In Gestalt therapy, how are people perceived?

In Gestalt therapy, individuals are perceived as whole beings capable of effective self-governance. This perspective emphasizes the importance of understanding the person in their entirety, which includes their thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and experiences within their environment. Gestalt therapy focuses on personal responsibility and the ability to be self-aware, encouraging individuals to recognize and acknowledge their feelings, motivations, and behaviors.

This view promotes the idea that each person has the capability to understand themselves and make choices, highlighting the belief in the inherent potential and agency of individuals. Gestalt therapists often work with clients to help them connect with their present experience, fostering awareness and understanding of how past experiences influence current behavior, thus empowering them to make decisions that lead to healthier outcomes.

The other options reflect perspectives that do not align with Gestalt therapy’s core principles. For example, perceiving people as inherently bad contradicts the therapy's focus on personal agency and potential. Viewing individuals as disconnected from their environment misses the therapy's emphasis on awareness and the relationships between self and surroundings. Lastly, seeing people solely as products of their immediate community overlooks the emphasis on individual experience and responsibility that is central to Gestalt therapy. Therefore, understanding individuals as whole beings capable of effective self-governance aligns