Expanding Awareness and Contact

through Experiential Learning

Kay Peterson, MS, MBA
David A. Kolb, PhD

Abstract |  A Gestalt approach to change and adaptation focuses on aware-

ness and contact and therefore requires learning. Experiential Learning is the
primary holistic process of adaptation, which integrates interdependent pairs of
opposites to be most effective. We explore how Experiential Learning can pro-
vide a framework for Gestalt practitioners to make the learning process and our
approach to it explicit, thereby increasing awareness. In addition, through the
process and content of Experiential Learning, we provide suggestions for using
Gestalt experiments to build flexibility in using learning styles that empower us
to have choice in the way we make contact. We build awareness that learning
is present in every life experience and is an invitation to be engaged in each
experience. We become aware that we are learning, how we are learning, and—
perhaps most importantly—what we are learning.

Keywords |  experiential learning, interdependent opposites, learning as a

process, multidimensional learning, polar differentiation

Concepts can never be presented to me merely, they must be knitted into

the structure of my being, and this can only be done through my own
activity.—Mary Parker Follett (1924)

Gestalt Review, Vol. 22, No. 2, 2018

Copyright © 2018 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
 Expanding Awareness and Contact  |  227

Gestalt practitioners are in the business of change. The way we change

can be described in the way we learn, a process that is so familiar and
automatic that it recedes into ground. In this article, we make learn-
ing figural with Experiential Learning by describing the central role of
experience, and the awareness of that experience, in learning. Like the
concept of figure and ground, the learning process includes pairs of
interdependent opposites that involve all parts of the whole person. We
make decisions, however, unconscious, to preference certain poles and
avoid or underutilize others, interrupting our ability to learn completely
and to make contact. But, with awareness, we view the dilemmas of the
learning process as a continuum of choices, and we are free to move
in any direction, overcoming the habit of being pulled to one extreme
or the other. Stevenson (2010) identifies the result of this awareness by
explaining how meaning-making polarities start as a polar differentia-
tion (opposites) that becomes an insight as the polarization dissolves
into a multidimensional learning that the whole is more than the sum
of the parts:

The insight unleashes creative energy and creates fresh possibili-

ties. In this way, the usual meaning-making process of polar differ-
entiation is set aside in a state of pure being through a deliberate
act of polar indifferentiation. The closer we come to simply being,
the more we open a space—a “fertile void”—in which fresh possi-
bilities can arise. (113)

In what follows, we maintain that understanding the learning process and

our own approach to using it is the key to self-transformation and growth.

Gestalt Awareness and Experiencing

The Gestalt practitioner’s role is to heighten awareness of the limiting

human tendency to prefer one circumstance to another in a way that
blinds us to other possibilities. This begins by raising awareness so that
we do not impose old meaning on new experiences, rushing to closure
before we have extracted new meaning, but stay fully present in the
“here and now” as both a participant and a witness.
228 | Gestalt Review

Awareness of one’s subjective experience is paramount for ­learning.

Mary Parker Follett (1924) drew from both Gestalt theory and the
opposing school of behaviorism in creating her approach to learning and
development. As a truly interdisciplinary and radical thinker, she placed
experience and human interaction at the center of her theory of human
development. Experience, according to Follett, was the primary source
of creativity, thoughts, and purpose:

All that I am, all that life has made me, every past experience that I
have had—woven into the tissue of my life—I must give to the new
experience. . . . We integrate our experience, and then the richer
human being that we are goes into the new experience; again we
give our self and always be giving rise above the old self. (136–37)

It is not experience, but experiencing that is the source of learning.

Because of our habits and stereotypes, we live through many experiences
without actually experiencing them. Through a Gestalt perspective, we
accept that learning and change can only occur when the individual per-
ception and meaning making are interrupted. John Dewey (1933) con-
curred when he proposed that, to initiate reflection and learning, our
habitual experience must be interrupted by deep experiencing, such as
when we are stuck with a problem or difficulty, or struck by the strange-
ness of something outside of our usual experience. But we can also strip
our biases from our experiences in more deliberate ways.
Without new experiences there can be no real learning; people only
recombine and reiterate what they already know. Yet, the opening to
new experiences and living those experiences fully with awareness in the
moment—the key to learning, renewal, and growth—is not necessarily
in a client’s repertoire. Their habits and beliefs are fixed Gestalts that
tend to engage automatically, turning a new experience into an old pat-
tern of response. Ironically, what we think we know can be the greatest
barrier to furthering our learning; thus, the Gestalt coach makes aware-
ness explicit by revealing these fixed Gestalts.
Awareness develops by paying attention to what is going on in the
internal and external environment. Edwin C. Nevis ([1987] 2001)
describes awareness as a growing consciousness or comprehension aris-
ing from the use of the five senses. As we pay attention to the rising
 Expanding Awareness and Contact  |  229

sensation, we receive enough information to develop an important

­figure from the undifferentiated ground; for example, noticing a tasty
apple in a bowl of fruit. Erving Polster and Miriam Polster (1973) suggest
that this awareness is a resource available at all times through an ongo-
ing process, rather than simply at special moments. We can learn how
continually to tap our resource through being fully present rather than
waiting for insights or special moments.
Experiencing aims to overcome habitual perceptions, thoughts and
actions, and to reach direct, pure experience through mindful ­awareness
and attention. This mindfulness is the core of Buddhist meditation, the
discipline of anchoring the mind in the present moment. This is often
accompanied with a practice of awareness and acceptance through
breathing. Kabat-Zinn (1994) describes mindfulness as “paying atten-
tion in a particular way—on purpose, in the present moment and
­non-judgmentally” (4). In mindfulness theory, nonjudgment is accept-
ing the current state as part of a constant flow of changing experiences.
This theory suggests that letting go of judgment strengthens the mind,
and it challenges the illusion that we can control our experiences by
overthinking them. We often find ourselves responding to situations
­automatically, without questioning our habitual responses, as if we were
only half awake. Mindfulness helps us wake up to the present moment,
experience it more vividly, and react to it in more intentional ways
(Dunoon and Langer 2011).
In order to be transformed by experiences, we need to be fully awake
for them. In some spiritual traditions we humans are thought to be basi-
cally asleep, going through life in a semiconscious way, strangely dis-
engaged from our own lives. In both Gestalt practices and Experiential
Learning, we emphasize awakening to attend consciously to our experi-
ences and then to choose deliberately how they influence our beliefs and
choices. By placing experience at the center of learning, intentionally
guiding the learning process, and paying attention to how we are going
through the steps in the process, we create ourselves through learning.
How and what we learn determines the way we process the possibilities
of each new emerging experience, which in turn determines the range
of choices and decisions we see. The choices and decisions we make to
some extent determine the events we live through, and these events
influence our future choices. Thus, we create ourselves by choosing what
230 | Gestalt Review

we pay attention to, and how we process and respond to that experience.
For many, this learning choice is relatively unconscious and automatic.
We suggest that, by raising awareness about how we learn through
Experiential Learning, we are empowered consciously to choose, direct,
and control our life, and empower our clients to do the same.

Learning as a Process

Learning is the primary holistic process of adaptation to the world. As

a holistic process, it requires all parts of our being and applies to all life
experiences. Gordon Wheeler (1991) describes growth through learning
and adaptation as the primary goal of any individual. As new ground is
brought into our awareness, it is often in direct opposition to how one
has made meaning of the world. Through creative adjustment, we make
meaning in a way that narrows the conflict between what was held true
and the new broader meaning that may result. This process of managing
conflicts requires an integration of both growth and conservation.
David A. Kolb (2015) synthesizes the work of nine foundational
scholars from education, psychology, and philosophy to generate an
ideal process of learning and developing from experience (the learning
cycle); and he describes nine approaches to using it (learning styles).
Experiential Learning is based on several unique perspectives on
learning and development that correspond to Gestalt principles, wherein
learning is a recursive cyclical process as opposed to a linear, traditional
information transfer. It is best conceived as a process, not as a modality
focused on outcome. To be effective, the process of learning requires the
resolution of conflicts between dialectically opposed modes of adaptation.
The approach of Experiential Learning requires deep trust in one’s own
experience and a healthy skepticism about information. It demands both
the perspective of quiet reflection and passionate commitment to action
in the face of uncertainty. It begins with the awareness that learning is
present in every life experience and is an invitation to be engaged in
each experience. Three foundational scholars whose work contributed
to the development of Experiential Learning were influenced by Gestalt
principles: Kurt Lewin (1951: field theory and life space), Carl Rogers (1961:
deep experiencing), and Mary Parker Follett (1924: learning relationships).
 Expanding Awareness and Contact  |  231

The Learning Cycle

The Kolb Experiential Learning Cycle (2015) identifies the ideal process
of learning as a recursive cycle with four distinct modes: Experiencing,
Reflecting, Thinking and Acting (see Figure 1). The experiential learn-
ing cycle is a learning process initiated by a concrete experience, which
demands reflective observation about the experience in a search for
meaning that engages abstract thinking, leading to a decision to engage
in active experimentation. The process is holistic: it involves all aspects
of an individual (affective, perceptual, cognitive, and behavioral).

Figure 1  |  The Experiential Learning Cycle. Source: Adapted from Kolb (2015);
permission granted.
232 | Gestalt Review

Although we may recognize this step-by-step process as the pro-

cess for conducting Gestalt experiments, it is the same process that we
use to interact with others, make decisions, solve problems, innovate,
and work on teams. The learning cycle process can be used to manage
effectively any situation in life involving change and adaptation. For
example:

• Concrete Experience (Experiencing). Attend to your experience in

the moment.
[Coach feels: I notice that I am feeling foggy and distracted. My
breath is shallow and I am getting sleepy.
Ask: Am I present in this moment? How do I know? How am I
experiencing myself?]
• Reflective Observation (Reflecting). Pause to reflect on that
experience to make meaning.
[Coach reflects: I wonder what these feelings might mean? Have
I have felt this way in the past? If so, what did it mean? Is the
client focused and present? I am losing interest and I wonder if
the client feels that way too. Does the client discuss her feelings?
Ask: What are other points of view? Am I allowing time to
struggle and find answers?]
• Abstract Thinking (Thinking). Next engage abstract thinking to
generalize and make a decision.
[Coach thinks: I have not heard the client mention her feelings
once during our session. This generally means that she may not
acknowledge what those feelings are. She is preferencing Thinking
over Experiencing (feeling). I can use the polarity model framework.
Ask: What does the evidence show? Am I accurate?]
• Active Experimentation (Acting). Take action to implement your
decision.
[Coach says: “I notice you have not mentioned your feelings.
Would you be willing to try an experiment?”
Ask: What can we do to progress? What action can we take now?]

When the coach and/or client uses all four modes of the Learning
Cycle, we can experience an effective, well-balanced, learning and liv-
ing process that keeps our respective subjective experience at the center
 Expanding Awareness and Contact  |  233

of learning. If one or the other habitually clings to some modes and

ignores or resists others, we block part of this learning process from
being expressed and disown parts of ourselves. Hence, our knowledge of
polarities in the learning cycle sheds light on the reason we prefer some
modes and avoid or underutilize others.
The cycle contains two pairs of interdependent, dialectally opposed
modes of learning: experiencing and thinking; reflecting and acting. We
grasp information through two ways of knowing the world: the subjective,
immediate Experiencing (concrete experience) and abstract, conceptual
Thinking (abstract thinking). We transform experience into knowledge
by interpreting through Reflecting (reflective observation) and acting
on the information through Acting (active experimentation). In Gestalt
thought, we call this polar differentiation, leading to creative indifference,
a more holistic understanding of the situation (Stevenson 2010, 121ff.).
Due to this tension, we often find that people creatively adapt by forming
preferences for parts of the cycle and avoiding or underutilizing others.
After all, how can we feel and think at the same time? How can we
watch and do simultaneously? The preference to use certain modes of
the Learning Cycle and inhibit others is self-reinforcing, because we
unconsciously select learning situations that will support our preferences
based on past success or gratification, and we avoid situations that call for
using those parts of the learning cycle that are less familiar.
We typically find that moving through some parts of the cycle are
within our comfort zone, whereas other steps can be unpleasant or even
painful. If we linger too long in one step of the process or skip it entirely,
we interrupt the full cycle. By attending to Experiencing and Reflecting,
we raise our awareness, generate ideas, and wonder about what might
be, but staying there too long impedes our ability to decide or get any-
thing accomplished. By using Reflecting and Thinking we pay attention
to the details and generalize about meaning, but without balance from
the other modes, we may be so paralyzed that we never take action to
create a new consciously aware experience. Thinking and Acting can
ensure that we set our goals and know how to measure success; however,
without the inclusion of the opposite modes, we may create the same
results again and again. Acting and Experiencing allow us to experiment
with new behaviors and seize new opportunities, but using only those
steps may create unnecessary risk or leave us aiming at the wrong goal.
234 | Gestalt Review

Learning Styles

Just as contact styles describe the way in which we manage or resist the
Cycle of Experience, learning styles describe the way we navigate the dia-
lectically opposed modes of learning on the learning cycle. The learning
space is divided into a typology of nine learning styles that correspond
to preferences for the four modes of the Learning Cycle. The nine styles
are Experiencing, Imagining, Reflecting, Analyzing, Thinking, Deciding,
Acting, Initiating, and Balancing (see Figure 2).
The Experiencing style is illustrated by the ability to find meaning from
deep involvement in experience. The Imagining style is distinguished by
the ability to create meaning by observing and reflecting on experiences.
The Reflecting style is identified by the ability to connect experience and
ideas through sustained reflection. The Analyzing style is determined
by the ability to integrate and systematize ideas through reflection. The

Figure 2  |  The Nine Learning Styles. © 2017 Kay Peterson and

David A. Kolb. All Rights Reserved. Source: Adapted from David
A. Kolb and Alice Y. Kolb (The Kolb Learning Style Inventory 4.0.
Experience Based Learning Systems, Inc. 2016).
 Expanding Awareness and Contact  |  235

Thinking style is discerned by the capacity for disciplined involvement in

abstract reasoning, mathematics, and logic. The Deciding style is high-
lighted by the ability to use theories and models to decide on courses
of action. The Acting style is illustrated by a strong motivation for goal-­
directed action that integrates people and tasks. The Initiating style is
differentiated by the ability to initiate action to deal with experiences
and situations. The Balancing style is explained by the ability to adapt
flexibly by weighing the pros and cons of Acting versus Reflecting and
Experiencing versus Thinking.
Due to personality type, education, and cultural influences, we estab-
lish preferences for certain modes of learning, emphasizing some parts
of the learning cycle over others. These stylistic preferences become
habits or patterns of learning that turn into “fixed Gestalts.” They ulti-
mately influence how we view current situations, perceive and decide
future choices, and influence what we are likely to resist. By the time we
reach adulthood, preferences for navigating the Learning Cycle are rel-
atively stable; however, this approach is not a fixed personality trait but
more like a steady state or habit of learning. Recognizing our learning
style is the most powerful form of awareness for self and other that we
have discovered. In understanding which styles we prefer, we can also
shed light on our blind spots and challenges. In a Gestalt approach, we
pay attention to the process of awareness and unawareness. As Gestalt
practitioners, we understand from “The Paradoxical Theory of Change”
(Beisser 1970) that what is less developed, out of awareness, unowned,
or resisted, can be as valuable to discover for our development as what
is in awareness.
The learning styles are nine ways of navigating the Learning Cycle,
nine steps in any process, and nine parts of the whole person. On
this map of wholeness, we can easily see where our strengths lie and
identify the parts of ourselves that are mere potential, yet to be devel-
oped. By making the learning process explicit and identifying our own
approach to it, Experiential Learning builds a new awareness regard-
ing our preferences, strengths, and challenges, and provides a means
whereby we can view ourselves “in process” as the coach and client
continually transform through learning and development. This pro-
cess can inform our flexibility when making contact with the envi-
ronment, and shed light on how we can learn to increase our range
236 | Gestalt Review

by moderating our resistances to that contact. We can recognize the

opposing needs of the learning cycle and begin to see our preferences
and resistances as a matter of choice. We can develop range in our use
of learning styles that have yet to be expressed by using the learning
process itself.

Learning Flexibility

Most of us have a learning style preference with some backup style

range; yet, we have other styles that remain unrealized potential typ-
ically in styles that are opposite our own preference. Because each
of the learning styles has an upside and a downside, it is important
to identify those we use and the ones we avoid. To be most effective,
to continue to mature, and to reach our full potential, we learn to
resolve the conflicts between dialectically opposed modes of adap-
tation inherent in the learning process. Yontef (1976) believes that
awareness is integrative: when we are aware, we do not alienate
aspects of ourselves. Kolb (2015) adds: “In higher forms of adapta-
tion, such as creativity or personal development, conflict among the
adaptive modes needs to be confronted and integrated into a creative
synthesis” (42).
We can change and expand our learning style to become flexible
in order to adapt to situational needs and improve contact. Learning
flexibility is the ability to use all of the Learning Cycle at will to mod-
ify our approach for the context (Sharma and Kolb 2010). Ideally, a
flexible learner can navigate the entire Learning Cycle, tapping the
strengths of each style at will. This flexibility can help us to expand
our range in managing our contact styles, too. Flexibility has many
benefits. People who have high learning flexibility are happier and
have greater overall flexibility in life. They see more possibilities in
any given moment, they experience less conflict and stress, and they
are able to handle more complexity. With flexibility, we perceive our-
selves as self-directed and exhibit later stages of adult ego develop-
ment (Sharma and Kolb 2010).
By developing learning flexibility in our clients, and ourselves, we are
expanding our capability to manage the Gestalt process and our range
in contact styles. The next section provides ideas about how to build
 Expanding Awareness and Contact  |  237

awareness of the nine learning styles, as well as experiments to support

learning to use styles that may be undiscovered or underutilized.

Using Awareness to Build Learning Style Flexibility in Our

Clients and in Ourselves

(1) Begin with “what is.” Before we adopt unfamiliar styles with more
flexibility, we must accept ourselves just as we are. Gestalt psycholo-
gist and Experiential Learning foundational scholar Carl Rogers (1961)
believes that, paradoxically, when we accept ourselves just as we are,
we can change. Change occurs when an individual becomes what one
is rather than trying to be what one is not. Although it is easy to “resist”
looking at our strengths and weaknesses completely, we can practice
becoming more curious and accepting of ourselves, and helping our cli-
ents to do the same. Only then, can we change and become more flexible
in our approach, as Beisser (1970) claims: “Change does not take place
by trying coercion, or persuasion, or by insight, interpretation, or any
other such means. Rather, change can occur when the (client) abandons,
at least for the moment, what he would like to become and attempts to
be what he is” (77).

(2) Consider the mental model. The learning cycle model and awareness
of the importance of learning flexibility alone may be enough to build
our flexibility in nondominant styles. As practitioners, we can benefit
from understanding that the way we learn is also the way we coach,
consult, and continue to build flexibility. Our learning style preference
defines where on the learning cycle process we prefer to enter and dwell,
and provides insights into how we might resist clients whose styles
are different from our own. For instance, we share an Imagining style
preference; therefore, we are eager to generate ideas, show empathy,
and dream about ideal outcomes. However, if we are not consciously
aware of using all learning styles—and the corresponding steps in the
Learning Cycle—we might luxuriate in time to the neglect of setting a
goal or conducting an experiment. Through style awareness, we con-
sciously set goals at the beginning of each session and make certain
238 | Gestalt Review

that we take some action toward the goal. Our effectiveness relies on
dynamically moving around the cycle to consciously touch all the bases.
Likewise, when we meet clients who have a Deciding or Acting style
preference that lies opposite to our preference on the learning cycle,
we initially may resist their immediate attention to one goal when we
would rather linger in the Imagining step in the learning process. In
effect, each coaching session becomes a way of practicing to be more
flexible.

(3) Dampen current preferences. Another flexibility-building strat-

egy is to stop overusing our own preferred style. Our awareness of
using a specialized learning style can help us to moderate automatic
behavior.

(4) Go deeply within our Learning Style. A typical approach to building

flexibility involves deeply exploring one’s own style through overexag-
geration, that is, the extremes of how this style does and does not serve
one’s effectiveness. The awareness of how it does not serve clients can
lead to their gradually trying out a nondominant style.

(5) Using Gestalt Experiments to Build Flexibility: Gestalt Polarity exper-

iments to get “unstuck.” If flexibility is so beneficial, why does everyone
not develop it easily? The deeper one is attached to a specialized, pre-
ferred learning style, the more one may see the opposite style as foreign
or negative.
Lewin (1951) makes it clear that we can view this “stuckness” toward
a desirable goal as a dynamic state, a quasi-stationary equilibrium,
composed of many opposing forces. Nevis ([1987] 2001) reminds us to
recognize that all resistance is not an absence of energy, but a mobili-
zation of energy. This energy system involves polarities, pairs of oppo-
sites that work in a complementary fashion and require one another
(Woldt and Ingersoll 1991). Although they are interdependent, peo-
ple rarely experience polarities with equal ease. Ingersoll and O’Neill
(2005) state that one “typically sides with half of a polarity, condemn-
ing the other half as ‘different from’ or ‘threatening to’ the half it is
identifying with” (144).
 Expanding Awareness and Contact  |  239

The Gestalt-inspired polarity thinking approach provides a method of

getting unstuck when inertia has a client locked into a preferred learning
style (Johnson 1996). As coaches, we can help the client to recognize that
valuing the upside of the preferred learning style so that he ignores the
downside. As such there will be a tendency to tolerate the downside of
the preferred learning style because one might only see the downsides
of other styles.

(6) Using Gestalt experiments to embody Learning Styles. Learning styles

are deeply engrained; they are evident not just in how we think but also
in how we feel, perceive, and behave—even in our gestures, posture, and
movements. We may find its flexibility to be elusive if we simply base
our knowledge on an abstract description of that style. Physical flexibil-
ity may provide a way for us to gauge our general flexibility in life and
learning, too.
Movement encompasses more than gestures or physical exercise.
Sensations, emotions, and thoughts are organized patterns of move-
ment (Keleman 1987). The body is constantly moving on a continuum
from subtle, autonomic movement patterns (such as a beating heart
and breathing) to intentional physical movements (such as gesturing
and walking) to change and to adapt. People generally embody their
learning style by moving in ways that are characteristic of the skills and
attitudes of the learning style they favor. After all, an individual who
gravitates toward the Acting style will need be quicker, stronger, and
more free flowing movement than someone who spends more time in
the Reflecting style, where the movements are more minimal, sustained,
and controlled.
For example, Lance, an accountant, prefers the Analyzing style. Lance
spends most of his day sitting behind his computer, focusing on details
for his clients. In fact, when once he paid attention to his movements
over the course of a day, he found that he was in only a few positions
for about 80 percent of his day. Lance sits in a chair facing forward—
typically with his right leg crossed over his left leg and his arms nar-
rowly reaching out to his keyboard. He keeps his lower back rigidly
straight and his shoulders slumped forward. His movements are slow
and controlled; in fact, he often keeps his body in the same position
240 | Gestalt Review

for minutes at a time and senses tension in his shoulders. His vision is
focused intently on the computer screen. His breath is shallow and high
in his chest. At least three days per week, Lance enjoys running to get
exercise. When he runs, his movements are rhythmical and repetitive in
a front-to-back motion. Lance rarely moves from side to side or in ways
that require a twist at the waist. He recognizes that it has been a long
time since he moved with any free, easy spontaneity like he might have
as a child on the playground. Like most adults, Lance spends so much
time doing the same things everyday in habitual activities that his move-
ments are habitual, too. He might even find that he only moves in about
ten different ways on a regular basis, unlike young children who move in
hundreds of ways.
Our own flexibility—in life and learning—may be evident through
our own movements. We can notice if we are typically loose and relaxed,
or more controlled with some tension. Do we make our body narrow by
crossing our arms and legs, or are our shoulders wide and arms open?
Understanding our movement preferences—postures, gestures, tension
levels, and even the way we breathe—can change the way we experience
the world and the impact we have on others.
Peterson, DeCato, and Kolb (2015) suggest that individuals have
­preferred movement affinities, and hypothesize that practicing move-
ment affinities, especially those associated with nonpreferred Learning
Styles, may support an increase in physical and mental flexibility.
When one is able to move using a full palette of movement, one may be
more flexible in both movement and learning and are able to adopt an
­integrated approach to learning.
Movement is a catalyst for learning. A complex relationship exists
between one’s brain and body where cognition is influenced by and influ-
ences physical experiences in the world (Ratey 2008). Linking the Learning
Styles with movement affinities can assist learners to experience each
style consciously and to make its expression appropriate and integrated
in their daily life. Movement awareness can promote a greater awareness
of an individual’s preferred approach to learning as well as to promote the
flexibility necessary to engage effectively all modes of the Learning Cycle,
 Expanding Awareness and Contact  |  241

and thus all Learning Styles. By “standing in the space” of a learning style,
we are able to create a concrete expression of an abstract concept. As we
experiment with different forms of movement styles, we can notice which
ones are comfortable and which feel foreign. When we identify a client’s
learning style, we are able to shed light on habits and patterns the per-
son uses to approach life situations and their resistances. This allows us to
have a basic framework for strengths, interests, and energy; and also for
blind spots, challenges, and resistances.

Table 1 contains tips for building capacity in each style. The table
includes a description of each of the nine learning styles, suggestions for
developing the learning style, and the mindset and physical expression
adopted in each style. We can use this information to understand a cli-
ent’s ground, to form a figure, and to create Gestalt experiments that will
help our clients and us build flexibility in all nine learning styles.
The Gestalt and Experiential Learning approaches view the “self as
process,” not as a static abstract notion. It describes the ongoing, chang-
ing, and transforming process in which we continually engage in expe-
riences and choose our reality (Parlett 1991). By understanding our
learning style and flexibility range, we can appreciate that we are pre-
disposed to approach experiences using a habitual pattern of organizing
our feelings, perceptions, thoughts, and behaviors. Gestalt awareness
and experiments can be pivotal experiences for our clients to manage
the dilemmas of learning process, and build more range in integrating
their ability to use all the learning styles. Through learning from expe-
rience, we can continue to expand our ability to make contact in more
effective, authentic ways throughout life.
Table 1  |  Creating Gestalt Experiments for Building Flexibility in Nine Learning Styles
Developing the capacity Mindset Expression
Experiencing Individuals who prefer an Experiencing requires fully opening Am I Body easeful,
Style Experiencing style emphasize yourself to the present moment and recognizing open, scanning
feeling while balancing acting and paying attention to your feelings my emotions? the environment;
reflecting styles. Use this style to without worrying about what they Am I involved awareness of body
build self-awareness with five senses mean. Meditating and focusing are and engaged? sensation, emotions,
and emotions, and to connect, two means of developing experiencing and environment.
communicate, and collaborate with skills. Overthinking an experience can Communication is open,
others. Engage, feel, and connect. inhibit your ability to directly sense accepting, intuitive,
and feel the immediate moment. This empathetic.
presence and attention are particularly
important for the Gestalt coaching
stance, building relationships, leading
a team, managing emotions, and being
present to others.
Imagining Individuals who prefer an Imagining Imagining requires both contemplating What are the Light, gentle gestures,
Style style learn primarily through experiences and reflecting on them possibilities? luxuriating in
experiencing/feeling and reflecting. to consider a wide range of options. Have I judged time, scanning the
They are best at viewing concrete Judging too quickly can inhibit your too soon? environment especially
situations and exploring them from ability to use the Imagining style. to include everyone
many different points of view. Their Seeking the opinions of others and and everything.
approach to situations is to observe keeping a curious mind are important Communication invites
rather than take action. Use this for generating new ideas and being trust and openness,
style to empathize with others and comfortable in ambiguous situations. offers a helping attitude
to consider their opinions. Create, and empathy.
diverge, include.
Reflection Individuals who prefer a Reflecting Reflecting requires space and time. Can I slow Indulges in the time
Style style emphasize thoughtfulness Impulsive desires and pressures to things down? required to observe.
while balancing feeling and thinking. take action can inhibit reflection. You Have I Sustained and
The learning strengths of this style can enhance your ability to reflect observed and deliberate movements
are a capacity for deep reflection by deliberately viewing things from deliberated? create a thoughtful,
informed by the ability to be both different perspectives and striving cautious attitude.
feeling oriented and conceptual. Use to feel empathy. Meditating can also Watches patiently,
Reflecting style to make sense of foster deep reflection. Gathering and waits to act until
feelings and thoughts, to recuperate, making sense of information can help certain on intention.
to consider the best action. Listen, you develop the Reflecting learning Communication requires
examine, process. style. sustained reflection
before the spoken word.
Analyzing Individuals who prefer an Analyzing Analyzing requires both logical thinking As a Planner, Controlled, precise
Style style learn primarily through and reflection to organize information focus on using movements. Takes time
thinking and reflecting. They are and create a plan. An extreme focus your analytical to reflect before acting
best at understanding a wide range on details enhances Analyzing, but skills to plan and moves in a controlled
of information and putting it into diversion and interruptions inhibit and manage manner to minimize the
concise, logical form. They are less your ability to analyze. Coming up with projects with risk of making a mistake.
focused on people and relationships theories, analyzing data, and integrating precision. The combined movement
and more interested in abstract ideas information to get the full picture can qualities provide the
and specific concepts. Generally, they help you to develop the Analyzing ability, including stillness,
find it more important that a theory learning style. required to focus on
have logical soundness than practical a task for long hours;
value. Analyze, synthesize, plan. naturally cautious and
neutral, inquiring.
Communication is
concise and logical.
(Continues)
Table 1  |  Creating Gestalt Experiments for Building Flexibility in Nine Learning Styles (Continued)
Thinking Individuals who prefer a Thinking Thinking requires the ability to As a Focused, precise
Style style draw both on the rich inner represent and manipulate ideas in your Questioner, movements that narrow
world of reflection and abstraction head. Intense emotion and sensations focus on using the focus. Strong in
and outer world of action. They or pressure to act quickly can disrupt data to find commitment to be
are deep thinkers who are able to the thinking process. Engagement solutions thorough. Controlled in
inductively develop a particular in thinking can be enhanced by and reach emotional expression.
concept or idea and deductively creating scenarios for action. Using conclusions. The intense focus creates
evaluate its validity and practicality by numbers to analyze problems, making a reserved, no-nonsense
testing those ideas in the real world. independent judgments, and framing attitude.
They thrive on creating conceptual arguments with logic can also aid in
models that can be applied or the development and expression of the
generalized to other situations. Skills inking learning style.
of the person who prefers Thinking
include: uses quantitative tools to
analyze problems, frames arguments
with logic, communicates effectively,
makes independent judgments.
Generalize, interpret, think critically.
Deciding Individuals who prefer a Deciding Deciding requires making an What do I Strong intention focused
Style style emphasize thinking and acting independent judgment through want? What is on one course of action;
in learning situations. People with thinking and committing to one my goal? How alert and determined;
this style are best at finding practical course of practical action. Ambiguity will I know I efficiency with quickness,
uses for ideas and theories. They like and remaining open to new ideas am successful? even abruptness.
to solve problems and make decisions can inhibit deciding. Determining Strong, direct, and
based on finding logical solutions to standards of success and measuring quick movements are
issues or problems. Commit, decide, your progress toward that goal forceful. Communication
converge. develops the Deciding style. is pragmatic and goal
oriented.
Acting Style Individuals who prefer an Acting style Acting requires commitment and What can I Quickness that implies
are equally comfortable functioning involvement in the practical world do right now? high energy, intuitive
in a practical world that can make use of real consequences. Acting brings Am I holding readiness to take action.
of feelings and actions as well as in a the previous learning styles of myself back? The strength and easy
subjective world that requires thinking Experiencing, Imagining, Reflecting, How can I flow of energy moves to
abilities. They combine the ability to Analyzing, Thinking, and Deciding; keep things action without worry
find solutions to questions or problems and tests them in reality. Spending moving? of risk. The assertive
based on technical analysis and also too much time in the other learning attitude is dynamic
pay attention to the needs of people styles can inhibit Acting. Checklists, and commanding.
and sources of information in concrete timetables, and taking even a small Communication is
situations. Act, execute, implement. action toward a goal can help you dynamic and rapid.
develop the Acting style.
Initiating Individuals how prefer the Initiating Initiating requires trial and error based What action Spontaneous emergence
Style style learn primarily through acting on feelings to seize new opportunities. would I take with free flow, ease,
and feeling. They have the ability to Too much analysis inhibits Initiating, if I had no and exuberance.
learn from “hands-on” experience while bouncing back from temporary fear? What Focus on many things
and function well in ambiguous setbacks and motivating others is at the edge in rapid succession.
and uncertain situations. They enhance Initiating. Improvisation, that I may not Optimistic, extraverted,
enjoy achieving goals and involving positive thinking, and redefining notice? What influencing behaviors.
themselves in new and challenging your definition of failure can help you is the best Communication is
experiences. Their tendency may be develop the Initiating style. opportunity? improvisational and
to act on intuitive “gut” feelings rather persuasive.
than on logical analysis. Influence,
motivate, seize opportunity.
(Continues)
Table 1  |  Creating Gestalt Experiments for Building Flexibility in Nine Learning Styles (Continued)
Balancing Individuals who prefer a Balancing Balancing requires moving between Where are Flexible, responsive.
Style style tend to shift between the acting, reflecting, feeling, and thinking my blind Communication is
opposites of action and reflection as the situation demands. A strong spots? Am flexible and conciliatory.
and feelings (experiencing) and adherence to one specialized learning I adapting?
abstraction (thinking). This ability style inhibits the Balancing style. Have I
to scan the waterfront of different Uncovering blind spots and adapting weighed all
perspectives allows them to bridge to people and situations can help you options?
differences between people with develop the Balancing style.
differing opinions, approaches and
styles. Adapt, bridge, compromise.
Source: Peterson and Kolb (2017).
 Expanding Awareness and Contact  |  247

KAY PETERSON , MS, MBA, is the founder of the Institute for Experiential
Learning, a Gestalt Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and an Organizational
Development (OD) consultant. She completed postgraduate training at the Gestalt
Institute of Cleveland (GIC). She is coauthor (with David A. Kolb) of How You
Learn Is How You Live: Using Nine Ways of Learning to Transform Your Life (2017).

DAVID A. KOLB, PhD, is professor emeritus of organizational behavior at

Case Western Reserve University, and was also a professor of organizational
behavior and management at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. Founder
of Experiential Learning, he is currently Chair of Experience Based Learning
Systems (EBLS), an organization he created in 1980 to advance research and
practice on experiential learning. His publications include: Experiential
Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development (Kolb 2015);
The Experiential Educator: Principles and Practices of Experiential Learning
(with Alice Y. Kolb 2017); Conversational Learning: An Experiential Approach
to Knowledge Creation (with Ann C. Baker and Patricia J. Jensen 2002).

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