Using 'I' statements in Gestalt therapy helps clients shift toward what?

Using 'I' statements in Gestalt therapy helps clients shift toward what?

• A. External attribution
• B. Personal responsibility for feelings and actions
• C. Minimization of impact
• D. Denial of responsibility

Answer: (B)

In Gestalt therapy, the goal is to cultivate awareness of one’s own experience in the here and now and to own how one feels and acts. Using I statements supports that by focusing on the speaker’s own experience instead of pointing at others. When a client says “I feel frustrated when meetings run late,” they take responsibility for that feeling and the meaning they attach to the situation, which helps them see their part in the interaction and choose how to respond. This move toward personal responsibility for feelings and actions promotes authentic contact, reduces defensiveness, and strengthens boundaries and communication. Blaming others, minimizing impact, or denying responsibility don’t foster this self-aware, accountable stance, which is why the I-statement approach is the most effective here.

In Gestalt therapy, the goal is to cultivate awareness of one’s own experience in the here and now and to own how one feels and acts. Using I statements supports that by focusing on the speaker’s own experience instead of pointing at others. When a client says “I feel frustrated when meetings run late,” they take responsibility for that feeling and the meaning they attach to the situation, which helps them see their part in the interaction and choose how to respond. This move toward personal responsibility for feelings and actions promotes authentic contact, reduces defensiveness, and strengthens boundaries and communication. Blaming others, minimizing impact, or denying responsibility don’t foster this self-aware, accountable stance, which is why the I-statement approach is the most effective here.