ABSTRACT
Implicit in the theory of Gestalt therapy there is theory of human nature. Everyone, no matter what that person’s walk of life, operates with some idea about the nature of human beings, and this tacit understanding guides expectations and behavior in relation to other people. It is impossible not to have some ideas about how human beings are typically motivated and how they characteristically behave. All therapists operate with a tacit notion of human nature and, derivatively, of what constitutes healthy and unhealthy functioning; otherwise, they would not know what to focus on in their clients’ behavior or how to intervene. The theory of human nature which any given psychotherapist holds--no matter how clearly or unclearly it is understood--is deeply influenced by the (formal or eclectic) theory of the therapeutic approach she takes. The more clearly a therapist understands the view of human nature which is implied by her approach to the therapeutic process, the greater is the likelihood that the therapist will be effective. It is as Socrates stated, “Unless we know what the goal is, we will not know whether we are going toward it or away from it.”
