Practical Session: “The Gestalt Approach in Psychological Counseling”

On November 6, third-year students in the “Psychology” degree program at the Kazakh-American Free University participated in a practical session titled “The Gestalt Approach in Psychological Counseling,” held as part of the “Fundamentals of Psychological Counseling” course.
The session featured guest expert Natalia Maksimenko, a counseling psychologist and Gestalt therapist, who shared her practical experience with the students—the next generation of professionals.
Through group work, the students explored how Gestalt therapy can be integrated with body-oriented techniques. Particular focus was placed on addressing physical tension that arises from “retroflexion”—a mechanism that interrupts contact.
During the session, participants completed a series of exercises designed to help them reconnect with their own bodies, expand their vocabulary for precisely describing physical experiences and non-verbal processes, and assimilate completed Gestalts.
The students were highly engaged, participating actively in all the practical tasks and openly sharing personal insights throughout the process.