The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether a
Gestalt-based “personal development” counseling group could have positive
effects on psychological prosperity. The intervention group aimed to increase
the participants’ level of awareness. The program consisted of 10 sessions and
employed mindfulness practice as a gestalt experiment. The study involved 208
undergraduate students, aged 18 to 22 years, using a pretest-posttest control
group design. One hundred forty-eight (148) participants participated in the
intervention program, while sixty (60) of
them formed the control group. The Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS 21),
Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), and Emotional Intelligence Scale
(WLEIS) were used to assess students’ well-being. The pretest-posttest scores
of the intervention group showed statistically significant differences, while
the pretest-posttest results of the control group showed no statistically
significant changes. The results showed that the Gestalt-based mindfulness
intervention aimed to improve awareness levels, increase the participants’
emotional intelligence, decrease depression, anxiety, and stress, and
promote their well-being. Moreover, these results could help support students’
academic lives through counseling group interventions.
References
[1]
Ali, N., & Cerkez, Y. (2020). The Effects of Group Counseling with Gestalt Therapy in Reducing Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Traumatized People. Revista de Cer- cetare Si Interventie Sociala, 71, 343-359. https://doi.org/10.33788/rcis.71.21
[2]
Arip, M. A. S. M., Bakar, R. B. A., Ahmad, A. B., & Jais, S. M. (2013). The Development of a Group Guidance Module for Student Self-Development Based on Gestalt Theory. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences, 84, 1310-1316.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.06.748
[3]
Bamber, M. D., & Morpeth, E. (2019). Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on College Student Anxiety: a Meta-Analysis. Mindfulness, 10, 203-214.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-0965-5
[4]
Bao, X., Xue, S., & Kong, F. (2015). Dispositional Mindfulness and Perceived Stress: The Role of Emotional Intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 78, 48-52.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.01.007
[5]
Barber, P. (2012). Facilitating Change in Groups and Teams. A Gestalt Approach to Mind- fulness. Libri Publishing.
[6]
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003). The Benefits of Being Present: Mindfulness and Its Role in Psychological Well-Being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 822- 848. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822
[7]
Brown, K. W., Ryan, R. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2007). Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for Its Salutary Effects. Psychological Inquiry, 18, 211-237.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10478400701598298
[8]
Brownell, P., & Roubal, J. (2019). Two “Takes” on Treatment Manuals in Gestalt Therapy. In P. Brownell (Ed.), Handbook for Theory, Research, and Practice in Gestalt Therapy (2nd ed., pp. 150-156). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
[9]
Canby, N. K., Cameron, I. M., Calhoun, A. T., & Buchanan, G. M. (2015). A Brief Mind- fulness Intervention for Healthy College Students and Its Effects on Psychological Distress, Self-Control, Meta-Mood, and Subjective Vitality. Mindfulness, 6, 1071-1081.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-014-0356-5
[10]
Chiodelli, R., Mello, L. T. N. de, Jesus, S. N. de, Beneton, E. R., Russel, T., & Andretta, I. (2022). Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Undergraduate Students: A Systematic Review. Journal of American College Health, 70, 791-800.
https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1767109
[11]
Chiodelli, R., Mello, L. T. N., Jesus, S. N., & Andretta, I. (2018). Effects of a Brief Mind- fulness-Based Intervention on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Senior Students. Psico- logia: Reflexao e Críticae, 31, Article No. 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41155-018-0099-7
[12]
Chu, L. C. (2010). The Benefits of Meditation vis-à-vis Emotional Intelligence, Perceived Stress and Negative Mental Health. Stress and Health, 26, 169-180.
https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.1289
[13]
Corey, G. (2017). Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy. Cengage.
[14]
Cozzolino, M., Girelli, L., Vivo, D. R., Limone, P., & Celia, G. (2020). A Mind-Body Intervention for Stress Reduction as an Adjunct to an Information Session on Stress Management in University Students. Brain and Behavior, 10, e01651.
https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.1651
[15]
Crocker, S. F., & Philippson, P. (2005). Phenomenology, Existentialism, and Eastern Thought in Gestalt Therapy. In A. L. Woldt, & S. M. Toman (Eds.), Gestalt Therapy: History, Theory, and Practice (pp. 65-80). SAGE Publications Inc.
[16]
Crowley, C., Kapitula, L. R., & Munk, D. (2022). Mindfulness, Happiness, and Anxiety in a Sample of College Students before and after Taking a Meditation Course. Journal of American College Health, 70, 493-500. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2020.1754839
[17]
Dattilio, F. M., Edwards, D. J. A., & Fishman, D. B. (2010). Case Studies within a Mixed Methods Paradigm: Toward a Resolution of the Alienation between Researcher and Practitioner in Psychotherapy Research. Psychotherapy, 47, 427-441.
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021181
[18]
Davis, D. M., & Hayes, J. A. (2011). What Are the Benefits of Mindfulness? A Practice Review of Psychotherapy-Related Research. Psychotherapy (Chicago, Ill.), 48, 198-208.
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022062
[19]
Dawson, A. F., Brown, W. W., Anderson, J., Datta, B., Donald, J. N., Hong, K., Allan, S., Mole, T. B., Jones, P. B., & Galante, J. (2020). Mindfulness-Based Interventions for University Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 12, 384-410.
https://doi.org/10.1111/APHW.12188
[20]
Daya, Z., & Hearn, J. H. (2018). Mindfulness Interventions in Medical Education: A Systematic Review of Their Impact on Medical Student Stress, Depression, Fatigue and Burnout. Medical Teacher, 40, 146-153.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2017.1394999
[21]
De Vibe, M., Solhaug, I., Rosenvinge, J. H., Tyssen, R., Hanley, A., & Garland, E. (2018). Six-Year Positive Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Mindfulness, Coping and Well-Being in Medical and Psychology Students; Results from a Randomized Con- trolled Trial. PLOS ONE, 13, e0196053. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0196053
[22]
Dvoráková, K., Kishida, M., Li, J., Elavsky, S., Broderick, P. C., Agrusti, M. R., & Greenberg, M. T. (2017). Promoting Healthy Transition to College through Mindfulness Training with First-Year College Students: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Ame- rican College Health, 65, 259-267. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2017.1278605
[23]
Fall, K. A., Holden, J. M., & Marquis, A. (2017). Theoritical Models of Counseling and Psychotherapy (3rd ed.). Routledge Taylor &Francis Group.
[24]
Finkelstein-Fox, L., Park, C. L., & Riley, K. E. (2018). Mindfulness and Emotion Regulation: Promoting Well-Being during the Transition to College. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping: An International Journal, 31, 639-653. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2018.1518635
[25]
Galante, J., Dufour, G., Vainre, M., Wagner, A. P., Stochl, J., Benton, A., Lathia, N., Howarth, E., & Jones, P. B. (2018). A Mindfulness-Based Intervention to Increase Resilience to Stress in University Students (the Mindful Student Study): A Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial. The Lancet Public Health, 3, e72-e81.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(17)30231-1
[26]
Galante, J., Friedrich, C., Dawson, A. F., Modrego-Alarcón, M., Gebbing, P., Delgado- Suárez, I., Gupta, R., Dean, L., Dalgleish, T., White, I. R., & Jones, P. B. (2021). Mind- fulness-Based Programmes for Mental Health Promotion in Adults in Nonclinical Set- tings: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. PLoS Medicine, 18, e1003481. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003481
[27]
Galante, J., Stochl, J., Dufour, G., Vainre, M., Wagner, A. P., & Jones, P. B. (2020). Effec- tiveness of Providing University Students with a Mindfulness-Based Intervention to Increase Resilience to Stress: 1-Year Follow-Up of a Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 75, 151-160.
https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2020-214390
[28]
Geller, S. M. (2020). Cultivating Therapeutic Presence: Strengthening Your Clinical Heart, Mind, and Practice.
[29]
Germer, C. K., Siegel, R., & Fulton, P. R. (2013). Mindfulness and Psychotherapy (2nd ed.). Guilford Publications.
[30]
Ginger, S. (2007). Gestalt Therapy: The Art of Contact. Routledge.
[31]
Gold, E., & Zahm, S. (2018). Buddhist Psychology & Gestalt Therapy Integrated: Psycho- therapy for the 21st Century. Metta Press.
[32]
Gold, E., & Zahm, S. (2022). Embodied Relational Presence in Buddhist Psychology Informed Gestalt Therapy. In P. Cole (Ed.), The Relational Heart of Gestalt Therapy (pp. 187-200). Routledge.
[33]
González-Valero, G., Zurita-Ortega, F., Ubago-Jiménez, J. L., & Puertas-Molero, P. (2019). Use of Meditation and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for the Treatment of Stress, Depression and Anxiety in Students. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Inter- national Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16, 4394.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16224394
[34]
Hanh, T. N. (1975). The Miracle of Mindfulness. An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation. Beacon Press.
[35]
Hanh, T. N. (2010). La respiration Essentielle. Notre rendez-vous avec la vie. Albin Michel.
[36]
Hayes, S. C., & Shenk, C. (2004). Operationalizing Mindfulness without Unnecessary Attachments. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11, 249-254.
https://doi.org/10.1093/CLIPSY.BPH079
[37]
Hill, C. L. M., & Updegraff, J. A. (2012). Mindfulness and Its Relationship to Emotional Regulation. Emotion, 12, 81-90. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026355
[38]
Joyce, P., & Sills, C. (2014). Skills in Gestalt Counselling and Psychotherapy. SAGE Pub- lications.
[39]
Kabat Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life. Hyperion.
[40]
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe living Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness. Delacorte.
https://www.scirp.org/(S(i43dyn45teexjx455qlt3d2q))/reference/ReferencesPapers.aspx?ReferenceID=380726
[41]
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life. Hyperion.
[42]
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Context: Past, Present, and Future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10, 144-156.
https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy/bpg016
[43]
Kafetsios, K., & Zampetakis, L. A. (2008). Emotional Intelligence and Job Satisfaction: Testing the Mediatory Role of Positive and Negative Affect at Work. Personality and Individual Differences, 44, 712-722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2007.10.004
[44]
Khor, S. H. (2019). The Tranformative Breath of Universal Perichoresis—Reawakening of Primordial Experience in Contemplative Gestalt Group Therapy. Dissertation, Sophia University Institute.
[45]
Khoury, B., Lecomte, T., Fortin, G., Masse, M., Therien, P., Bouchard, V., Chapleau, M. A., Paquin, K., & Hofmann, S. G. (2013). Mindfulness-Based Therapy: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 33, 763-771.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2013.05.005
[46]
Kim, S.-B. (2009). Gestalt Group Meditation Therapy Effect on Occupational Stress and Anxiety in Working Women. International Journal of Contents, 5, 44-50.
https://doi.org/10.5392/IJoC.2009.5.4.044
[47]
Kirkpatrick, K. L. (2005). Enhancing Self-Compassion Using a Gestalt Two-Chair Inter- vention. Doctoral Dissertation of the University of Texas at Austin.
[48]
Kong, F., & Zhao, J. (2013). Affective Mediators of the Relationship between Trait Emo- tional Intelligence and Life Satisfaction in Young Adults. Personality and Individual Differences, 54, 197-201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.08.028
[49]
Kong, F., Gong, X., Sajjad, S., Yang, K., & Zhao, J. (2019). How Is Emotional Intelligence Linked to Life Satisfaction? The Mediating Role of Social Support, Positive Affect and Negative Affect. Journal of Happiness Studies, 20, 2733-2745.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-00069-4
[50]
Kong, F., Wang, X., & Zhao, J. (2014). Dispositional Mindfulness and Life Satisfaction: The Role of Core Self-Evaluations. Personality and Individual Differences, 56, 165-169.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2013.09.002
[51]
Kong, F., Zhao, J., & You, X. (2012). Emotional Intelligence and Life Satisfaction in Chinese University Students: The Mediating Role of Self-Esteem and Social Support. Personality and Individual Differences, 53, 1039-1043.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2012.07.032
[52]
Leung, G. S. M., & Khor, S. H. (2017). Gestalt Intervention Groups for Anxious Parents in Hong Kong: A Quasi-Experimental Design. Journal of Evidence-Informed Social Work, 14, 183-200. https://doi.org/10.1080/23761407.2017.1311814
[53]
Lin, J. W., & Mai, L. J. (2018). Impact of Mindfulness Meditation Intervention on Academic Performance. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 55, 366-375.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2016.1231617
[54]
Linehan, M. M. (1994). Acceptance and Change: The Central Dialectic in Psychotherapy. In S. C. Hayes, N. C. Jacobson, V. M. Follette, & M. J. Dougher (Eds.), Acceptance and Change: Content and Context in Psychotherapy (pp. 73-90). Context Press.
[55]
Lovibond, P., & Lovibond, S. (1995). The Structure of Negative Emotional States: Com- parison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33, 335-343.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(94)00075-U
[56]
Lyrakos, G. N., Arvaniti, C., Smyrnioti, M., & Kostopanagiotou, G. (2011). P03-561— Translation and Validation Study of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale in the Greek General Population and in a Psychiatric Patient’s Sample. European Psychiatry, 26, 1731. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0924-9338(11)73435-6
[57]
Mann, D. (2010). Gestalt Therapy 100 Key Points and Techniques. Taylor & Francis Routledge.
[58]
Mantzios, M., & Wilson, J. C. (2013). Psychometric Properties of the Greek Versions of the Self-Compassion and Mindful Attention and Awareness Scales. Mindfulness, 6, 123-132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-013-0237-3
[59]
Miller, M. K., Finkel, J. P., Marcus, B. N., Burgin, E., Prosek, E. A., Crace, R. K., & Bravo, A. J. (2022). Efficacy of a University Offered Mindfulness Training on Perceived Stress. Journal of Counseling and Development, 100, 278-283.
https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12421
[60]
Mouza, A.-M. (2015). Perceived Stress of the Undergraduate Students in Greece Due to the Economic Crisis. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences, 177, 265-272.
https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SBSPRO.2015.02.331
[61]
Myint, K., Choy, K. L., Su, T. T., & Lam, S. K. (2011). The Effect of Short-Term Practice of Mindfulness Meditation in Alleviating Stress in University Students. Biomedical Research, 22, 165-171.
[62]
Olendzki, A. (2013). The Roots of Mindfulness. In C. K. Germer, R. D. Siegel, & P. Fulton (Eds.), Mindfulness and Psychotherapy (pp. 261-281). The Guilford Press.
[63]
Oztürk, A. G. (2019). Gestalt Group Practice for Increasing Awareness of University Students. International Journal of Psychology and Educational Studies, 6, 1-8.
https://doi.org/10.17220/ijpes.2019.03.001
[64]
Oztürk, A. G., & Yüksel, M. Y. (2015). The Effect of Gestalt-Based Group Practice on University Students’ Contact Styles and Awareness Levels. Journal of Educational and Instructional Studies in the World, 5, 47-59.
[65]
Paschali, A., & Tsitsas, G. (2010). Stress and Life Satisfaction among University Stu- dents—A Pilot Study. Annals of General Psychiatry, 9, 9-10.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-859x-9-s1-s96
[66]
Perls, F., Hefferline, R., & Goodman, P. (1951). Gestalt Therapy. Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality. Julian Press.
[67]
Reavley, N. J. (2018). Mindfulness Training in Higher Education Students. The Lancet Public Health, 3, e55-e56. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(17)30241-4
[68]
Rosky, C. J., Roberts, R. L., Hanley, A. W., & Garland, E. L. (2022). Mindful Lawyering: A Pilot Study on Mindfulness Training for Law Students. Mindfulness, 13, 2347-2356.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-022-01965-w
[69]
Ruiz-Aranda, D., Extremera, N., & Pineda-Galán, C. (2014). Emotional Intelligence, Life Satisfaction and Subjective Happiness in Female Student Health Professionals: The Mediating Effect of Perceived Stress. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 21, 106-113. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpm.12052
[70]
Schutte, N. S., & Malouff, J. M. (2011). Emotional Intelligence Mediates the Relationship between Mindfulness and Subjective Well-Being. Personality and Individual Differences, 50, 1116-1119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2011.01.037
[71]
Segal, Z., Williams, J. M. G., Teasdale, J., & Kabat-Zinn, J. (2007). The Mindful Way through Depression. The Guilford Press.
[72]
Seppala, E. M., Bradley, C., Moeller, J., Harouni, L., Nandamudi, D., & Brackett, M. A. (2020). Promoting Mental Health and Psychological Thriving in University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Three Well-Being Interventions. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, Article No. 590. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00590
[73]
Shapiro, S. L., Carlson, L. E., Astin, J. A., & Freedman, B. (2006). Mechanisms of Mind- fulness. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62, 373-386.
[74]
Sharma, A., & Gupta, P. (2021). Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness and Subjective Well- Being: A Mediational Analysis. The International Journal of Indian Psychology, 9, 1100- 1107. https://doi.org/10.25215/0901.115
[75]
Siegel, D. J. (2018). Aware. The Science and Practice of Presenence. The Groundbreaking Meditation Practice. Penguin Random House.
[76]
Skottun, G., & Krüger, A. (2022). Gestalt Therapy Practice: Theory and Experiential Lear- ning. Routledge.
[77]
Snowden, A., Stenhouse, R., Young, J., Carver, H., Carver, F., & Brown, N. (2015). The Relationship between Emotional Intelligence, Previous Caring Experience and Mindful- ness in Student Nurses and Midwives: A Cross Sectional Analysis. Nurse Education Today, 35, 152-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2014.09.004
[78]
Spagnuolo Lobb, M. (2013). The Now-for-Next in Psychotherapy. Gestalt Therapy Re- counted in Post-Modern Society. Istituto di Gestalt HCC Italy Publ. Co.
[79]
Tsitsas, G., Nanopoulos, P., & Paschali, A. (2019). Life Satisfaction, and Anxiety Levels among University Students. Creative Education, 10, 947-961.
https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2019.105071
[80]
Wagner-Moore, L. E. (2004). Gestalt Therapy: Past, Present, Theory, and Research. Psycho- therapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 41, 180-189.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-3204.41.2.180
[81]
Walsh, R., & Shapiro, S. L. (2006). The Meeting of Meditative Disciplines and Western Psychology: A Mutually Enriching Dialogue. American Psychologist, 61, 227-239.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.61.3.227
[82]
Wang, Y., & Kong, F. (2014). The Role of Emotional Intelligence in the Impact of Mind- fulness on Life Satisfaction and Mental Distress. Social Indicators Research, 116, 843- 852. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0327-6
[83]
Wong, C. S., & Law, K. S. (2002). The Effects of Leader and Follower Emotional Intelligence on Performance and Attitude: An Exploratory Study. Leadership Quarterly, 13, 243- 274. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1048-9843(02)00099-1
[84]
Xiong, Y., Prasath, P. R., Zhang, Q., & Jeon, L. (2022). A Mindfulness-Based Well-Being Group for International Students in Higher Education: A Pilot Study. Journal of Coun- seling and Development, 100, 374-385. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12432
[85]
Yontef, G. (1993). Awareness, Dialogue and Process. Gestalt Journal Press.
[86]
Yontef, G., & Jacobs, L. (2005). Gestalt Therapy. In D. Wedding, & R. Corsini (Eds.), Current Psychotherapies (pp. 229-336). Brooks/Cole.
[87]
Zollars, I., Poirier, T. I., & Pailden, J. (2019). Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Mindfulness, Mental Well-being, and Perceived Stress. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 11, 1022-1028. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CPTL.2019.06.005
