How The Use Of Gestalt Therapy In Holistic Medicine Can Heal

What is Gestalt Psychology in Holistic Medicine?

Gestalt psychology focuses on the big picture.

It makes sense that this is a foundation in BIOGENICS® and holistic medicine because these principles also focus on the human being as a whole, in terms of mind, body and spirit. More conventional forms of medicine often focus on treating specific symptoms or diseases, looking more at the smaller components that make up a person’s condition.

Understanding Gestalt Psychology

The word “gestalt” can be defined as a configuration of elements — physical, biological, or symbolic — that is so unified as a whole that it simply cannot be identified in it’s separate parts. An example to help you understand this might be a puzzle, when you have all of the pieces together you can see the image that it is supposed to create, but when the pieces are separate, it is unidentifiable.

Gestalt psychology is a school of thought that examines the human mind and stands behind the belief that understanding the deeper questions of life is more about looking at the human mind as a whole, rather than examining small elements.

Gestalt psychology is rooted in a couple of overall concepts including:

Overall, these components of gestalt psychology are methods that show how every aspect of human life is connected in some way.

Human beings naturally group similar objects together. We naturally see objects that are connected by a straight line as following a smooth pattern. If we notice a figure that is missing a piece, the human mind will naturally fill that gap.

Applying Gestalt Psychology

In order to accomplish anything, a strong sense of awareness is required. So many people are constantly being held back because they have a hard time overcoming their reactions to certain situations. When you realize that you truly cannot control many aspects of your life, but you can control how you react, you can learn to practice resilience in the face of any challenges that are thrown your way.

Gestalt psychology can help you look at life’s bigger picture, understanding answers to many of life’s deepest questions including:

Who am I?
What is my purpose here?
How can I reach my highest potential?

Everyone has a purpose on this earth. An unfortunate truth in our society is that so many people live their whole lives never having fulfilled this purpose.

When it comes to healing patients with chronic illnesses, mental health issues, and any other physiological imbalances, in order to have effective results, we must look at the human body and mind as a whole, rather than focusing on the smaller components.

Examining Personal Relationships

It is only possible to understand yourself once you have examined your personal relationships as well. Your relationships offer a window into who you are as a person. When applied in a therapeutic setting, gestalt psychology emphasizes the importance of having the therapist show up to a therapy session as a whole person, rather than just showing up to fulfill the role of the therapist. There are no expectations, no criteria, it is just simply two human beings having a conversation.

Letting Go of Ego-Based Notions

Gestalt psychology strives to let go of ego-based notions. Your ego is your sense of self-esteem or self-importance. Often, we mistake our true selves with the definition of ourselves that we have created in our minds, based on our ego. What I mean by that is, it can be easy to set expectations for yourself based on the person you think you should be. That could mean being the perfect parent, excelling at your job, making a certain amount of money, or receiving a certain type of college degree.

The reality is, these ego-based notions are not the defining features of who we are as people, and as soon as we can let go of these notions, we can live our absolute best lives. Understanding that the best version of yourself is not the version of yourself with the highest paycheck, or the perfect home or a fancy car, is the first step in letting go of the ego. Gestalt psychology strives to accomplish this realization of self. You’re clearing the chatter of the mind, and letting go of resistance. This sense of acceptance can help you get to the root of whatever problems you may be facing.

Human Perception

Gestalt psychology analyzes human perception. We don’t just see what is in front of us, we interpret what we see based on our expectations. This can be a good or a bad thing. A common example to help understand this concept of perception is by looking at a movie or motion picture. Movies and videos are actually just a series of images strung together, but our brain fills the gaps and perceives this series of images as a motion picture. Understanding different tendencies of human perception is one of the many ways that gestalt psychology can be applied and utilized by holistic providers.

BIOGENICS® Can Heal the Mind

BIOGENICS® is rooted in humanistic psychology and utilizes these concepts along with other groundbreaking research to help people find the truest versions of themselves. Find your calm, practice deep focus, heal the mind and understand yourself better than ever by using these holistic methods.