Modern neuroscience research is becoming more and more intensively introduced into the theory and practice of psychotherapy, and it is becoming more and more obvious that its discoveries fully support the principles of Gestalt therapy. The results of brain research more and more confirm the correctness of the approach of Gestalt psychotherapeutic practice, focused on the presence “here and now”, bodily manifestations and the process of building and living through an experience. Neuropsychologist Allan N. Schore says that neurosciences make the transition from studying cognitive processes and voluntary motor functions of the left cerebral hemisphere to the bodily emotional-procedural right hemisphere, which dominates the processes of facial, vocal and bodily information in emotional communication. The left cerebral hemisphere is responsible for: logic, analysis, consequences, linear perception, mathematical calculus, language, facts, thinking with words, calculation, song’s lyrics. Right – for creativity, imagination, holistic thinking, intuition, art, rhythm, non-verbal, feelings, visualization, dreaming, song’s melody. If the left hemisphere deals with isolated pieces of information, then the right one – with the entity as a whole, i.e. what we used to call “gestalt”.

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Laura Perls wrote: “Gestalt therapists work with art, music, poetry, philosophy, meditation, yoga, and other methods of bodily consciousness […] to expand in any possible direction and in any way possible between the therapist and client.”

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Gestalt therapy with its contact theory works with processes that occur in relationships between people, treating them not as a subject-object, but as a subject-subject, which fully corresponds to the neurobiological studies of the human brain in the intersubject field. Neuroscientists confirm that the interactive transmission of affect between two minds and two bodies is a communication of the two right cerebral hemispheres, i.e. those which are responsible for the formation of a holistic “gestalt”. Mirror neurons play a role in the subconscious dialogue of sensory communication – communication at the preverbal level of feelings and sensations that arise in the bodies of people who are in contact (relationship). This paradigm shift from one intrapsychic psychology to the intersubject psychology of two individuals gives a strong support to the Gestalt !!! method of psychotherapeutic practice, as it fully correlates with its processes and the theory of Self.

Based on this, we speak about the importance for the client of the therapist and for the therapist of the client not as an object, but as a subject, not about a set of techniques and tools of the therapist, but about the quality of the therapeutic relationships themselves, as they matter themselves, based on why clients improve or fail to improve with the disorders and methods of treatments.

Therefore, based on the research of the human brain in neurobiology, the qualities of successful therapists include: therapeutic presence, real empathy, positive thinking and affirmation, authenticity, accepting customer feedback, repairing of alliance !!!, ability to cope with countertransfer, and adapting relationships to an individual client.

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“Lose your mind and come to your senses,” F. Perls

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A set of consciously controlled processes by which we influence our emotions and how we experience and express them (brain’s left hemisphere) can be acquired in the process of building a therapeutic relationship by accepting and alleviating emotions that were previously avoided to allow the client to take them out and to transform them into adaptive emotions, for which the right hemisphere is responsible.

Changes in the course of therapy depend on:

The moments of the present: the process of creating new amazing and useful events in therapy

Moments of the meeting: what is happening here and now between us

Present relationship: authentic personal involvement between therapist and client

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What changes during therapy:

• Voluntary regulation of respiration is developed, which, according to neurobiologists, improves the symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic syndrome, by modulating the effect of vagus on the heart.
• The ability of slow breathing is developed, which, according to neurobiologists, increases the activation of the vagus, relaxes the heart, increases the tone of the peripheral nervous system, calms the sympathetic nervous system, and leads to physical and psychological well-being.
• The ability to complete unfinished business is developed using images, for which the right hemisphere of the brain is responsible (Gestalt therapeutic relationship corrects emotional experiences using imagery to remake the original painful event in a self-affirming way, as the images in the stream of consciousness are images of a certain kind of bodily event, when it occurs in the depths of the body or in sensations).


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“Gestalt therapy is the permission to be redundant, to have joy, to play with the best possible opportunities within our short lives … full embrace of life.”, Joseph Zinker

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Neuroscience proves the importance of those processes that are key in the practice of Gestalt psychotherapy:

The transforming power of attachment and contact. In gaming episodes of emotional synchrony, an emotional resonance occurs, which creates a state of positive awakening and interactive recovery and modulates a negative awakening. This is the foundation of attachment and resilience in the face of stress.

Constant growth and neuroplastic revolution. The adult brain is constantly changing and can be recharged. It can be trained as a muscle, trained through repetition, creative games, playfulness, love and pleasure. The enriched environment encourages research and generates brain growth, even in adulthood. Focused attention (figure-background), repetition (cycles) and pleasure (satisfaction of needs) are the three most important factors in neuroplastic growth.

The game is the basis of pleasure. There is no more important therapeutic goal than the one that contains the joyful potential of the game. Playfulness is a key aspect of pleasure, releasing the neurotransmitters dopamine and acetylcholine, key hormones for learning, memory, sex, emotional resonance and sustainability.

Pleasure, sexual health and holism. Sexuality is a key aspect of the whole person, originates in bodily pleasure. Sexual development is neurobiologically related to self-development, safety and insecurity of affection, the ability to play and resolve pleasure, as it is based on arousal to life.

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The article is based on the presentation of Stella Resnick at the 4th International Conference on Research in Gestalt Therapy (Santiago, Chile, 2019).