Experiential Subtheory: An Overview
Abstract
Experiential Subtheory (EST) is a subtheory of Gestalt Therapy (GT) that focuses on the experiential aspects of the therapeutic process. It explores the client’s direct experience of the present in order to gain a better understanding of their internal process. This paper provides an overview of EST; including its history, the theories that it is based on, and its main components and techniques.
Keywords: Gestalt Therapy, Experiential Subtheory, Therapy, Awareness
Introduction
Experiential Subtheory (EST) is a subtheory of Gestalt Therapy (GT) that focuses on the experiential aspects of the therapeutic process. Established by Fritz Perls and his colleagues in the 1940s, GT is a humanistic, phenomenological, and experiential approach to psychotherapy (Corey, 2017). EST is based on the assumption that in order to gain insight into a person’s inner experience, they need to be present in the moment with a sense of awareness. This paper provides an overview of EST, including its history, the theories that it is based on, and its main components and techniques.
History of EST
The EST was first developed and popularized by Fritz Perls in the 1940s. He believed that therapy must focus on the present-moment experience of the client, and not on the past. He also believed that the therapeutic process should be one of exploration and discovery, rather than one of instruction and coercion (Corey, 2017).
Theories and Concepts
EST is based on a number of theories, including Gestalt psychology, existentialism, and phenomenology. Gestalt psychology is concerned with understanding how people perceive and make sense of the world. Existentialism focuses on individual freedom and responsibility, and on the search for meaning and purpose in life. Phenomenology is concerned with understanding the structure of conscious experience (Corey, 2017).
Components and Techniques
EST focuses on the client’s direct experience of the present in order to gain a better understanding of their internal process. It is based on the idea that when we become aware of our experiences, we can identify patterns and gain insight into our behavior. Thus, the primary goal of EST is to increase a person’s awareness of their experiences in the present moment.
EST has a number of techniques and components. The most common are contact, dialogue, and experimentation. Contact is the process of creating a connection between the therapist and the client. Dialogue is the process of exploring the client’s experience through conversation. Experimentation is the process of trying out different behaviors or ways of thinking in order to gain insight into the client’s internal process (Corey, 2017).
Conclusion
EST is a subtheory of Gestalt Therapy that focuses on the experiential aspects of the therapeutic process. It is based on the assumption that in order to gain insight into a person’s inner experience, they need to be present in the moment with a sense of awareness. This paper provided an overview of EST, including its history, the theories that it is based on, and its main components and techniques.
References
Corey, G. (2017). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.