[Christina86]

My therapist recommended a technique that he'd like to try with me next session (next week) that he called "Gestalt therapy" where I dialogue with people in an empty chair (people who aren't really there). He says I need to dialogue with different people in my life and resolve some feelings, as well as "talk" to different aspects of myself.

Has anyone else heard of this technique or used it before? I'd like to get as much info as possible.

Thanks all.

[LMo]

oh my - I don't think I'd do well with that at all. But what a way to overcome struggles! It sounds like a good idea if one can carry it out. PLEASE let me know how it goes! Sounds terrific in theory!

[jacq10]

Wow i don't think i'd do too well with that either ... but if you are good at articulating your thoughts then i can see it as being really beneficial. We studied Gestalt psychology in my psyc class last semester so i have heard of it ... might be worth a shot if you think that you would be confortable enough with it. If you do decide to do it, maybe practice a couple times before you go in?
Keep us up to date ....
*hugs*

[winterbaby]

Yes I've just finished with a gestalt therapist. It was OK but it doesn't help you change negative thinking or anything. It's more a way of just getting stuff out there. My problem with it was, I could talk to the empty chairs and say what I regret not saying to people before, but I wanted to learn more how to say what I need to say to them in the here and now. Not have regrets like I have so many times before. Try it anyway, it is all in the moment so it's very experiential but doesn't promote change too much.

[sunrise]

canders, no, I haven't done the classic Gestalt technique of "empty chair," but I have done some Gestalt style stuff in therapy. It works for me and can I just say, "it is very cool!!" It has especially helped me resolve issues from the past, including trauma.

For example, in therapy I dialog with people from my past (but without the empty chair). What would I say to these people? And I say it, and T helps me along sometimes with prompts. I also dialog with different me's from the past, different ego states. The now "me" talks to them and tells them things, and I report back on what they say so the T can tell what is being said, because of course he can only hear my end of the conversation when it is with a younger ego state of mine. Sometimes I tell him where my ego states are in the room. My little girl tends to come sit right next to me on the couch, and I can just turn to her and talk, or I hold her on my lap.

We also do fairly classic Gestalt dreamwork. Mmmmmm, my favorite. This style dreamwork examines each part of a dream as if it is a part of you. So any characters in your dreams actually represent different aspects of yourself, rather than the people seen. So, for example, instead of my sister representing my sister, she may represent my anger.

Maybe this sounds kind of far out there, but Gestalt therapy has been around for a long while. You can always give it a try, and see if it is helpful for you. If not, tell your T and ask to try other techniques. It has taken me a while to discover what is helpful to me in therapy. Gestalt techniques help me, CBT not so much. For another person, it may be the reverse. Do you feel Gestalt will be helpful to you? Does it sound appealing? If the empty chair part of it is too intimidating, ask to try it without the chair, instead using your imagination.

There are some good explanations of Gestalt on the web. I 'll look up my references later and post a good one here.

Good luck. How exciting! Therapy can be such an adventure.

sunny

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestalt_therapy

[Christina86]

Thanks everyone for responding so quickly!

I'm thinking I might be able to do it (we've done it once in my psychotherapy group before, but it seemed less complicated than talking to different aspects of myself) but I'll definetely tell you all how it goes next Friday.

Thankfully this is a one shot deal and I wont be doing it again with my T, but it might be an interesting experience.

[Christina86]

Hi everyone -

Well, I saw him today and he basically told me since we're not meeting next week that he'd rather do this in two weeks, the week after we get back from spring break (at university).

He thinks that this could be emotionally exhausting and possibly traumatic for me so he wants to be there to support me after I've gone through it.

Blah.

But I had a hard session enough today. It's so bad that I think I shut off my brain and only can remember a little bit because I was so stressed out. And now he's not here.

blah.

But anyways, I'll let everyone know how it goes TWO weeks from today now.

[(JD)]

Oh I'm sorry it's delayed for you

It's really a widely used modality, imo...whether the actual "empty chair" is used or not... and yes, it can be quite emotionally draining and upsetting. Sometimes, if you really allow yourself to get into the scenario, you'll find yourself saying things that you haven't dared voice and probably haven't thought in a long time... but it's good once it's out, and can be very freeing.

I wish you well with this canders, I'm sure that your low self esteem has to be coming from what you think (or they portrayed to you) they think/thought of you.

[sunrise]

That's disappointing that it was delayed. Hold on for 2 weeks. Never easy. (I am about a third of the way through a 2 week break right how--so hard.)

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Thankfully this is a one shot deal and I wont be doing it again with my T, but it might be an interesting experience.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">
Canders, what did you mean it is a one shot deal? If you liked it, why couldn't you do it more than once? I would be reluctant to try any therapy technique if I knew I could do it one time only.

sunny

[Christina86]

Sunny,

The reason why this is only happening once is because in April he will no longer be my T. He'll be finished his MA training in counselling.

So in the course of a month and a bit, it's likely that we'll only be doing this once unless I seem to gain invaluable knowledge from it.

[Christina86]

Well, here's the situation.

It might not be happening.

Was supposed to happen today, and we talked a lot about different things (I was not having a good time lately) but he told me that if we're going to do this, that it has to be "in the moment" and that we shouldnt just plan for it. He said that if it happens, then it happens. Will let you all know if it happens or not before he leaves in a bit over a month.

[Christina86]

Okay,

So we did it today. And it was weird, and uncomfortable but at the same time really interesting.

I got to "talk to" two different parts of myself. One part of me who wants to change, and the other part of me that actually doesn't want to change at all.

Most of the time the "not wanting to change" part wins out in my mind.

But I got to dialogue a bit, with T playing a good role in mediating and asking me questions to guide stuff I could say myself.

At the end of it though, I still want to change - but I don't know if I'm quite able to.

The rest of the session I had a breakdown and he was stuck with me for an extra half an hour because I couldn't deal with what I was feeling. His approach deals with learning how to deal with your emotions and whatnot, and interpersonal relationships. Why he has to keep repeating that I'm allowed to cry and allowed to feel stuff is beyond me ... but I'm not "getting it". He gave me some numbers to phone if I ever want to talk with someone, he actually looked worried about me. I felt sorely bad about that. Not like I could ever talk to someone I don't know, but the thought that counts I guess. I seem to keep going over the same stuff over and over, and each time it still hurts a whole bunch. When am I ever going to feel like I'm not a bad person, or that I'm allowed to be angry or sad, and when will I stop feeling like I'm being abandoned by everyone?

[Talulah]

((((((((((((((((((((((((canders)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Time, in time....

[Christina86]

I hope so... thanks for the hope ((((((((((Talulah))))))))))

I just feel so broken up right now, I feel so lost.