Volume 27, Issue 2
DOI: 10.24205/03276716.2018.1066
Researching Gestalt Therapy for Anxiety in Practice-Based Settings: A Single-Case Experimental Design
Abstract
Despite the proven efficacy of CBT treatments for anxiety disorders, between 33% and 50% of patients do not respond or drop out of these treatments. Gestalt therapy has claimed to be an effective alternative, but there is little empirical evidence on its efficacy with anxiety. The Single-Case Experimental Design with Time Series Analysis was used as a practice-oriented study of efficacy. Evidence on ten clients diagnosed with anxiety disorders is presented, supporting the claim that Gestalt therapy can be a useful treatment for this. Detailed analysis of one case illustrates the changes in symptom and well-being scores, indicating turning points during the therapy. The paper discusses the use of this methodology for creating a practice-oriented research network.
Keywords
Anxiety, Gestalt therapy, single-case, time series experimental design, practice-oriented research