Trauma, Stabilization, and Embodied Presence: A Gestalt Approach to Working with Tension

During periods of profound social upheaval—war, loss, forced displacement—the need for psychological support increases. However, classical forms of therapy often cannot withstand the demands of current realities. That is why Gestalt psychology, with its focus on the “here and now,” embodiment, and contact with one’s own reality, proves to be one of the most effective approaches for support and stabilization.

At the Gestalt Therapy Conference 2025, a practical workshop took place that became a powerful example of body-oriented and emotional work in times of crisis. The facilitator—a Kyiv-based therapist with experience working with addictions and communities in acute trauma—emphasized the key point: not to ignore your state, but to restore your sense of presence.

Loss of Ground and the Search for Resources

At the beginning of the session, a vivid metaphor was used: it is as if we are standing over an abyss, with no solid ground beneath our feet. This is a state in which familiar structures—work, family, the future—collapse or transform under external pressure. In such moments, the therapist’s task is not to explain, but to help a person feel support through bodily awareness.

Participants were offered a simple yet profound exercise: a sheet of paper is divided into four squares. In each one, a person writes or draws what arises in response to a body scan. The first square reflects the initial state; the second—what appears in the body when recalling something difficult; the third—what changes occur after brief stabilization; and the fourth—a final image or word that conveys the new state. The exercise was accompanied by the “butterfly” technique, where crossed arms rhythmically tap the chest, supporting self-soothing.

The Body as a Partner in Dialogue

Throughout the workshop, it was emphasized that under stress, analytical thinking shuts down, and the body becomes the main channel of experience. Through bodily signals (tension in the neck, tightness in the chest, numbness in the hands), we gain access to unconscious material. And it is the body that can “tell” us when it is enough, when it is time to stop.

Participants described their states as “a flask filled with cold,” “a sense of joylessness,” “emptiness,” which gradually transformed into “relief,” “calm,” and “warmth.” Some even noted physical improvements—neck pain easing during the exercise itself. All of this illustrates self-regulation through contact with the body, which is actively supported in the Gestalt approach.

A Personal Motto as an Act of Integration

The culmination was the formulation of a personal motto—a phrase that summarized the process: “I can handle this,” “I am taking back control,” “My fear is my compass.” These are not just words, but the result of multilayered inner work: awareness, sensation, acceptance, and transformation.

Gestalt therapy is not focused on “quick results”—its value lies in teaching a person to stay in the process, not to run away from themselves, not to freeze, and not to dissolve in anxiety.

The facilitator repeatedly emphasized that each person regulates their own pace and can stop at any moment. This respect for personal boundaries is a cornerstone of the therapeutic process.

Gestalt as a Path to Stability

In the end, the workshop became not just a demonstration of techniques, but a model of resilience in action. It reminded us that in conditions of chaos, we have one undeniable point of support—our own body, our own sensations. And it is from there that the path to wholeness begins. Through noticing sensations, naming emotions, drawing, and physical movement, we gradually return to ourselves.

In the Gestalt approach, stability is not armor, but flexibility. It is the ability to stay with tension while remaining in contact. It is the capacity to hear yourself, to stabilize, and to take at least one inner step. And in times when “everything is falling apart,” such practices become a lifeline over the abyss.

Today, as Ukrainian society lives in a state of chronic stress, bodily stabilization, self-observation, and gentle presence with oneself are not luxuries, but daily necessities. And Gestalt offers the tools to ensure that this path is not lonely, but supported.