21/11/2025
‘The Paradox of Change’
The paradox of change is a central concept of Gestalt Therapy. It is the understanding that real change occurs when a person is able to fully accept and be who they are in the present moment.
Rather than striving to force change if we can embrace and accept our current feelings and state then we reduce internal conflict and create space for organic growth and meaningful change to occur.
A helpful way to understand this is to think about the analogy of quicksand: the more you struggle to get out of quicksand the faster you sink and the more trouble you get in, if you stay calm accept you are stuck and then respond with careful, considered action you will find your way out.
Learning how to respond rather than react to ourselves and our experiences is key to achieving good mental health and wellbeing.
Cx