Integrating
Gestalt
Therapy
into Astrological
Counseling
by Susan Falk
A
s professional astrologers, we see
many of our clients come for consul-
tation on a yearly basis. We have a plenty
to tell them about what is going on in
their life from the natal chart, transits,
progressions, and solar return. If we have
taken the OPA Peer Supervision course
or the ISAR Consulting Skills, we have
learned to truly listen to find out what
the clients needs are and to gear the ses-
sion toward fulfilling those needs.
However, there are times when a client
comes back sooner than once a year and
at those times I find that some of my train-
ing as a Gestalt Psychotherapist is useful.
About 15 years ago a client whose chart I
had done returned a few weeks later as she
was so excited by all the information and
insights she had gained. My initial reaction
was thinking to myself, “Hmm-wonder
where I go from here?”
Then I realized that the boundary
between Astrology and Psychology was
somewhat blurred and that some of the
training I had had as a Gestalt therapist
might be used in the astrology session
to reach a deeper understanding of the
conflicts I had outlined in the first session
which my client had confirmed were issues
for her. When I asked her if she would like
to go deeper into some of the conflicts
that showed up on her chart she indicated
that she would like to do that. For example:
I asked her if she would be interested in
not only understanding her Venus square
Saturn and her Mars square Moon but also
integrating those energies and she said that
The
Career
Astrologer
she would be very interested in doing that.
I said, “Would you like to do a little experi-
ment?” and she said that she would.
I found that the technique I had learned
in my Gestalt therapy training of imagining
an aspect of oneself on the empty chair
and telling it how one felt was very useful. I
had my client be her Venus and talk to her
Saturn on the empty chair and tell it how
she felt about it inhibiting her and then I
had her switch places and be Saturn talking
to Venus and expressing his perspective
and what he had to offer her with his
restraint and boundaries.
Venus said something like “I try to get
into relationships but you always make me
feel that I’m not good enough or that the
other person isn’t good enough to meet
your high standards.” Then when I had her
switch chairs and become Saturn he said
to Venus “You sometimes choose people
who are not on your level intellectually or
spiritually so I have to point it out to you. I
have to encourage you to be your best self”.
Then I had her switch places and go back
to being Venus talking to Saturn. After
switching back and forth a few times she
reached a better understanding of how
these 2 energies could work together.
I had her do the same exercises with
the Mars square Moon switching back and
forth between the 2 planetary energies. As
the Moon speaking to Mars she expressed
her fear of his upsetting her tranquility and
interfering in her relationships. When Mars
responded he told her that she needed to
assert herself more and get more involved
and passionate in her life and relation-
ships. After dialoguing back and forth they
reached a resolution where she would
agree to be more assertive in her life but
also in a restrained way and with appropri-
ate timing. In that way she felt she gained
a deeper understanding of the conflicts
within her chart and of ways they could be
integrated.
My client talked to me about some of
the struggles that she had experienced
in her own life around anger, self-esteem,
and relationship issues. She left feeling
that she had gained a deeper understand-
ing and an optimism that she could begin
to integrate what she had felt were con-
flicts within herself.
About 6 months later she returned for a
follow up session and I had her do the dia-
loguing back and forth again to see what
change had been made. She seemed to
have more insights and to feel that she had
made progress in her life.
At the last OPA conference I gave a
three-day workshop entitled Integrating
OPA’s Quarterly Magazine
Techniques of Gestalt Therapy into
Astrological Counseling. We began by tak-
ing turns role-playing the differ ent signs
and planets, similar to Astro-drama. Then
we looked at one participant’s chart. I asked
her what aspect of her chart was challeng-
ing for her and we worked on that aspect.
I recall it being Moon-Mars and I had her
role play the Moon talking to Mars on the
empty chair and then switching places and
being Mars. I had her switch back and forth
at least 3 times and then have a dialogue
between the 2 about how they might work
together better.
We analyzed it afterwards and she felt
that she had gained new insight into deal-
ing with this challenging aspect. In the next
session another participant worked with a
challenging aspect of her chart and we ana-
lyzed that afterwards. In the final session
I had the participants be the astrologers
working with my chart and then gave them
feedback afterwards. They did a good job
and I gained some insights-there is always
more to learn.
This technique of dialoging between
areas of conflict on the chart can be used
not only with planets that are in challeng-
ing aspects but also with Sun, Moon and
Ascendant that may be in signs that seem
incompatible. When I gave a demonstration
at an OPA conference a few years ago, my
model client had the challenge of a Leo Sun
and a Pisces Ascendant. I could have used
my own chart that has a Capricorn Sun with
a Sagittarius Ascendant.
I have used these techniques at times
when I felt they were appropriate—such
as with a returning clients who seem ready
to go deeper in understanding into their
charts and to make changes in their pat-
terns of reacting and being in relationships.
I don’t think this technique is appropriate
for a new client as there is so much infor-
mation to be given about the chart. It is
important to build trust between the astrol-
oger and client.
In conclusion, I view these techniques as
additional tools we can have in our toolbox
that can be used to help our clients over
time in their growth and evolution.
Susan Falk is an MSW) from New York
University and a CSW.
She is a certified Rubenfeld Synergist hav-
ing trained with Ilana Rubenfeld in her partic-
ular therapy that combines Gestalt Therapy,
Alexander Technique, and Feldenkreis Method
and served on her teaching faculty for 4 years.
Susan has been a practicing professional
astrologer for 35 years and a member of OPA
since its 1994. She is certified by OPA and has
led certification groups. R
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