Hypothesis for Describing a Case of Gestalt Psychotherapy Using the Network and Process Model Approach with Reference to RDoC.

The psychotherapeutic approach of Gestalt has increasingly attracted the attention of scholars in recent years because it has proven effective in treating various mental health problems. Gestalt therapy is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on promoting self-awareness and personal growth by emphasizing the importance of experiencing and addressing one's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in the present moment, within the context of the whole self and environment. The Italian Federation of Gestalt Schools and Institutes, recognized by the Ministry of University and Research, has developed a protocol for analyzing the effectiveness of Gestalt psychotherapy based on individual case studies, applying the study of processes through complex networks. According to the topic “Cognitive sciences in the digital world” of the CogInfoCom Conference, the study aims to develop a method for analyzing Gestalt psychotherapy sessions within a process-oriented therapy vision based on the RDoC model, analyzing the variables involved using the complex networks method. The analysis of complex networks provides Gestalt with a useful tool for understanding psychotherapeutic dynamics while respecting the complexity of relational phenomena and allows the study of these phenomena without improper or unacceptable reductions and approximations. This mode of analysis allows us to identify specific domains of psychological functioning that are relevant to individual patients and to highlight, within these domains, the target functions for therapy interventions. The analytical approach described is not based on syndromes but on psychopathological processes, capturing the dynamic interaction between psychological phenomena during therapy, enabling us to identify key factors of change and improve our overall understanding of the psychotherapeutic process.