Training Programs Overview
Our objective is to support trainees to develop skills and competency in gestalt therapy theory and practice. We strive to integrate relational gestalt therapy principles with the unique personal style of each participant and facilitate the building of a supportive learning community. Trainees are placed in groups of about 8 to 12 members who are encouraged to use the support and commitment of cohorts to identify potential areas of growth and create opportunities to experiment both in the training and in practice settings. We are not interested in imparting a particular style of therapy or a restrictive method for practice. Our focus is in helping each trainee understand and develop gestalt therapy theory to be used as a support for his/her specific talents, style, approach to therapy, and areas of interest and responsibility.
Below is a listing of our programs, all of which feature our focus on the therapeutic relationship in the therapy process. Clicking on the links will take you to a page of details, including dates, fees, and a description of the program.
On-going Weekend Trainings
- For people who want either a single-year or multi-year training experience. The multi-year training can lead to certification as a Gestalt therapist. Beginning and advanced groups available.
Residential Program: Relational Gestalt Therapy
- One week in which the background of relational theory is explicated and new theory and practice are explored. Join us this year as we explore the themes of belonging, inclusion and exclusion.
Supervision and Study Groups
- On-going case consultation, readings and discussion of gestalt therapy.
Introductory Workshop: A Taste of Gestalt Therapy
- An introduction to contemporary gestalt therapy, for people new to gestalt therapy and for "old hands" who want to be updated.
Workshops by PGI Faculty
- Training workshops offered by PGI faculty in other venues, both national and international.
Gestalt Learning Community
Each training group maintains its membership for the duration of the training year. Continuation in the institute does not guarantee the same group membership for each successive year. While changes in group membership may introduce challenges for some, our hope is that each trainee will have the opportunity to cultivate supportive relationships with the larger learning community in which we operate. The evolution of community is an important factor in creating the conditions we believe to be critical to each trainee's professional development. The broader community enriches and diversifies the learning experience and ultimately builds the foundation for enduring friendships, professional support networks, service projects and the possibility for wide-scale social movements. Our program design intentionally leads to opportunities for exchange of new ideas, cross fertilization and exposure to difference.
Regardless of label, the principles of existential dialogue, the use of direct phenomenological experience for both patient and therapist, the trust of organismic self-regulation, the emphasis on experimentation and awareness, the paradoxical theory of change and close attention to the contact between the therapist and the patient all form a model of good psychotherapy that will continue to be used by gestalt therapists and others.
Our purpose is to support trainees to develop skills and competence in gestalt therapy theory and practice. We strive to integrate relational gestalt therapy principles with the unique personal style of each participant and facilitate the building of a supportive learning community. We also strongly recommend that our trainees enter their own gestalt therapy. A list of qualified gestalt therapists practicing in your area is available upon request.