Measuring Processes in Contemporary Gestalt Therapy: Development of Gestalt Therapy Prototype and Applications in Research

Abstract

The debate concerning the evidence-based practice movement is reviewed in this dissertation. It includes a discussion about the implications of this movement on process-oriented therapies, particularly Gestalt therapy. The present research is on the application of an innovative method for evaluating process in research on non-manualized therapies like Gestalt therapy. Using the Psychotherapy Process Q-Set, a panel of expert Gestalt therapists expressed their opinions on what psychotherapy processes listed in this measure are most and least characteristic of Gestalt therapy. Using Q-sort methodology, a prototype of ideally conducted Gestalt therapy was created based on the experts’ opinions. This dissertation concludes with a discussion of how this prototype is similar to and different than prototypes created in previous research for cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, and psychodynamic psychotherapies. Suggestions for how the prototype could be used to advance research on Gestalt therapy are also provided.