FROM LIKE TO AWARENESS: GESTALT THERAPY IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Abstract

The presence of social media in everyday life has profoundly transformed forms of contact, identity, and belonging. The digital environment, marked by algorithms and the relentless pursuit of external validation, has generated new modes of suffering that frequently appear in clinical practice: anxiety, low self-esteem, loneliness, and feelings of emptiness. In this context, Gestalt therapy offers a privileged lens to understand and intervene by valuing the here-and-now experience, awareness, and contact as central dimensions of existence. This article discusses how the concepts of contact boundary, creative adjustment, and presence can help address the challenges of hyperconnectivity, proposing a transition from the like—a symbol of dependence on external approval—to awareness, understood as critical consciousness and self-regulation. In addition to reflecting on contemporary demands emerging in clinical settings, we present Gestalt therapeutic interventions that promote balance between technology and life, emphasizing the importance of the therapist’s presence as a counterpoint to the fragmented contact fostered by social media. We conclude that Gestalt therapy, by integrating theory and practice, constitutes a space of resistance and re-signification in the face of digital pressures.