Gestalt therapy: highlights what it calls “organismic holism,” the importance of being aware of the here and now and accepting responsibility for oneself.

At the core of Gestalt therapy is the holistic view that people are intricately linked to and influenced by their environments and that all individuals strive for growth and balance. The goal is to help people stand aside from their usual way of thinking so that they can tell the difference between what is actually being perceived and felt in the current situation and what is residue from the past.

Thus, therapy sessions focus on helping people learn to become more self-aware and to accept and trust in their feelings and experiences to alleviate distress. It focuses more on the process (what is happening) rather than content (what is being discussed). The emphasis is on what is being done, thought and felt at the moment rather than on what was, might be, could be, or should be.