Embodied Presence in the Digital Field: A Gestalt Therapy Case Study in Online Psychotherapy

Abstract (English)

This presentation explores the transformative potential of Gestalt Therapy within online therapeutic settings, investigating how embodied presence and emotional resonance manifest despite physical distance. The case study of a patient engaged in a Gestalt-oriented psychotherapy conducted via video conferencing provides a concrete lens to examine how relational depth and therapeutic efficacy can be preserved—and even amplified—in digital spaces.

Drawing from foundational Gestalt principles such as field theory and figure-ground dynamics, the work demonstrates how awareness, contact, and the therapist’s embodied presence remain central in virtual practice. The digital setting, often perceived as limiting, is reframed as a fluid container—an emergent field that shapes and is shaped by the relational interplay between therapist and client. Francesetti's field perspective (2015, 2019, 2021) is pivotal in conceptualizing the online therapeutic space not as a diluted substitute for in-person contact, but as an environment rich with potential for co-regulated presence, aesthetic resonance, and mutual co-constitution of self and world.

In this setting, corporeal cues—though visually constrained—do not disappear; rather, they demand heightened attunement. The therapist becomes a refined listener of micro-signals: posture, breath, vocal rhythm, sensations, and the subtle choreography of presence. Here, the body's expressive capacity remains central, aligning with Latner’s (1986) and Kepner’s (1997) emphasis on bodily experience as a gateway to emotional integration. The therapist’s somatic awareness becomes a diagnostic and relational tool, expanding the sensory field through which affective attunement occurs (Gallese, 2007; Geller & Greenberg, 2022).

Furthermore, the integration of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers practical tools—such as mindfulness and values-driven action—that enrich the Gestalt approach, enhancing flexibility in response to the affective complexity of the online context (Hayes et al., 2011). The clinical case illustrates how the therapeutic process, sustained by this dual framework, enables the emergence of authentic self-expression and emotional regulation.

This work contributes to current debates on the legitimacy and specificity of virtual therapy by illustrating how Gestalt Therapy, with its focus on embodied awareness and field dynamics, can offer a deeply human, relational, and effective response to the challenges of digital mediation. It invites reflection on how therapeutic presence can be cultivated in the age of screens—where bodies still speak, resonate, and transform.