What outcome is described for the Gestalt 'Rehearsal Exercise'?

• A. The client repeats past patterns.
• B. The client eliminates past feelings brought to the present, allowing the future to unfold as desired.
• C. The client focuses on dreams.
• D. The client learns relaxation techniques.

Answer: (B)

Gestalt therapy emphasizes bringing unfinished business into the present and experiencing emotions as they occur now. The rehearsal exercise gives the client a chance to practice expressing emotions to someone tied to past conflicts, right in the session. By voicing and fully experiencing those past feelings in the here-and-now, the emotional charge is released, reducing its grip on future behavior. The intended result is that past feelings are eliminated from influencing the present and future, so life can unfold more freely and authentically.

This differs from repeating old patterns, which would keep unresolved issues active; focusing on dreams is more aligned with other modalities; and relaxation techniques aren’t the core aim of this rehearsal method.