Psychology

This paper discusses two therapies which are the gestalt therapy and the behavior therapy. It provides a discussion on the basic concepts and methods of the two therapies. Also included is the evaluation or critique of the author towards the said therapies.


Gestalt and Behavior Therapy A Critique
Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt Therapy is one of the most widely used counseling methods today. This therapy views human nature as an organism that is in one with his environment. Thus, man can only be defined by his environment and its influence on him. According to Maria Kirchner, man is interconnected with his surroundings and therefore cannot be separate from it. Gestalt therapy also views man as something that is whole (n.d.). Also, man is a being who relies on relationships. Man is Polster refered to relationships as the lifeblood if gowth (as cited by Kirchner, n.d.).

The basic characteristics of gestalt therapy are based on two main points. One is that gestalt is focused on the experiential side of the client. It focuses on what is observable, rather than on what is in the subconscious or the unknown. The second point is that this therapy is all about the here and now. It evaluates the clients as to how he is aware of his present condition (Nevis, E., n.d.).

The Goals
The main goal of gestalt therapy is for the client to be aware of what is going on in his life. The therapists role is to establish a professional relationship with his client. He must facilitate his client to achieve his goal. In return, the client is expected to be willing to disclose himself to be able to share his feelings to the therapist (Kirchner, n.d.).

Methods
Applying gestalt therapy is actually using different techniques in modifying behavior. According to Kirchner, therapy starts by establishing a therapeutic relationship. Phenomenological method is also used. Experiments are also done in order to help the client establish the here-and-now he is experiencing. Gestalt uses language as a tool to reveal the clients thoughts and feelings(n.d.).

Gestalt therapy is applied to many types of problems and clients. In a book written by Edwin C. Nevis, he discusses gestalt therapy with psychosis, alcoholism, and anger. In one of the chapters he was able to discuss gestalt therapy on children and couple (n.d.).

Evaluation
Gestalt is a very straight forward approach in counseling. This method, however, has its own limitations. The therapy is focused on the here-and-now aspect of the client. It will not be able to handle cases involving the subconscious such as those handled by cognitive therapy. Gestalt also requires clients who are pretty much capable of assessing their situations. It would be difficult to assess very young children with complicated cases such as abuse or trauma. What I do like about this therapy is the relationship between the client and the therapist. As mentioned earlier, gestalt views human as social beings, with whom connections are essential in their daily lives. On the other hand, gestalt focuses on the observable aspects of the client, which I like the least. There are many more aspects of the human condition, which cannot be reached by interpreting observable behaviors.

Conclusion
In general, gestalt is an effective way in counseling. The aspect of the therapy wherein it uses the here-and-now concept is a very credible candidate to be incorporated in my own counseling style. It is also important that the therapy should be in line with the therapists personal experiences. I do believe that using a therapeutic method is more effective when it is related to ones experiences and his personality. Furthermore, since gestalt is focused more on observable behavior, it can easily be practiced in real life situations such as coping with stress, anger, establishing relationships, dealing with anxiety and other common issues concerning man today. It can be easily administered to clients and is also a very good way to start if the counselors aim is to dig further down to the clients personality.

Behavior Therapy
Another therapy which focuses on the behavior is the behavior therapy. It is usually used to treat phobias, trauma, depression, and anxiety disorders. It is based on behaviorism, which is, like gestalt, focused on observable behavior. Behavior therapy views man as a learning being, who can learn and unlearn.

The primary characteristics of this therapy are in line with gestalt, which focuses on observable behavior. However, behavior therapy makes use of various methods in treating clients. It is also called behavior modification, where in behavior is modified, being learned or unlearned, to the best interests of the client.

The Goals
The goals of behavior therapy are mainly to be able to know the behavioral problem, to find out what are the variables that sustain the behavioral problem, and to modify and measure its progress (Maultsby, M.C, et al, 1998). The role of the therapist is to establish a relationship with the client wherein he would then be able to collaborate with him. The client is not encouraged to depend on the therapist on the process of the therapy. He plays an active role in the entire procedure of the therapy.

Methods
Behavior therapy consists of various methods and techniques. In a book written by Edward Erin, one of the techniques used in the therapy is systematic desensitization. Basically, it is used to measure behavior by exposing the client from less threatening to the most threatening stimuli. Aversion therapy is also used in behavior therapy, which involves physical contact to diminish the unwanted behavior. One of the most popular techniques is operant conditioning. It makes use of a series of rewards and punishments. Modeling is also used in behavior therapy. The client is simply exposed to witness a performance of another person whom he can use as a model in modifying his behavior (1978).

Behavior therapy can be used in a wide range of mental illnesses such as alcoholism, substance abuse, aggression, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, phobias, and even insomnia.

Evaluation
Behavior therapy is a comprehensive way of treating behavior problems. It uses a variety of techniques to meet the needs of the clients. This type of therapy, however, like gestalt, focuses on the observable behavior. It does not tackle issues on understanding unconscious behavior such as drives and other in the psychoanalytic approach.

Conclusion
Behavior therapy has made a lot of contributions to the world of psychology. The techniques it applies are now widely used and studied around the world. Techniques such as operant conditioning has now escaped from the realm of psychology and are now even used in the field of business.

What I like most about the therapy is that it has many methods that would handle several forms of behavior problems. Also, the part of the therapist is not tiring because the therapy encourages the clients to not depend on their therapists. Techniques such as systematic desensitization provide therapists with a concrete and comprehensible method of modifying behavior. They can also be applied not just in the laboratory or counseling setting but in other aspects of life such as parenting and handling groups. These techniques are essential in my own style of counseling. For me, the therapy is not perfect because of its limitation, being not able to go beyond what is observable.