In Gestalt therapy, retroflection is best described as turning back to ourselves what we would like to do to others.

In Gestalt therapy, retroflection is best described as turning back to ourselves what we would like to do to others.

• A. Impassé layer
• B. Projection
• C. Retroflection
• D. Disowning parts

Answer: (C)

Retroflection in Gestalt therapy describes turning back onto ourselves the energy or impulse we would like to direct toward others. This means the drive to act, express anger, affection, or needs that normally would be shown outward is redirected inward, showing up as self-criticism, self-blame, or self-punishment. This pattern blocks direct contact with others and keeps the person from resolving the situation in reality by expressing what they feel to the other person. For example, if someone feels irritated by a coworker’s behavior but doesn’t speak up, they might instead criticize themselves harshly or punish themselves for the irritation. That inward redirection is retroflection. This is distinct from projection, which would involve attributing those feelings to someone else as if the other person were actually angry or needy, rather than the person themselves. Disowning parts refers to denying or excluding aspects of the self from awareness, not necessarily directing those impulses inward in a self-critical way. The “impasse layer” idea is a related but broader concept about contact blocks, not the specific act of directing energy inward.

Retroflection in Gestalt therapy describes turning back onto ourselves the energy or impulse we would like to direct toward others. This means the drive to act, express anger, affection, or needs that normally would be shown outward is redirected inward, showing up as self-criticism, self-blame, or self-punishment. This pattern blocks direct contact with others and keeps the person from resolving the situation in reality by expressing what they feel to the other person.

For example, if someone feels irritated by a coworker’s behavior but doesn’t speak up, they might instead criticize themselves harshly or punish themselves for the irritation. That inward redirection is retroflection. This is distinct from projection, which would involve attributing those feelings to someone else as if the other person were actually angry or needy, rather than the person themselves. Disowning parts refers to denying or excluding aspects of the self from awareness, not necessarily directing those impulses inward in a self-critical way. The “impasse layer” idea is a related but broader concept about contact blocks, not the specific act of directing energy inward.