In Gestalt therapy, which term describes the experiential deadlock or stagnation stage?

• A. Neural plateau
• B. Impassé layer
• C. Projection
• D. Introjection

Answer: (B)

In Gestalt therapy, the experiential deadlock or stagnation stage is described as an impasse. This is the moment in the process of contact where movement halts because contact is blocked by resistance or defense, signaling that the person isn’t able to proceed with the current exploration. The term impasse layer specifically names that phase of stagnation within the ongoing experimentation of awareness and contact, and it cues the therapist to shift the approach or introduce a new line of inquiry to reestablish contact and move the person through the cycle. This concept helps differentiate the stuck point from other processes: introjection is internalizing others’ beliefs, projection is attribution of one’s own feelings to someone else, and neural plateau isn’t a standard Gestalt term. So the impasse layer best captures the described stagnation.