Gestalt Therapy Applied to the Case of Gwen From a Gestalt perspective, I am interested in assisting Gwen in becoming more aware of herself as a whole person in the here and now. My job is to hold a mirror up and help her see herself with greater clarity. I notice that Gwen has a slight limp as she walks into my office. I ask about her limp, and Gwen tells me she has had a great deal of pain in her left hip for the past week. She explains that she has had trouble with her hip before and that an MRI revealed negative results. She goes on to say that it may be due to their old mattress. Therapist: "Describe exactly where the pain is and what the sensations feel like." Gwen: "Well, it feels uncomfortable in the crease of my hip, and it's a dull sore feeling." Therapist: "Describe the texture and color of the feeling in your hip" [asking her to make contact with her bodily sensations]. Gwen: "The pain is prickly, gray, and heavy" [she begins to connect with her body in the moment]. Therapist: "What is that hip saying to you?" Gwen: "This seems a bit strange, and I must admit I am uncomfortable in giving my hip a voice." Therapist: "Although it may seem strange, I hope you will give it a try to see what you might learn from doing this. You can always stop when you think that doing this is not helpful." Gwen: 1 Gwen: "OK, this is uncomfortable, but I will give it a try [she has trust in our relationship]. This hip is moaning and groaning!" Therapist: [An experiment may increase this connection.] "This may feel a little weird, but try to become your hip and exaggerate how your hip is feeling." 2 Gwen: [Begins to groan and whimper and tears come to her eyes] "I am so tired of the mountain of things I have to do and never getting anywhere. I feel like a fallen tree in the forest. I have fallen and no one knows I am there and it is up to me to get up and get going again." In her daily life Gwen typically holds back her true feelings. She is used to suppressing her irritations and even her triumphs. Because she was frequently ignored as a child, she feels that her thoughts and emotions don't really matter. Her role at work is to solve problems, and at home she is the caretaker of everyone. She rarely allows herself to be vulnerable or fully human. Gwen sees herself as "in charge" and seldom gives herself a moment to pause or catch her breath. Gwen: "I know that basically I have a good life, I just rush past the good stuff and forget to stop and really appreciate all the blessings. I can get so caught up in what I have not done or what feels wrong, but I can't really complain. I know this hip is telling me to slow down and enjoy more of my life. I don't have to be that fallen tree, I just need to ask for the support I really need" [her body has shifted and she seems more relaxed in her chair]. Therapist: "Bring your attention back to your hip. What does it feel like now?" Gwen: "It foole hotter now. It might be OK to slow down. It might even he OK to take myself off Gwen: "It feels better now. It might be OK to slow down. It might even be OK to take myself off of some of these committees I am on. [Laughing] Maybe my hip just needs to sit on a beach somewhere or at least slow down enough to have some fun." Therapist: 3 "It is important for you to stop for a moment and check in with your body. We hold our emotions in our bodies. It's important to take time out to listen to what the sensations in our body may be telling us." As Gwen's awareness increases, she is beginning to realize some of her past ways of functioning are no longer serving her and she can begin to do something differently. It is my hope that Gwen can now see the connection between her unexpressed emotions and the discomfort in her physical body. Gestalt therapy gives Gwen the opportunity to focus on what is happening in her mind and body in the present moment and on how an expression of emotions can lead to a release in her physical body. Gestalt therapy can assist Gwen in becoming more aware of herself as a whole person. She can begin to challenge unfinished business that has enabled her to experience success in her career but has also resulted in her feeling overwhelmed and filled with anxiety.