How do Gestalt therapy and existential therapy relate to the movie ordinary people?

Answer 1

Well existential therapy deals with analyzing why life is worth living, and the nature behind why life is important, which are the catalysts for how Judd Hircsh employs his Gestalt therapy.

Gestalt therapy is all about being present, in the here and now with your client and by using confrontation, uncovering the client's issues. Another component of Gestalt uses an empty chair, or two person chairs, where the client talks with the counselor as though they are another person, or the client pretends to be two different people. Both Techniques are explored in the film.

(MAJOR SPOILERS)

In one of the counseling scenes Judd Hirsch asks Timothy Hutton,

"How are you?"

To which Timothy Hutton responds

"I'm Fine"

to which Judd Hirsch after observing Timothy Hutton's non-verbal cues (another component of Gestalt) says something to the affect of,

"No you're not fine you're angry."

Timothy Hutton denies his angry by shouting back at him, and finally yells at Judd Hirsch and the truth is revealed. This kind of intervention would be very much in-line with Gestalt therapy.

The climax of the movie very touchingly has Timothy Hutton talking with Judd Hirsch who is talking as though he is his dead brother. In this scene, Timothy Hutton finally gets over his Survivor's guilt by getting to say all of the unfinished things he wanted to say to his brother and coming to terms with his death and how it affected him. The technique that Judd Hirsch's character employs is very Gestalt.