The Now

The Now

- most significant in Gestalt therapy

- emphasize learning to appreciate & fully experience present moment

- “power is in the present” (E.Polster & Polster 1973): if only focus on things in past, e.g. “what was…”, “what might have been”, power of present diminishes

- to make contact with present moment, therapists ask “what” & “how” questions but rarely “why” questions. E.g. “What is happening now? What is going on now?”

- therapists make every attempts to have client experience that sadness, pain or confusion now, then evaluate the degree of discomfort present & to choose further interventions accordingly

- sometimes, past seems to have a significant bearing on client’s present attitude/behavior → bring it to present as much as possible, by reenacting it as if it is happening now

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