Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Gestalt Therapy

Convergence Factors

Abstract

         Given the strength with which the therapies of the contextual approach are presented in the current psychotherapeutic scene, and the incorporation of elements of humanistic therapy as something natural in the process of emergence and development of this approach (Hayes, 2012), the objective of this article is to identify and develop the specific ingredients that denote a convergence between Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Gestalt Therapy, which constitute significant exponents of the contextual and humanistic approach, respectively. While Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a Contextual Therapy based on the Relational Frame Theory, Gestalt Therapy was developed by Fritz Perls, who brought together in this approach the existing knowledge of his time and gave rise to a therapy with great impact on clinical practice. This article presents the theoretical foundations of both approaches and identifies a series of theoretical and practical principles in which they coincide despite having followed different paths to reach them. Thus, common elements such as experiential avoidance in the explanation of psychological problems are analyzed, and a set of shared clinical practices that evidence a convergence between both approaches is identified. Finally, a critical analysis is made from the repercussions of this convergence on future research into the processes responsible for efficacy in psychotherapy.