Breaking New Ground: Gestalt and Person Centred Approaches. A Therapeutic Relationship with People who have Profound Disabilities

Abstract

This paper briefly examines some elements of Gestalt therapy within a person-centred approach to counselling. Specific elements of the Gestalt process are examined in the context of facilitating a therapeutic relationship with a person with profound learning and physical disabilities. These elements are ‘sensation’ and ‘awareness’. In the context of ‘helping’ people with profound disabilities, sensation and awareness are elements of the Gestalt process, which can facilitate expression of emotion without speech. Other elements may require some verbalization. A personal interaction with a woman who has profound learning and physical disabilities is briefly described, in order to illustrate how the Gestalt approach can provide a vehicle for the experiencing, communication and liberation of ‘self’, without dependence upon verbal communication.