Gestalt Therapy was formulated in the early 1950s. "Gestalt" is a German word that does not have a direct translation into English. Instead, it is commonly translated as "a whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its parts." Gestalt is a humanistic/existential therapy that believes that people are born with the resources and ability to be in rewarding contact with other human beings and lead a satisfying life. However, often during childhood and sometimes later on, something interrupts this process, and a person can become stuck in fixed patterns and beliefs about themselves and the world. Gestalt aims to explore and uncover how these patterns are still active and affecting a person’s present life.