The term "Gestalt" originates from the German language, with translations such as "form," "structure," "pattern," and "integrity" often associated with it. In psychology, it conveys the concept of "integrity." Within Gestalt psychology, this translation finds its perfect expression in one of the approach's fundamental assertions: "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

The Gestalt concept posits that our perceptions are not solely reliant on the individual components of objects, events, or experiences. Instead, they are profoundly influenced by their complete structure. This emphasizes the significance of perceiving isolated elements and the overall connections and arrangement among them. For instance, when viewing a painting or a scene, our perception extends beyond individual elements to encompass the entire image. This phenomenon is termed "gestalt perception." Nevertheless, our minds naturally organize and group individual visual elements, recognizing meaningful entities or patterns—such as identifying a face within an image or a tree within a scene.

Gestalt psychology, which subsequently evolved into a distinct psychotherapeutic approach, delved into the principles of perception. It asserts that our consciousness has a propensity to establish sensory connections between meaningful wholes, influenced by proximity, similarity, continuity, and closure.

Gestalt therapy is one of the humanistic approaches to psychology, focusing on the present, a person's possibilities, and self-awareness. It was developed by Fritz Perls and his wife, Laura Perls, in the 1940s. They emphasized the importance of the integrity of the person. They directed the therapeutic work to the restoration of the broken integrity.

One of the main principles of Gestalt therapy is the "here and now" idea. This involves helping the visitor focus on the immediate experience, including bodily sensations, emotions, and how they respond in interpersonal relationships. By focusing on the present, visitors can realize the influence of past experiences, understand the reasons for their specific thinking and behavior, as well as deeply realize and feel their own needs and desires.

Gestalt also emphasizes responsibility. The therapy asserts that people are responsible for their thoughts, emotions, and actions. This helps visitors take responsibility for their personal experience and make choices that align with their values and goals. Such an approach contributes to discovering internal resources and promotes the development of control over one's life.

Effectiveness of the therapy depends on both the therapist's professional qualities and the visitor's individual characteristics. When the visitor is open and ready for this process, therapy can contribute to self-knowledge and self-acceptance and help increase self-awareness and responsibility. It also supports when the visitor decides to take control of his life, improving his quality of life.

Additional techniques are available to aid in the exploration and resolution of distortions arising from unresolved actions and unexpressed emotions. These methods involve the facilitation and amplification of specific emotions, employing techniques like the two-chair method, or implementing role rearrangements.