Gestalt Therapy, Couples Therapy & Group Therapy 

Personal Therapy

Working one-to-one in a comfortable, safe environment. Dialogue, experimentation and attention to body sensations are used to increase self-awareness and insight and help the client to form and create their own solutions and ways forward.

Family & Couples Therapy

Gestalt lends itself well to working with couples and families. All parties are normally seen together and by exploring dialogue in all its manifestations, ie talking or body language, we can look at the intention behind the language and gain awareness of what is happening in the relationship.

Group Therapy

Group therapy is an opportunity to increase our awareness of how we perceive and respond to others, and how others perceive and respond to us in a safe environment. Using Gestalt techniques, which is not just a talking therapy but can also involve movement, imagery and body work.

Group Therapy

Group TherapyMusing on the purpose of life, what brings us together, and what provides some satisfaction, I always return to being with others. With this view in mind, I look at the importance of intersubjectivity as where two subjects meet in a mutual dialogue and the importance of learning how to engage in the meeting as a process that, at times, is wonderful and, at other moments, difficult. This process of intersubjective engagement is worth examining, as well as having the wish and ability to learn the subtleties that move the dialogue or contact one way or the other. Sartre has a view on meeting 'the other', which to a degree emphasises his view on humanity, which is negative. I have no intention of going in that direction here, but Sartre had a deep interest in freedom; the other takes away our freedom to move and be as we wish. To what extent we allow that to happen or let the other have their freedom is interesting for ourselves and others around us and often a challenge. I could find life difficult when I do not get my way, or maybe the difficulty is knowing how to get my way after learning that there is no point in ever trying. The intricacies and subtleties of how this occurs are intriguing and usually connected to past experiences. The phenomenological examination of the process of intersubjectivity is a wonder that, as a Gestalt therapist, I was taught and, as a philosopher, I have learnt from. Phenomenological examination examines individual experience moving toward the world and then engaging with objects and subjects. A phenomenological examination is the how of the process as an experience that can illuminate the essence of actions or reactions that help us understand who we are and how we got to where we are. The unfolding that occurs as a discovery can shed light on many of the patterns and habits William James said in 1890 make-up 99% of human behaviour; make up there are many habits within intersubjectivity. The essential ingredient in therapeutic sessions for a Gestalt therapist is how we meet in a relationship. The uncovering of the feelings and habits that are present when we meet each other and how we engage in this process is available for investigation in a one-to-one therapy session. There are fundamental opportunities in most sessions for uncovering and learning about all the subtle patterns that are present and have been utilised possibly without awareness; patterns that have been learnt from situations where there has been a necessity to use those patterns but now with a change in the environment those same patterns are no longer needed. One to one therapy is an excellent place to start looking at relationships. Now, I have come to the essence of this writing, and the essential questions I am moving towards are what stays hidden and how change can be best served. Group therapy is one opportunity that can look at those questions. I learnt very quickly when I engaged in group therapy the many issues that remained covered during all my years in individual therapy. Going back to Sartre and 'the look', in group therapy, it is multiple looks, and a different feeling and response is needed in that situation that is not usually present in one-to-one work, all of which can be challenging. There is an opening to the views of others and my views on them, and there are multiple opportunities to come together.In many relationships, including group therapy, the central question is how I get what I want and how it allows others to get what they want. This question includes all those aspects of being seen and heard, which brings up many shame issues. Shame is too big of a subject to address in any detail here, but it frequently arises in group work; there will be a place in a group for shame and all other issues. It is not only about addressing the problems and integrating all the essential issues, but it is also about how to change and where that may lead. It can be the group that offers support in the change process and a place to practice the change that needs addressing. Again, this can be seen as a challenge that holds many benefits and excitement. The groups I run have boundaries around safety, personnel, and decor. Each session will be different but unstructured, with the reliance primarily on what individuals wish to bring and address, which allows for group participation and interaction that is created in part at the moment of relating as things arise and for the group to creatively and actively engage. The groups are structured around ten weekly sessions, two hours each session. There is a need for a commitment to attend the ten sessions or as many as possible; this enables the group to get to know each other, which is an integral part of the process; no new members are considered during a block of ten. After the ten sessions, we have a break before the subsequent ten sessions, and members can continue into the next ten or not, where there is an opportunity for new members to join.  If you would like more information or to discuss a group, please get in touch at moc.liamg%40nosinnedldrahcir