Gestalt therapy is a therapeutic method designed to assist individuals in enhancing their awareness of the present and recognizing personal accountability. This therapy examines the interplay of emotions, thoughts, and actions. It encourages individuals to uncover their own insights and promotes a deeper comprehension of their experiences in relation to their surroundings. Continue reading to discover how to formulate a Gestalt Therapy treatment plan, including an example.
What distinguishes this therapeutic approach is its emphasis on clients’ immediate feelings, thoughts, and actions while offering comprehensive support. The treatment often employs experiential techniques instead of concentrating solely on verbal therapy. Since its inception by Fritz Perls, Laura Perls, and Paul Goodman, Gestalt therapy has viewed clients as complete beings, best understood by themselves.
Gestalt therapy can be particularly beneficial for individuals seeking to enhance their self-awareness and recognize how they influence their own contentment. This includes individuals facing anxiety, depression, trauma, unresolved grief, relational difficulties, stress-related issues, and low self-esteem. Techniques like the empty chair method and exaggeration are commonly utilized interventions in Gestalt therapy sessions.
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Establishing Goals and Objectives with Clients in a Gestalt Therapy Treatment Plan
When crafting your Gestalt Therapy treatment plan, it’s vital to ensure that your therapy goals and objectives cater to each client’s unique experiences. Your initial evaluation should highlight the issues your client is facing and the anticipated benefits from treatment. It is crucial to set realistic and attainable goals to foster progress, as unattainable goals can impede their development.
Additionally, ensure that your goals correspond with Gestalt Therapy principles. This entails maintaining focus on the present in your sessions and avoiding extensive exploration of past experiences. You may need to have your client reenact a situation to reflect on their current thoughts and feelings. Moreover, as a holistic practice, your treatment plan should address various aspects of the client rather than concentrating solely on their presenting issue.
Gestalt Therapy frequently integrates activities to enhance therapy sessions. This may involve role-playing, reenactments, or creative therapies which can offer clients fresh insights and perspectives on their thoughts and behaviors, thereby deepening their self-awareness.
While developing your Gestalt Therapy treatment plan, incorporating worksheets can be beneficial. These worksheets serve as external reminders for clients, helping them to recall session discussions. TherapyByPro stands out as a valuable resource for mental health specialists, providing a variety of tools, including clinical worksheets. Examples of Gestalt Therapy worksheets that could enhance your treatment include:
Components of a Treatment Plan for Gestalt Therapy
For the rest of this article, we will utilize the TherapyByPro Treatment Plan Template as a framework. Our Gestalt Therapy treatment plan will be based on a hypothetical case and guide you through each step of the development process. Keep reading for the case example.
The Story of Jane:
Jane is a 34-year-old woman seeking help for depressive symptoms. She reported experiencing fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, difficulty concentrating, and loss of interest in hobbies for approximately six months. Jane mentioned that she relocated to a new city following a promotion at work and struggles to build a new support system. Having had a strong network in her previous city, she now finds herself far from home. Jane expressed frustration with herself for having difficulties since she worked diligently for this promotion, an important milestone in her career. She noted that her symptoms have affected her job performance, which was the primary motivator for her to seek help.
Jane has no previous history of mental health issues and reports no past trauma, abuse, or neglect. Currently single, she feels content with her situation. Jane maintains close relationships with family and friends from her hometown and she does not abuse substances, stating that she has never found drinking enjoyable. She is self-referred and highly motivated for therapy.
Involved Agencies and Care Coordination Plans
Currently, Jane has no other treatment providers. This section may be updated should her situation change.
Example for Jane:
Care Coordination: None at present
Clinical Diagnoses
Jane’s clinical diagnosis would be Major Depressive Disorder, moderate. She reports symptoms that have persisted for six months and impact her functioning at work. She self-reports experiencing sadness, disinterest in enjoyable activities, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, and concentration difficulties.
Example for Jane:
Clinical Diagnosis: Major Depressive Disorder, Moderate Severity F32.1
Current Medications and Responses
Jane indicates that she is not currently taking any medications. This section may be adjusted if her situation changes.
Example for Jane:
Current Medications: None currently
Presenting Issues and Associated Symptoms
This part of your treatment plan allows for a conceptualization of the case, referencing the symptoms and issues addressed in your outlined goals and objectives.
Example for Jane:
Jane, a 34-year-old woman, presented with depressive symptoms such as fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, concentration difficulties, and a loss of interest lasting for six months. She indicated these symptoms arose following her relocation to a new city for a job promotion, which resulted in a substantial loss of her support system. Jane has struggled to form connections in the new city, leading to feelings of loneliness and isolation. She recognizes being self-critical regarding her adjustment while acknowledging that moving for her career was a positive step. Her symptoms have begun to affect her work performance, prompting her to seek help.
Jane has denied past mental health issues, trauma, or a history of abuse and neglect. She enjoys strong familial and friendship ties in her hometown and is currently…
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Jane, a single individual, has stated that she does not engage in substance use. She expressed a desire for treatment on her own accord and is eager to start the process.
Goals and Objectives
The following part of your treatment plan will pinpoint the explicit objectives and interventions to steer your therapy sessions. Make sure these objectives are achievable and reflect your client’s aspirations and motivations for the best results.
Example for Jane:
Goal 1: Enhance Self-Awareness Regarding Emotional Distress
- Objective 1: Employ the Empty Chair Technique to delve into feelings of worthlessness.
- Objective 2: Implement mindfulness exercises to focus on her emotional and physical sensations.
- Objective 3: Utilize body awareness methods to understand how her emotions manifest in her body.
Goal 2: Foster Social Support
- Objective 1: Practice social interaction and boundary-setting through role-play scenarios.
- Objective 2: Engage in future projection exercises to visualize her ideal social life and create a step-by-step plan to achieve it.
- Objective 3: Explore unfinished emotional matters regarding her move to a new city.
Goal 3: Increase Personal and Professional Motivation
- Objective 1: Conduct dialogue experiments to address and confront her self-criticizing thoughts.
- Objective 2: Test out different hobbies or interests that she can regularly pursue.
- Objective 3: Apply an awareness continuum exercise to concentrate on present experiences that cultivate internal motivation.
Specific Interventions to Be Used
This section should outline the chosen interventions outlined in your treatment plan, as well as any additional methods to facilitate progress towards your set goals. Additionally, note who is responsible for carrying out each intervention.
Example for Jane:
Intervention 1:
Empty Chair Technique
Responsible person: Counselor A and Jane
Intervention 2:
Body Awareness Techniques
Responsible person: Counselor A and Jane
Intervention 3:
Future Projection
Responsible person: Counselor A and Jane
Intervention 4:
Unfinished Business Exploration
Responsible person: Counselor A and Jane
Intervention 5:
Regular Mindfulness Practices
Responsible person: Jane
Family Involvement
In this scenario, involving family members does not seem essential. Jane has conveyed that she maintains a close and supportive connection with her family.
Example for Jane:
Family Involvement: None at this time
Additional Services and Interventions
Supplementary services could be incorporated to enrich her individual therapy sessions. Given her situation, she might gain from attending a local support group for individuals facing similar mood challenges. This can promote social interaction, alleviate feelings of loneliness, and enable her to engage with those who share similar mental health experiences.
Example for Jane:
Additional Services: Weekly group therapy for depression.
Estimation for Completion
Typically, Gestalt therapy sessions last between 45 and 50 minutes, occurring on a weekly basis. As it is a flexible approach, the treatment length may differ. Research indicates that around 50% of participants notice improvements after approximately 15 to 20 sessions. More complex cases may require extended durations due to their specific conditions.
Example for Jane:
Estimated Time for Completion: 15 weeks, one individual session each week. Adjustments to be made as needed.
Aftercare Plans
The aftercare portion of your treatment plan should incorporate your recommendations to follow in case of an unforeseen discharge. There are multiple reasons this may happen; therefore, it’s wise to add suggestions in your treatment plan to be equipped for an unexpected ending.
Example for Jane:
Aftercare Plans: Consult with primary care physician for referral to individual therapy, and continue attending depression support group.
Final Thoughts On Creating a Treatment Plan for Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt therapy offers a valuable approach for clinicians aiming to assist clients in achieving better self-awareness and directing attention to current experiences. This therapeutic method empowers clients to articulate their emotions and resolve conflicts via various techniques, including the empty chair concept. It is a holistic method that aids in harmonizing the mind, body, and emotions, which can lead to profound healing experiences.