Gestalt Practice as Peer Practice

Gestalt practice is ultimately a communal practice, a community practice, and a form of “socialized” practice open to people who want to practice together as peers. Although this, or any relationship, is subject to complication, Dick Price built the gestalt practice approach on trust of process rather than fear of difficulty. He knew peer practice could be useful, sometimes ineffective, but not overly problematic. He encouraged people to do this together, with the understanding that the basic principles and guidelines will be followed.

Dick had strong feelings about people’s right to explore their own experiences without interference. His respect for freedom stemmed from a painful history at the hands of “experts” and others who thought they knew best and disregarded his input about his own experience. He supported and encouraged exploration with the understanding that each person takes responsibility for their experience and their choices. Regarding teachers, leaders, or those in a Reflector role, Dick held a firm line regarding coercion and attempts to exert power over another person. In gestalt practice, the request for Reflectors and witnesses to refrain from interpreting, judging, or advising the Initiator is partly motivated by this principle. Alternatively, gestalt practice encourages the Initiator to own power through awareness, choice, and trust in their own experience and expects the Reflector and witnesses to support that process. “You are not the expert on anyone else’s experience.” In action, this means Initiators initiate, and Reflectors reflect what Initiators bring forward.

In the Gestalt Therapy model, the therapist often takes a more confrontational role, interrupting defenses and sharing their experience of the Initiator. In an open-ended peer model, this is not sustainable. In gestalt practice, when long-term students meet together regularly, more active intervention might be earned over time. An experienced Reflector and an experienced circle can potentize the process. When people have built trust and come to know each other well, reflection can draw on history and a developed rapport. Ideally, that is part of our resource. Even then, Dick’s guiding principles for Reflectors were, “less is more” and, “when in doubt, do nothing.”

This structure established gestalt practice as a self-responsible practice, which has some limitations. Initiators may not necessarily face some behavioral patterns because, unlike other models, the Reflector will refrain from actively confronting them, leading them to insight, or forcing their awareness. Because of this softer approach, Initiators may block awareness and obscure figures, at least until the organismic need to grow asserts itself – or not. Gestalt practice relies on Initiators’ willingness to work in awareness and take responsibility for their choices during a session.

Over time, the simple, powerful process of being witnessed and echoed usually increases awareness and penetrates what we are avoiding. This is supported by the fact that life “kicks butt!” Karma is a strong Reflector. Eventually, we discover that “this choice led to that result.” Sooner or later, we are reflected by circumstances in ways that are hard to ignore. So as not to interfere with this life learning, gestalt practice Reflectors support but don’t rescue, ask about possibilities but don’t offer advice. We let the Initiator face the result of their choices, explore the payoffs and costs, and consider their options. We accept the limitations of this approach in exchange for the safety it allows in peer practice. If things get complicated despite these restraints, students can bring in more support, learn from the difficulty, or stop working with each other. This is the basic gestalt practice view about people sitting with each other to practice together.

The question arises about mixing social time with practice time. There are peer groups that have met for years and combine the two. Sometimes, there is more socializing than practice. Sometimes, groups explore blending gestalt practice with other modalities. It’s a matter of choice. There will be fewer complications if practice times have clear boundaries, a commitment to practice has priority over socialization, and the group maintains the clarity of one approach. Students sometimes have difficulties when they leave the recommended structure of roles or don’t trade roles regularly.

It is especially useful to look at peer practice sessions as an extended Continuum of Awareness rather than as “open seats” – and Open Seat is ultimately meant to be an extended continuum of awareness, offering time, space, and support to deepen contact and bring focused attention to what is foreground. This view can help people stay in the self-responsible approach and prevent confusion with the “patient/therapist” model.

In Continuum of Awareness, the Initiator attends to moment-to-moment awareness in all realms and actively meets whatever arises. The support of a partner is simply an additional benefit. When people start expecting too much of the Reflector—looking to be fixed, helped, or guided—they have left the continuum model and are confusing this with the “expert” model. We can always reorient by coming back to, “What am I noticing now?”

The Reflector's job is to keep clear about the role and not accept an invitation to become a power figure or expert. Dick said that the Reflector needs three lines: “What are you experiencing now?”, “What are you doing now?”, “How should I know?” That third question indicates how central it is for the Reflector to refuse to take authority regarding the Initiator’s experience. If an Initiator wants or needs something more than the continuum model, they can pursue that option outside of peer practice. Being in therapy and exploring gestalt practice can work well together much of the time.

In peer practice, especially when people meet together long term, we undoubtedly encounter interpersonal difficulties. Reality confronts our fantasies and assumptions, triggers our inner issues, and causes us to confuse the past with the present and project our feelings onto others.

Getting to know each other over time may include surprises, some pleasant and some problematic, as we discover aspects of others and ourselves. We may also need to deal with mistrust, disappointment, jealousy, or resentment.

At those times, we can use the model of

to work with these feelings.

When sitting with each other or on our own, patience, tolerance, and a sense of humor—the Three Graces of gestalt practice—are the underpinnings of gestalt practice. Bringing them to our practice will add to the success and longevity of our endeavor.