For couple

Typically, Gestalt therapy of family relationships begins with a specific request. A psychologist for couples will be helpful when the problem is clearly formulated. That is, the couple is worried about some area in their relationship and they need to work out a number of issues. But there are still situations when both partners, or only one of them, became uncomfortable in their relationship but the reason remains unclear. In addition, the help of a psychologist in family relationships can also consist in a desire to improve them and to build harmonious communication for the long term. In all three cases, it makes sense to use the services of a family Gestalt therapist. 

How can a psychologist for couples help?:

• understanding the way of and the rules for the functioning of your family system;
• harmonizing relationships in an existing family or building strong and reliable communication in the future;
• recognizing oneself as a full-fledged family member and stopping feeling guilty / looking for someone to blame;
• understanding the essence of misunderstanding, and returning mutual respect;
• creating support from one’s family; better understanding oneself, one’s partner, and one’s children.

What can prevent you from contacting a specialist?

Often a person has beliefs that prevent them from starting to address an issue. “Don’t wash your dirty linen in public” is a vivid example of such a belief. Therefore, they either endure everything while accumulating negative emotions (and sooner or later these will still make themselves felt) or try to share them with a friend / relative but the issue not only is not solved but rather gets worse over time.

What if others find out my secret?

Many people fear that any revelations in front of another stranger are a risk for family relationships. It is worth remembering the existence of ethical standards and confidentiality between the client and the Gestalt therapist.

>> A conversation with a family psychologist is always safer and more effective than, for example, a conversation with a colleague or a friend.

The very fact of a willingness to share an issue of concern with a specialist can push a person to look at the problem from a different angle; this allows the family psychologist to become a new energy that is capable of restructuring relationships.

How will the psychotherapy process take place?

A family psychologist’s consultation can take place in a regular format (a live meeting) or online. Most often, appointments with a family psychologist take place every two weeks. It is important to understand that the number of consultations depends on the request and the degree of “neglect” of the issue. In any case, a family psychologist does not work with clients for as long as a psychotherapist does during individual therapy (it may take only 1-2 consultations to resolve the issue). 

Who should see a family Gestalt therapist?

 At least, a couple comes to the session. If the request does not include the topic of sex and infidelity, it makes sense to invite children from 2 years of age to psychotherapy, as well. When the family psychologist understands the root cause of relationship problems, they can suggest which other family members should be invited for counseling. Sometimes it happens that only one person comes to the consultation; then, the microclimate of the entire family still changes, but the method of this change is another question.

When describing an issue, family members very often like to look for someone to blame. In this case, family psychologists assign themselves the task of helping everyone shift the focus of attention from a particular person to relationships and address these relationships specifically.