On Change and Self-Regulation
By Shea Stevens, last edited 11/18/23
Humanistic Views on Change
Every theoretical orientation has its own view on how and why people change. Gestalt falls within the humanistic group of theories that trust in the individual person’s innate drive to follow their own path. These theories trust in a person’s ability to find what they need following their own inner wisdom, rather than from an outside authority telling them what to do.
Gestalt theory has much in common with the well-known person-centered/Rogerian theory. Kurt Goldstein was a figure whose contributions to humanistic theoretical approaches came partially from the context of gestalt psychology, and he strongly influenced gestalt therapy of Fritz and Laura Perls, but his concept of “self-actualization” also largely impacted the theory of Carl Rogers. It is hard to separate these two theories entirely from each other. Currently, each theory’s focus when describing the human drive to change is slightly different, with some overlap. Whereas person-centered theory talks about the idea of “self-actualization,” gestalt tends to conceptualize people with a bit more emphasis on organismic self-regulation and “creative adjustment,” which connects largely to the field theory viewpoint that the person and their environment are always fluctuating. Some gestalt therapists may find a lot of value and use in the term “self-actualization,” while others may not use it.
Gestalt’s holistic perspective, and its respect for organismic self-regulation, is not exclusive to gestalt therapy theory; it is shared across humanistic theories. Gestalt’s encouragement of self-acceptance and congruence is also shared in common with person-centered theory. There is much overlap between these theories.
Organismic Self-Regulation
Organismic self-regulation is the tendency of the individual to regain equilibrium/homeostasis; to meet their needs as they arise, one need making itself known (or becoming “figural”) after another. These needs are things like safety, comfort, stimulation, etc. Whereas psychoanalytic theory focused on sex and aggression as the two primary drives, gestalt founders took the view that the organism is driven by any occurrence of novelty that prompts it to re-establish equilibrium. The person is urged by any drive to meet a need, and these urges are fundamentally based on the drive for protection and maintenance of oneself, pleasure and safety (Perls et al 1951).
“Creative Adjustment”
People are always being prompted to creatively adjust to new situations. This ability to adjust flexibly may be a strength for some people and a weakness in others. In gestalt, dysfunction is often viewed as being stuck in old patterns, the inability to creatively adjust to change (which I discuss in my post on the Gestalt Cycle and Fixed Gestalts). Changing circumstances prompt us to address new obstacles and new tensions that need to be resolved. In this way I think gestalt theory ties in well with Erik Erikson’s ideas on human development.
Paradoxical Theory of Change
There is also the paradoxical theory of change in gestalt theory, which states that paradoxically, people will only achieve effective change if they accept themselves as they truly are. So in gestalt, the emphasis is not so much on how to impose or train a change in behavior or thought patterns from an outside source onto the client, but instead how to support the client in deeply integrating what feels true and important for them, to become a well-integrated, self-aware person who can flexibly, creatively adjust to their changing circumstances of life.
References:
Gestalt Therapy: 100 Key Points and Techniques, by Dave Mann. Numbered sections #1, 2, 3, 13, 14, 23, and 42.
Dialogue, Awareness and Process: Essays on Gestalt Therapy, by Gary Yontef. Chapter 5, pp 128-163
Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and Growth in The Human Personality, by Perls, Hefferline and Goodman. Vol 2, Part 1, “The Structure of Growth” pp 227-251.