by Sonya Brown, Gestaltist
Roots And All Healing
Introduction: The objective of this capstone is to investigate the process by which the articulation of unexpressed thoughts or emotions, constrained by considerations of safety or capacity, culminates in a comprehensive emotional release.
Significance: In my personal experiences, I have observed remarkable shifts and emotional releases, or catharsis, in individuals who participated in a Gestalt experiment and were guided through co-active questioning. During this process, clients exhibited newfound abilities to articulate their thoughts and feelings in ways that previously seemed unattainable. This heightened expression can be attributed to the secure and structured environment fostered by the Gestaltist, ultimately resulting in the dissipation of the emotional intensity associated with the pivotal event.
Purpose: The objective of this Capstone project is to demonstrate how the use of co-active questioning can enable individuals to articulate their thoughts effectively, leading to a sense of emotional release and purification.
Setting and Participants: During a Gestalt coaching session, a client enters an altered state, achieving full presence with their coach, body, and background. The coach designs a Gestalt experiment for the client, prompting them with co-active questions about what they desired to express during a past event or to a specific individual in their life. Through the client’s expressions, they can now articulate emotions and words that were previously unspoken or unexpressed. As a client, I have personally experienced this catharsis, and in my capacity as a coach and group member, I have also observed its profound impact.
Capstone Description/Process: As a client, I was encouraged to express my truth to an empty chair, and engage in activities such as tearing paper or hitting a high-density foam cube, without having to provide all the details of my past. These exercises provided a safe space for me to release the emotional burden associated with a life-altering event, thereby experiencing catharsis.
In my capacity as a coach, I had the opportunity to witness a profound shift in a client who, following a clear and expressive articulation of her feelings, experienced catharsis and exhibited a visibly uplifted demeanor by the conclusion of our session.
As a participant in a group setting, I observed an individual undergo a full-body catharsis, marked by the uninhibited vocalization of their truth and subsequent emotional release, leading to a notably positive change in their state of being. Strikingly, in unrelated sessions, the achievement of visible catharsis was consistently observed during Gestalt experiments.
Capstone Results/Impact: Through attentive listening, a Gestaltist utilizes open-ended, probing inquiries to facilitate an individual’s safe navigation into new experiences while leaving past traumas and distress behind. Given that every individual on this planet undergoes a unique human journey, often leading to emotional pain, enabling a cathartic release that allows them to move forward, retaining only the invaluable lessons, can be a profoundly transformative experience.
Capstone Evaluation: Under the guidance of Melisa Pearce at Touched by A Horse, I have gained an understanding of co-active coaching and Gestalt methodology, both of which are integral to the methodology employed in this capstone. This approach elicits a cathartic response from the client, which necessitates verbal expression and/or physical demonstration by the individuals involved.
Future Directions: An intriguing area of study pertains to the dynamics underlying the relationship between the Gestaltist and the client, which contributes to the creation of a safe environment conducive to catalyzing catharsis in the client. Furthermore, there is an inherent interest in delving deeper into the principles of Gestalt techniques and the effective use of co-active questioning techniques as part of this inquiry.
Acknowledgments: I’d like to express my gratitude to Brenda Westwood, as I wouldn’t be where I am today emotionally or professionally without her. I also want to thank Marsha Bressack for her unwavering support, and Melisa Pearce, without whom none of this would have been possible.
References:
Kimsey-House, H. Kimsey-House, P., Sandahl, P. Whitworth, L. (2018). Co-Active Coaching- The Proven Framework for Transformative Conversations at Work and in Life. Nicholas Brealey
Pearce, M. (2019). What the Heck is Gestalt? Touched by Horse, Inc
Mann, D (2020). Gestalt Therapy: 100 Key Points and Techniques. Routledge