Gestalt (Here-and-Now) Therapist in Venice

Get Present. Get Real. Discover Who You Are in This Moment.

In our Gestalt Therapy sessions, we will explore:

  • Increasing awareness of what you think, feel, and do in the moment

    •    Identifying unfinished emotional business from the past

    •    Exploring mind-body awareness, posture, tension, and movement

    •    Practicing personal responsibility and emotional ownership

    •    Working with the “empty chair” technique to process inner conflict

    •    Experiencing emotions fully, rather than intellectualizing them

    •    Reconnecting with parts of the self (the inner child, inner critic, etc.)

    •    Living with more spontaneity, choice, and emotional aliveness

In Gestalt Therapy, the focus isn’t on fixing the past or predicting the future—it’s on what’s happening right now.  How are you showing up in this moment? What are you feeling, avoiding, expressing, or holding back?  Gestalt Therapy helps you tune into your thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and behavior to build awareness, authenticity, and choice.

As a licensed psychotherapist and former medical doctor who incorporates Gestalt principles, I guide clients to explore their inner world by staying grounded in the present. Rather than talking about your life, we explore how you experience it as it’s unfolding. This approach is experiential, empowering, and often profoundly transformative.

You can’t change what you aren’t aware of. But once you are aware—everything shifts.  Let’s meet you where you are—right here, right now—and see what wants to emerge.

I provide therapy in Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Venice, Marina Del Rey, Culver City, Mar Vista, Playa Del Rey, West Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades, Palms, and Santa Monica.

Are you struggling to feel connected in your relationships or overwhelmed by emotional patterns that keep repeating? A Gestalt (Here-and-Now) Therapist can help you make sense of what’s happening in your present experience, not just your past. By focusing on the here and now, Gestalt Therapy helps people develop greater awareness, emotional clarity, and the ability to make healthier choices.

Steven Kilmann, LMFT, offers Gestalt (Here-and-Now) Therapy in Venice Beach for individuals seeking real-time emotional breakthroughs. This therapy supports clients in becoming more aware of their behaviors, thoughts, and emotions as they arise during the session, allowing change to begin in the moment.

In this article, you’ll learn what Gestalt Therapy is, how it works, what to expect in a session, and how working with a Gestalt (Here-and-Now) Therapist in Venice Beach can improve emotional health and personal growth.

What Is Gestalt (Here-and-Now) Therapy?

Gestalt Therapy is an experiential form of psychotherapy.

It focuses on:

  • The present moment (rather than revisiting old trauma endlessly)

  • How you interact with your environment and therapist

  • Taking ownership of your feelings and actions

Instead of analyzing problems from the outside, this therapy invites you to explore how those issues show up right now in your body, speech, or emotional reactions. That immediate awareness becomes the foundation for healing.

Benefits of Gestalt (Here-and-Now) Therapy in Venice Beach

Working with a Gestalt (Here-and-Now) Therapist, Venice clients trust offers several direct advantages:

  1. Increased Self-Awareness
     You learn to recognize emotional triggers as they happen.

  2. Stronger Communication Skills
     Sessions support more honest and assertive expression.

  3. Improved Emotional Regulation
     As awareness grows, impulsive reactions decrease.

  4. Deeper Relationships
     By understanding your patterns, you change how you relate to others.

  5. Reduced Anxiety
     Focusing on what’s happening now helps calm overwhelming thoughts about the past or future.

What Happens in a Gestalt Therapy Session?

Every session with Steven Kilmann, LMFT, is collaborative and grounded in the present moment. You might:

  • Explore body sensations and emotional responses as they happen

  • Practice dialogues with parts of yourself (called "empty chair work")

  • Receive real-time feedback from your therapist

  • Notice how you physically respond during difficult topics

Instead of “fixing” you, a Gestalt (Here-and-Now) Therapist helps you notice what’s happening, accept it, and decide how to respond.

Who Can Benefit from Gestalt Therapy?

This therapy is useful for individuals dealing with:

  • Anxiety and panic

  • Relationship issues

  • Creative blocks

  • Low self-esteem

  • Depression

  • Grief or unresolved anger

It’s especially effective for people who feel “stuck” repeating the same patterns but can’t seem to change them.

Why Choose Steven Kilmann, LMFT, for Gestalt (Here-and-Now) Therapy Venice Clients Trust

Steven Kilmann, LMFT, brings years of experience helping clients feel more grounded and connected. His practice in Venice Beach combines Gestalt methods with a compassionate, direct approach. He offers a safe space where you can explore emotions honestly without judgment.

Clients have described their sessions with Steven as:

  • “Emotionally freeing”

  • “Unlike any therapy I’ve done before”

  • “Groundbreaking in how quickly I started to feel better”

You can read more about Steven’s therapeutic approach by visiting his About page or exploring how he helps as a concierge therapist.

Gestalt Techniques Used in Therapy

Steven often uses techniques that bring immediate awareness to feelings and behaviors:

  • Empty Chair Work: Helps you talk to parts of yourself or people you're struggling with emotionally

  • Body Awareness: Tracks posture, breath, and physical tension as clues to emotions

  • Language Shifts: You’re encouraged to use “I” statements to take ownership of your experience

  • Experimentation: You may be invited to try new responses in a safe space and see how they feel

What Makes Gestalt Therapy Unique

Compared to other types of therapy, Gestalt focuses more on your direct experience in the moment rather than a diagnosis or treatment plan.

  • It’s active rather than passive

  • It promotes personal responsibility

  • It brings deep insights through experience, not just talking

This approach is especially useful for creatives, professionals, and emotionally intelligent individuals who want to feel more deeply rather than just think through issues.

Is This Therapy Right for You?

Ask yourself:

  • Do I often feel disconnected or numb?

  • Am I stuck in repeating the same issues in relationships or work?

  • Do I struggle to stay in the present without overthinking?

  • Would I benefit from a direct, engaging approach instead of just talking?

If you said yes to any of these, working with a Gestalt (Here-and-Now) Therapist in Venice Beach could help.

How to Get Started

Starting therapy with Steven Kilmann, LMFT, is simple:

  1. Request a Free Consultation
     You’ll have a brief call to see if this therapy is a good fit.

  2. Schedule a Session
     Sessions are available both in-person in Venice Beach and online.

  3. Begin the Work
     Sessions focus on your current experience and build tools for change.

Conclusion: Why the Present Moment Heals

Gestalt (Here-and-Now) Therapy works because it meets you where you are, right now. Instead of talking about your emotions, you work with them in real time. That shift can lead to breakthroughs in how you feel, think, and relate.

Steven Kilmann, LMFT, offers a grounded, highly attuned approach to Gestalt (Here-and-Now) Therapy that Venice residents have come to trust. If you're ready to stop recycling old stories and start making real change, therapy that’s rooted in the here and now may be your next step.