Read the passage and answer the following question:
The humanistic-existential therapies propose that psychological distress originates from feelings of alienation, loneliness and inability to find meaning in life. Individuals have needs for personal growth and self-actualisation. When these needs are not met it creates psychological distress.
The therapy creates a permissive, non-judgmental and accepting atmosphere in which the client's emotions can be freely expressed and balance achieved.
Gestalt Therapy is one of the therapies under this category which was given by Freiderick Perls and Laura Perls. This therapy works with a goal to increase an individual's self-awareness and self-acceptance. Similarly, client can reconnect with his/her disintegrated feelings. The therapist shows empathy and unconditional positive regard towards the client. This therapy also believes that client has the resources and potential to deal with the distress. In conclusion, it can be said that these therapies help a client to become his/her real self with the therapist working as facilitator.
The aim of Gestalt therapy is:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Increase one’s self acceptance
Option (1) Decrease one’s self awareness — Incorrect. This is the reverse of the goal. Gestalt therapy tries to increase self-awareness: the client is taught to recognise the bodily processes and the emotions that are being blocked out from awareness.
Option (2) Increase one’s self acceptance — Correct. The German word gestalt means ‘whole’. The therapy, given by Freiderick (Fritz) Perls and Laura Perls, has the goal to increase an individual’s self-awareness and self-acceptance. The therapist encourages the client to act out fantasies about feelings and conflicts, so that the blocked parts are accepted as one’s own.
Option (3) Meaning making in threatening situations — Incorrect. Finding meaning even in life-threatening circumstances is what Victor Frankl calls meaning making, the basis of his logotherapy. Its goal is to help patients find meaning and responsibility in their life, which is a different existential therapy.
Option (4) Identifying obstacles that lead to self actualisation — Incorrect. In humanistic-existential therapy in general, healing occurs when the client perceives the obstacles to self-actualisation and removes them. That is the broad idea of the whole family of therapies; the goal named for Gestalt therapy is self-awareness and self-acceptance. Obstacles also block self-actualisation; they do not lead to it.
NCERT (2025-26): “Gestalt Therapy … The German word gestalt means ‘whole’. This therapy was given by Freiderick (Fritz) Perls together with his wife Laura Perls. The goal of gestalt therapy is to increase an individual’s self-awareness and self-acceptance. The client is taught to recognise the bodily processes and the emotions that are being blocked out from awareness. The therapist does this by encouraging the client to act out fantasies about feelings and conflicts. This therapy can also be used in group settings.…” “Humanistic-existential Therapy … Healing occurs when the client is able to perceive the obstacles to self-actualisation in her/his life and is able to remove them.…” “Existential Therapy … Frankl calls this process of finding meaning even in life-threatening circumstances as the process of meaning making.…” |