EXPERIMENTING IN GESTALT COACHING

Experimentation in Gestalt Coaching can be a powerful and creative opportunity to explore and learn about parts of ourselves that we haven't utilized, or have been uncomfortable with, toward expanding our range of awareness and possibility. For example, the coach might say: “imagine yourself doing such and such a thing,” “are you willing to try this out,” “let's just see what's there,” “let's try playing with this a bit,” “what if we were to consider attempting something this way and see what happens or what if we were to attempt going that way?” The client always has the choice. This is always made explicit even in cases where the risk might seem minimal. They also have the choice to stop or change the experiment at any time: “would you be willing to try a little experiment,” or “would you be open to trying to do this?” Safety is important: “If that doesn't feel right for you or if it doesn't feel safe, don't do it.” The coach might say: “maybe we can find a way to make it feel safer or explore why it doesn't feel safe in the first place.” One client said: “I've been willing to go somewhere instead of saying I can't”. Another said: “I could actually explore it and so understand it and change it.” Another said: “I always felt at any point in time I could just say I don't want to do this, let's do something different.”

Adapted from: Awareness, Immediacy, and Intimacy:The Experience of Coaching as Heard in the Voices of Gestalt Coaches and Their ClientsThe International Gestalt Journal (2009), Vol. 32 (1), pp. 81-144. A Publication of The Gestalt Journal Press · Jan 1, 2009. Leahy and Magerman

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