Approach
Our methodology is firmly based on both psychological research and evidence-based practices, allowing us to provide our clients with valuable insights into the most effective ways to live and work, as well as how to build successful and sustainable organisations. We carefully choose methods, tools, and techniques that are appropriate for each client's specific needs and context. Many of our tools we develop ourselves based on our ongoing research.
Our approach is what Michael Posner called a "pracademic" approach - one that effectively combines academic knowledge with practical application. The key to success is to make technical jargon easy to understand and to communicate with our clients using their own language, taking into account their circumstances, goals, strategies, and actions, to help them achieve their desired outcomes.
Nevertheless, it is also good to know, however, that the work that we do with clients is grounded in research and practice. Take the case of the Gestalt Cycle of Experience, first described by Fritz and Laura Perls and used in organisational consulting work by Edwin Nevis.
If you review our offerings in the For Individuals and For Organisations sections, you will see how the various steps follow the Gestalt Cycle of Experience, to deliver the optimal outcome.
Thriving by managing the cycle of experience...
The Cycle of Experience
The cycle of experience describes how humans interact with their environment and respond to their needs and to stimuli in the environment. The cycle consists of five stages: sensing, conceptualising, mobilising, doing and appreciating. For the interaction with the environment to be satisfying, people must move through each phase in the cycle and complete it in a healthy way before moving on to the next Stage.
This cycle of experience helps individuals thrive by promoting self-awareness, encouraging engagement with their environment, and fostering personal growth. This process allows individuals to gain a better understanding of themselves and their experiences, leading to a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
Applying the gestalt cycle of experience can benefit organisations by facilitating clear communication, encouraging collaborative problem-solving, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. By promoting awareness and active engagement, this approach can help organisations to adapt to changing circumstances and thrive in the long-term.
The Cycle of Experience
When it goes well: Good contact is made
One of the consequences of good contact in this cycle is that it allows for a complete and healthy resolution of each need or task. Good contact means that a person (or a team) is fully present and engaged with the task and the dynamic environment, without any distortions or interruptions. When good contact is achieved, the person can sense their need or task clearly, mobilize their energy and resources to act on it, satisfy it appropriately, and assimilate the experience into their sense of self. This leads to a feeling of wholeness, fulfillment, and growth.
When it goes wrong: Getting stuck or skipping a step
Understanding the cycle of experience is important, because getting stuck in or skipping any of these stages can have negative consequences for one's psychological well-being and personal growth. For example:
- Getting stuck in the sensing stage means being unable to identify one's needs or desires clearly. This can lead to confusion, frustration and lack of motivation.
- Skipping the conceptualising stage means not having a clear plan or strategy to achieve one's goals. This can lead to impulsivity, poor decision-making and wasted resources.
- Getting stuck in the mobilising stage means being unable to act on one's plan or strategy due to fear, anxiety or procrastination. This can lead to stagnation, resentment and low self-esteem.
- Skipping the doing stage means not following through with one's actions or commitments. This can lead to unreliability, dishonesty and missed opportunities.
- Getting stuck in the appreciating stage means being unable to move on from one's achievements or failures. This can lead to complacency, arrogance or depression.
Such poor contact can result in unfinished or unresolved needs or wants that create psychological distress and interfere with future cycles.
What causes us to become stuck or skip steps
There are factors that may cause a person to become stuck in, or skip, a step in the cycle. These factors include:
- Interruptions: These are external or internal events that distract or disrupt the person from completing the cycle. For example, a phone call may interrupt the person's action phase and prevent them from reaching contact with their need.
- Confluence: This is when the person loses their sense of self and merges with their environment or another person. For example, a person may conform to others' expectations and ignore their own needs
- Introjection: This is when the person accepts others' opinions or values without questioning them. For example, a person may follow a diet that is not suitable for them because they believe it is healthy.
- Projection: This is when the person attributes their own feelings or thoughts to others or external objects. For example, a person may blame their partner for their own unhappiness.
- Retroflection: This is when the person turns their energy inward and does to themselves what they want to do to others or vice versa. For example, a person may hurt themselves instead of expressing their anger at someone who hurt them.
- Deflection: This is when the person avoids direct contact with their need or another person by using humour, sarcasm, intellectualization, or other strategies. For example, a person may joke about their fear of flying instead of facing it.
These factors can interfere with the natural flow of the cycle and result in unfinished business or unresolved issues that affect the person's well-being. Therefore, it is important for the person to be aware of these factors and work on completing the cycle in an authentic and self-responsible way.
