In our modern, fast-paced world, it is easy to live entirely from the neck up. We analyse our problems, rationalise our behaviours and think our way through the day. We treat our bodies like taxis that carry our brains from meeting to meeting. Differently, in Gestalt therapy we understand that true awareness and therefore true change, cannot happen if we leave the body behind.
We are often taught to ignore our physical sensations unless they are painful. We push through fatigue, ignore the tightness in our chest, or suppress the urge to jiggle our leg. However, these sensations are not random noise; they are vital data. They are the voice of your lived experience.
“I am a Body”
James Kepner, a leading voice in Gestalt body process, famously distinguished between having a body and being a body. When we view ourselves as “having” a body, we treat it like an object or a machine to be fixed. We might say, “My shoulder is tense,” as if the shoulder is a separate entity acting up.
Kepner suggests that when we reintegrate our physical sensations, we reclaim parts of our self. That tension in your shoulder isn’t just a muscle spasm; it might be you holding back, you bracing for impact, or you carrying a burden. By slowing down and paying attention to these sensations rather than trying to “fix” them immediately, we can uncover the emotional truth sitting just beneath the surface.
Movement and Contact
This attention to the physical extends to how we move and position ourselves. Ruella Frank, another pioneer in somatic Gestalt therapy, explores how our fundamental movement patterns shape the way we relate to others. Before we had words, we communicated through movement—reaching out, pushing away, grasping, or yielding.
Frank’s work teaches us that our adult psychological struggles often mirror these early physical patterns. If you find it hard to “reach out” for support emotionally, you might find that you physically hold yourself back, constraining your breath or your arms. By bringing awareness to these subtle micro-movements in therapy, we can experiment with new ways of being. We can learn to yield to support without collapsing, or to push away what we don’t want without aggression.
How We Work Together
If you choose to work with me, we won’t just talk about your life; we will pay attention to how you experience it right now in the room. I might ask you to pause and notice how your chest feels as you talk about your job, or to become aware of how your voice changes as you speak about your partner.
This isn’t about judgment – it’s about curiosity. When you listen to the wisdom of your body, you stop fighting against yourself. You move from a fragmented state to a whole, integrated person.
If you are tired of talking in circles and want to reconnect with the wholeness of your experience, I invite you to get in touch with me. Together we can explore what your body is trying to tell you and find a more grounded path forward.