapist could ask clients to act out situations to bring out thoughts and perceptions they may have repressed. 

Is Gestalt Therapy Effective?

Studies show that Gestalt therapy can be effective. A recent study showed patients significantly improved in personality dysfunction, self-concept, and interpersonal relationships. For many individuals looking to try this counseling method, online Gestalt therapy is a beneficial option. 

Online therapy has been found equally effective as its in-person counterpart regarding phobias and other conditions where counselors might use Gestalt techniques as primary treatment approaches. In addition, online therapy offers lower pricing than in-person therapy because online therapists don't have extra costs for office rent or parking.

If you're curious about trying an online modality of Gestalt therapy, consider signing up through a platform such as BetterHelp. BetterHelp offers a vast database of counselors specializing in various treatment modalities.