1. Gestalt Therapy (Fritz Perls)

Frederick PERLS developed Gestalt Therapy after World War II. Perls believes that a person's failure to integrate the parts of his personality into a healthy whole may lie at the root of psychological disturbance. The Gestalt therapist will encourage the client to release emotions; to recognise these emotions for what they are, and accept them. Through acceptance the client will find the choice for change.

Hence awareness plays a fundamental tool. Perception, feelings and actions need to be distinguished from interpretation and "reshuffling pre-existing attitudes". Perls considers explanations and interpretations as less reliable than what is directly perceived and felt. It becomes obvious that the emphasis will be on "here and now", such as what is being done, thought and felt at the moment rather than on what was, might be, could be, or should be. This process-orientated approach will help the supervisee develop his or her own support for desired contact or withdrawal. Support in this context means anything that makes contact or withdrawal possible, such as energy, body support, breathing, information, concern for others, language and so forth. A simple example: to support the excitement accompanying contact, a person must take in enough oxygen, which brings us to the second Integrative Gestalt approach: