Gestalt therapy is a form of psychoanalysis developed by Laura and Fritz Perls, and Paul Goodman in the 1940s. In a way, Gestalt therapy is reactionary against the typical Freudian analysis of patients, where patients are interpreted by therapists and shown which issues they have. Instead, Gestalt therapy posits that patients must arrive at conclusions and awareness about themselves. This aspect of Gestalt therapy is frequently practiced today.

One of the keystones of Gestalt therapy is the idea of how a person’s contact with others is interrupted through a variety of behaviors. Full contact, and thus knowing and loving others (in a sexual, parental or companion way), cannot be achieved until a person recognizes the way in which he or she has set up barriers to such contact.

Some of the ways in which Gestalt therapy helps the patient to evaluate interrupted or faulty contact is by evaluation of the sum of a patient’s communicative abilities. Evaluating the whole presentation, not simply what a patient says, but how they act, how they speak, words they choose, and body language can help the patient discover barriers to complete contact.

Thus part of the way Gestalt therapy works is by confronting the patient about body language when they speak. For example, a Gestalt therapist might reasonably ask, “Why do you keep wagging your foot when you speak of your husband? What does that mean?” A Gestalt therapist would keep track of these nonverbal communications as a way of looking at the whole person, not merely the subject the person discusses.

Another feature of Gestalt therapy is the concept of mindfulness, much as one might use it at present. Being fully mindful of all the signals sent by one’s self allows one to pursue contact and understand when contact fails. Through confrontation, comments and observation, the patient is led to enlightenment. This is often called the “Aha!” or “Gestalt” experience. In fact people often use the term Gestalt to refer to a particular moment of insight.

These Gestalts are crucial to becoming more mindful and discovering the path to overcoming problems or symptoms of mental disturbance. This type of mindfulness is also employed in cognitive behavioral therapy, though it lacks the confrontational qualities for which Gestalt therapy is known.

Gestalt therapy has fallen out of favor. There are still a few Gestalt practitioners, but mainly newer forms of therapy developed in the 1980s and onward have become more predominant and more popular. However, the process of the patient discovering paths through gradual self-awareness is key to many modern therapeutic techniques.