From the author: I really love my profession and believe in it. I work with difficult cases and clients whom no one could help. Sometimes I have bright thoughts about the work of a psychologist/psychotherapist from my own experience and I talk about them. One of the translations of the word “gestalt” from German means “image”, “integrity” or “integral image”. I feel it this way: integrity, forming a harmonious image, consisting of many parts that are different, but equivalent. For me, as a Gestalt therapist, there are no “undesirable”, “bad” parts of the client’s personality. There are no qualities or traits that I would advise a client to get rid of or help him with this (even if this is his request). For me, a person who comes to me, with all his traits and characteristics, is good enough and has the right to be happy and the opportunity to be so. I will try to help the client, rather, balance the qualities and parts within himself, and form harmonious relationships between these parts. Gestalt as a method is simple and honest. It’s so understandable and difficult at the same time to just be yourself. For me, this means, among other things, not to “construct” anything out of myself, not to hide behind masks and roles, even when I really want to or so habitually. Don't try to please or impress. Be honest not only with the client, but, above all, with yourself. It can be difficult to admit not only to a client, but even to yourself, feelings that you don’t want to experience, that someone else may not like, that you’ve been taught to hide since childhood... However, with or without a “mask” on our face, our essence does not change. Most often, it turns out that these “shells” have long been of no use to anyone except us, and require too much effort to maintain them. Gestalt is also “feeling yourself.” Feel your body, experience your feelings. Allow and fully accept all your experiences. That is, without crossing out any unwanted experiences, without pretending that there is no pain or suffering. I won’t tell you a secret that it is very difficult at first. After all, this is how we are used to dealing with difficult feelings—excluding them. Unfortunately, this does not mean that such feelings cease to exist within us. And this results in us becoming unable to feel good or empathize with another person. Therefore, I consider Gestalt a very bodily and feeling direction of psychotherapy. Teaching to sense and feel without hiding oneself and to accept the feelings of another. Gestalt in some way is a kind of “spiritual practice”. He “teaches” that we live only “here and now.” And only at this very moment is “contact” possible, a meeting of two is possible - fully and vividly. Only when I and You are completely Here and Now for each other. This is a definite job for me and the client - to stay together for 60 minutes, to “live” with each other, even if it is too hard, too good, embarrassing or wants to cry. For me, this is a sign of the highest respect when my interlocutor is ready to put aside all his affairs and thoughts and Be only with me. This makes communication and contact truly high-quality and satisfying. Another property of Gestalt therapy that is very valuable to me personally is non-judgmental judgment and acceptance. Accepting the client completely as he is. As a Gestalt therapist, I do not give myself the right to judge the client, no matter what he is like, no matter what difficulties he experiences, no matter what difficulties he encounters in life, no matter what shameful or scary stories he comes with. I know that I myself have made mistakes, and I know that no one has managed or will be able to avoid this. For me there is only one question: how does a person want to deal with this next? And I am ready to help the client answer this question. The most significant thing for me, on which Gestalt in general is based, and my work as a therapist in particular, is personal responsibility. And this is perhaps the most difficult thing. It's hard to take responsibility for yourself, your life, your decisions. It is difficult to realize that suffering, unhappiness, dissatisfaction can be.