The word gestalt is German and means ‘figure, entity’ and derives from “stellen” – meaning ‘placing’, originally ‘that which is placed in order’.

In Danish, the word is often used about “ghost”, as written in the Danish newspaper Jyske Vestkysten in 2008: “There is guaranteed creepiness if you participate in Ghost Walking, where dark gestalts bring the guests into shadowy corners telling them sinister stories” – or in fields like psychology, music, and natural science.

That being said, Gestalt therapy was “invented” by  German Friedrich Salomon Perls, who took the name Fritz Perls later on. He was a psychiatrist and psychotherapist. His so-called Gestalt therapy was based in Gestalt psychology, as well as in Zen Buddhism and Taoism phenomenology, and in existentialism. Fritz believed that it was important to use “the obvious here and now” as the point of departure.

Furthermore, Gestalt therapy has elements of C. G Jung’s depth psychology, Jacob Moreno’s psycho drama, etc.! Thus, Gestalt therapy is also a dose of traditional psychology mixed thoroughly with spiritual holistic elements from Zen Buddhism and from Taoism.