Gestalt Therapy Effectiveness: A Systematic Review of Empirical Evidence

Abstract

Gestalt therapy (GT) is a humanistic clinical approach. The research concerning the efficacy of this model represents a controversial and quite poorly investigated topic within the general field of psychotherapy effectiveness. An up-to-date review of the studies concerning GT efficacy is currently lacking. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of all available studies in the past twelve years aiming to give an overview of the most important findings of empirical researches published in international peer review journals in English and Italian languages. A total of 11 studies were included in this review. GT intervention was shown to especially improve conduct in the group therapy setting-not only for clinical disorders, but also related to other social issues. Findings allow suggesting certain reflections concerning future directions in GT research.

A single-case design investigation for measuring the efficacy of Gestalt therapy to treat depression in older adults with dementia in Italy and in Mexico: a research protocol

“…Because of Gestalt therapy's experiential and experimental nature, there is a lack of empirical research supporting its evidence. A recent systematic review selected eleven scientific papers on the effectiveness of the approach confirming the validity of GT as a clinical model [54]. In favor of the use of GT with PWD, it is possible to consider some neuropsychological and relational aspects of the approach together with the common residual abilities of PWD.…”

“…Gestalt therapists work on attunement to movement, facial expressions, posture, tone of voice, the affective content of communication, supporting difficult emotions that emerge in the relational field with the patient [56]. By focusing on the importance of the person's adaptation to the new situation (neurological, emotional and social), gestalt therapists help the patient to create new responses to the changing environment, thus addressing the social dimension of the illness [54], by supporting resources, instead of being concerned with what does not work and the continuous losses. The changing environment for PWD relates not only to the outside world but also to their experience of self in relation to the change and challenges that dementia brings, which adds a level of complexity when working with these patients.…”

“…The effectiveness of GT for depression has been supported by a small number of studies, one of which involved geriatric patients with depression and anxiety [54,59]. In fact, despite the potential effectiveness of this approach, there is still a gap in research on using GT for PWD and for those with depressive symptoms.…”

Implementation of Gestalt Therapy in Counseling to Overcome Parental Divorce Trauma in Adolescents

“…In divorced child trauma, victims focus on preventing the occurrence of acute trauma. Gestalt counseling interventions have been shown to increase positive behavior in group therapy settings and are also associated with social problems including divorce cases [19]. Third, Mc.…”

A Single-Case Design Investigation for Measuring the Efficacy of Gestalt Therapy to Treat Depression in Older Adults with Dementia in Italy and in Mexico: A Research Protocol

“…Because of Gestalt therapy’s experiential and experimental nature, there is a lack of empirical research supporting its evidence. A recent systematic review selected eleven scientific papers on the effectiveness of the approach, confirming the validity of GT as a clinical model [ 54 ]. In favour of the use of GT with PWD, it is possible to consider some neuropsychological and relational aspects of the approach, together with the common residual abilities of PWD.…”