The Safe Emergency in Gestalt Therapy

The Safe Emergency is the idea that growth and healing require a level of emotional activation—an emotional “emergency” of sorts—but one that happens in a safe, supportive relational field.

In life, many of us have had overwhelming experiences that left us alone with too much. For some, this begins when left as a baby to cry itself to sleep, or when left in an incubator too long without being held, or early medical procedures.  In therapy, we intentionally invite just enough of that discomfort back in—not to retraumatise, but to provide the opportunity for a different outcome. This time, you are not alone. This time, you can stay with the feeling, process it in your body, move if needed, speak it aloud, and feel held while doing so.

It might look like someone who has always said “yes” beginning to experiment with a small, embodied “no.” Or someone used to hiding their tears allowing themselves to feel their sadness and notice how they stop themselves from expressing it. Or someone who pulls themselves back from speaking might pay attention to how they physically hold themselves back. I might even invite them to increase the holding back by an inch, and to notice what happens. A client who has always feared anger might begin to notice the subtle ways it shows up in their body—the clenched jaw, the tight shoulders—and learn to stay with it, feel it, and eventually find ways to express it with care. Another might realise that behind their habitual “no” is a fear of being overwhelmed, and that with the right support, they can begin to say “yes” again, to life and to connection.

These may seem like small moments, but in the context of a fixed gestalt that has ruled their emotional world for their lifetime, these are acts of revolution and offer pathways to a new embodied experience.

If you're curious about exploring this work, I’d love to hear from you.