Nov 27 2024 10 mins
Actor Jim Carrey—who’s been candid about his mental health journey—once said,"Your body needs to be in the present moment to make contact with life."
He’s onto something profound. Living fully in the present is a cornerstone of mental well-being, and one powerful method to achieve this is Gestalt therapy.
What is Gestalt Therapy?
What Jim Carrey talks about is a concept central to Gestalt therapy—being present so you can fully experience life as it unfolds rather than getting lost in memories or anticipating the future.
If you’ve ever felt like mindfulness is more about forcing yourself to sit still and clear your head, Gestalt therapy is a game-changer. Instead of asking you to quietly observe your thoughts, Gestalt therapy is about actively working through what’s holding you back—emotionally, mentally, and even physically.
Here’s why it’s different:
* You don’t just sit with emotions—you engage with them. Gestalt therapy uses active techniques like role-playing, expressive exercises, and body awareness to confront what’s unresolved, whether it’s stress, frustration, or an old argument you can’t let go of.
* It’s not just “be in the moment”—it’s about making sense of it. If mindfulness feels like a vague "awareness," Gestalt therapy helps you unpack why you're feeling what you're feeling and what it means for your life.
* You move beyond reflection to action. The goal isn’t just to "feel better" in the moment; it’s to integrate your experiences and make tangible changes that improve your relationships, career, and emotional health.
At its heart, Gestalt therapy is about holistic self-awareness. It encourages you to engage with your emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations as they occur in the present moment. Instead of analyzing the past or worrying about the future, Gestalt therapy helps you experience and integrate your emotions right now, leading to greater clarity, emotional healing, and personal growth.
For a deeper dive into Gestalt therapy and to learn three of the most well-known techniques and why they work, check out the most recent episode of Mental Health Bites with Dr. Judy of Mental Health Bites with Dr. Judy (you can listen right here in substack, on Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube). And read on to learn a simple, transformative exercise you can try today. But first, let’s do a little compare and contrast between Gestalt Therapy and a type of therapy that has gotten a lot of press coverage in the past couple of decades.
Gestalt Therapy vs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Gestalt therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy are two distinct approaches to psychotherapy that are widely used to help individuals manage mental health challenges. Both are goal-oriented, involve active participation, and rely on structure to guide clients toward awareness and resolution of issues. But there are some key differences, and knowing this might help you to learn which approach might appeal most to you.
* Emotion vs. Cognition. Gestalt therapy emphasizes emotional awareness and physical sensations in the context of the present moment. CBT places a stronger emphasis on thoughts and behaviors, identifying irrational or distorted thinking patterns and replacing them with more rational, balanced thoughts.
* Experiential Techniques vs. Cognitive Restructuring Techniques. Gestalt therapy uses experiential techniques such as role-playing to help clients become more aware of their immediate emotional and physical experiences. CBT employs more cognitive restructuring techniques such as thought logs to challenge negative or distorted thoughts and replace them with more balanced, adaptive beliefs.
* Different Ways of Viewing the Past. Gestalt therapy explores how unresolved issues from the past affect the present moment, particularly through unfinished business like suppressed emotions. CBT may acknowledge past experiences, it tends to focus on current cognitive processes and behaviors.
* Different Ways of Measuring Outcomes. Gestalt therapy is process-oriented and emphasizes self-awareness and emotional growth. Success is often measured in terms of the client's subjective experience of emotional integration and personal insight. CBT is highly evidence-based and involves clear goals with concrete assessments of cognitive changes, symptom reduction, and behavioral improvements.
Exercise: The Empty Chair
To give you a taste of Gestalt therapy, I want to share with you one of its most famous techniques—the Empty Chair technique. While it’s typically done with a therapist, you can try a simplified version of this exercise at home to gain insights and work through unresolved emotions.
Here’s how you can do it in four simple steps:
* Set the Stage. Find a quiet space and place two chairs facing each other—one for you to sit in, and one to represent the person or part of yourself you need to communicate with. You can imagine this other person sitting there or even place an object in the chair to help you visualize them.
* Speak Your Mind. Sit down in your chair and take a deep breath. Imagine the person or part of yourself sitting across from you. Start to talk to them as if they’re really there. Express everything you’ve been holding inside—your thoughts, your feelings, anything unresolved. This could be an old argument, feelings of hurt, or even things you appreciate but never expressed. For example, if you’ve been feeling guilty about a past mistake, imagine yourself speaking to the version of you from that time, and say whatever you need to. Let it all out without holding back.
* Switch Roles. Now, stand up and sit in the other chair. Imagine that you are now the other person or the part of yourself you were talking to. Respond to what you just heard. This might feel awkward at first, but give yourself permission to engage fully. You might be surprised at what comes out when you imagine yourself in the other person's shoes or that part of yourself trying to speak up.
* Reflect. After you’ve completed the dialogue, return to your original chair and reflect on the experience. How do you feel? Did you gain any insights or relief from expressing what’s been on your mind? Journaling your thoughts afterward can help you process what came up during the exercise.
Doing this at home might not replace a therapy session, but it’s a great way to process unresolved emotions in a structured, mindful way. Whether you’re working through grief, frustration, or self-doubt, this technique helps you confront those feelings in a safe space.
If this is piquing your interest at all, I encourage you to give it a try. And if you find yourself curious to learn more about Gestalt therapy, give my most recent episode of Mental Health Bites a watch or listen (right here in substack, on Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube) and let me know if you have any questions at all!
To your health,
Dr. Judy
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About me:
Dr. Judy Ho, Ph. D., ABPP, ABPdN is a triple board certified and licensed Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychologist, a tenured Associate Professor at Pepperdine University, television and podcast host, and author of Stop Self-Sabotage. An avid researcher and a two-time recipient of the National Institute of Mental Health Services Research Award, Dr. Judy maintains a private practice where she specializes in comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations and expert witness work. She is often called on by the media as an expert psychologist and is also a sought after public speaker for universities, businesses, and organizations.
Dr. Judy received her bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Business Administration from UC Berkeley, and her masters and doctorate from SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology. She completed a National Institute of Mental Health sponsored fellowship at UCLA's Semel Institute.
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