Gestalt therapy, a particular type of psychotherapy, draws on existential and various Eastern philosophies, and aims to enable the individual to seek his or her own solutions to personal problems. Literally translated as ' whole ’. Gestalt focuses the individual to appreciate and experience the present. This article examines the Gestalt theory and considers its application to a terminally ill client and his wife

Gestalt is a method of therapy developed by Frederick (Fritz) Peris and his wife Laura in the 1940s. This particular form of psychotherapy is rooted in the belief that each person has the capacity to find his or her own solutions to life's problems. Central to this therapy is the notion that a person has freedom to choose and therefore must also accept personal responsibility, in order to develop and move towards attaining full functioning capacity. Gestalt is rooted in existential philosophy but also draws on Zen Buddhism, Taoism, and other Eastern philosophies.