* They tend to be very rigid—restrained, overcontrolled, perfectionist—or depressed, or phobic. That is, they have certain well-defined fears; for example, fear of public speaking, of insects, of sexual intercourse.
* They have become stultified in their relations with others and have pent-up feelings in need of release.
* They obtain little joy or satisfaction from living; their lives lack emotional intensity.
* They are not excessively frightened by group activity.
Specific conditions Gestalt therapy often treats include these:
* psychosomatic disorders, such as stomach pain, colitis, back and neck spasms, and migraines
* behavior problems in children
* difficulties in coping with persons in authority
* shyness and passivity
* emotional difficulties arising from poverty and from the deprivations suffered by minority groups