Several concepts detailed in Gestalt psychology/therapy appear to have a close relationship with many concepts being applied in bilingual education. The primary contribution of Gestalt psychology to learning theory in the U.S. is an emphasis on perception and reintegration of relationships within an organized whole. To the teacher this means that learning activities must combine the elements of the three basic domains of learning (cognitive, affective, and psychomotor) in an approach based on confluent education (merging feelings and thinking into one holistic learning experience). The key to confluent education is the interactive process that takes place between the cognitive and affective domains in any given learning experience; this interactive process becomes the "gestalt" of the learning experience. The influence of Gestalt psychology and therapy on confluent education in bilingual education can be utilized to promote the idea of the totally integrated person. If the bilingual child is to function as a whole, with the potential to develop and expand his/her horizons to include a wider range of society, he/she must be allowed to function in an environment which will promote such growth. Such an environment is fostered by effective bilingual education. A background in Gestalt psychology for bilingual classroom teachers seems to be a step in the right direction. (AN)