What is Gestalt Counselling?
Imagine sitting down with a counsellor who doesn’t just focus on your childhood or analyze your past, but instead asks, "What are you noticing in your body right now?" That is the core of Gestalt counselling. It is a warm, active form of counselling that focuses entirely on the "present moment"—the "here and now." Instead of just talking about old memories, you bring those experiences into the room to look at them with fresh eyes.
Gestalt is holistic - What does this mean?
The word Gestalt roughly translates from German to mean "whole" or "the complete picture." The core idea is that we often get stuck when we fragment ourselves—like pushing down our anger, ignoring our physical exhaustion, or overthinking. I will help you piece those parts back together so you can see how your mind, body, and emotions are all connected and affecting you at this exact moment.
What happens in your counselling session?
In a typical session, you won’t just be sitting and talking while Ian nods. It is highly collaborative and experimental. Ian will bring attention to what he notices about how you are and help bring awareness to thoughts, feelings and behaviours that you may not have realised. Ian may suggest using different techniques to help you explore the issues that you bring in order for you to gain further understanding and to be able to move on.
The aim of Gestalt Counselling
Ultimately, Gestalt counselling is about self-awareness and freedom. It operates on the belief that once you truly understand how you are reacting to life right now, you naturally unlock the ability to make better choices. Working with Ian will helps you stop living out old, automatic habits and gives you the tools to show up fully in your life today.
