Group Descriptions: (continued from previous page)

Gstalt-L, An email discussion group devoted to Gestalt therapy and the community of its practitioners (www.g-gej.org/gstalt-l).
Gstalt-J, An email discussion group devoted to research on Gestalt therapy, theory and practice (www.g-gej.org/gstalt-j). Supported by the Gestalt Research Consortium (GRC) (www.g-gej.org/grc).
Gestalt Bookmarks, a place to begin researching the field of contemporary Gestalt therapy on the world wide web (www.g-gej.org/gestaltbookmarks).

Basic:

• The Basic group is designed for clinicians (experienced or not), students in advanced levels of training to become therapists, and professionals from allied fields (i.e. organizational development, physicians, nurses, Clergy, etc.) who have little to no exposure to Gestalt Therapy. The objectives of the Basic Group are to increase personal awareness skills, to learn basic principles of good therapy from a Gestalt Therapy perspective, to receive feedback from the group and trainer in a nourishing environment, and to begin to work as therapist with direct consultation from trainers. In this group, the Trainer and/or Trainer Assistant does almost all of the actual experiential work.

Advanced:

• The Advanced Group is designed for clinicians who have a minimum of 2 years of Gestalt Therapy training. Typically, two levels of Advanced groups are available. In both levels, participants are expected to work as patient and interact in the group setting with a minimum of defensiveness. Participants are also expected to work as therapist in the group, be able to take criticism of their work as therapist, be experienced in doing psychotherapy, and have a good basic theoretical background in Gestalt Therapy theory. Applicants with less background and support are placed in the lower Advanced Group in which more attention is paid to personal support issues. Those with more support and background are placed in the upper Advanced Group and are expected to work as therapist more frequently receiving ample supervision and training.

Advanced Intensive:

• In the Advanced Intensive Group the Trainers and Trainer Assistant are working as therapist a minimum amount of time giving Advanced Intensive participants ample time to work as therapist. Each member of this group is assigned a client from within the group to work with in front of the large group. As supervision is a component of this group, each participant is asked to provide supervision for one of their colleagues after his/her work in the group in order to sharpen the theoretical understanding and support the ability to integrate theory with clinical work. What is missing in this group is the time one has in the Advanced Group and the Basic Group to focus on group process and to view the trainer’s and the trainer assistant’s work. What is gained is more opportunity to work as therapist with an ongoing client under supervision.
  

Clinical Practicum Group:

• The Clinical Practicum Group focuses intensely on improving participants’ clinical skills and emphasizes the integration of clinical work and Gestalt theory. Participants in the Clinical Practicum Group are expected to operate at a very advanced level and usually have well over 4 years of postgraduate experience practicing Gestalt Therapy.
  • Each participant has an individual client from either the Basic or one of the Advanced Groups. Either a faculty member or a Supervision Practicum member sits in as a supervisor during each and every session with the Clinical Practicum member and the client. Individual supervision follows each individual session.
  • Clinical Practicum members are responsible for supervising members of the Basic and Advanced groups when these groups break into small groups (either trios or quartets).
  • Clinical Practicum members are expected to present some aspect of Gestalt theory to their group and be responsible for the discussion following the presentation. The topic is known to the participant in advance of arrival at the Residential.

Supervision Practicum Group:

• The Supervision Practicum focuses on intensive supervision and personal psychotherapy. Preference for membership in this group is given to those persons who provide training in Gestalt Therapy in their home settings.
  • Participants have an individual client from one of the other groups, and a peer supervisor from the Supervision Practicum Group.
  • Each group member functions both as therapist and as supervisor.
  • Each participant is required to bring his/her individual client into the Supervision Practicum group for one session to work with the client in front the group and to receive supervision in that context from his/her ongoing supervisor and from the group. The focus here is on the supervision rather than on the clinical work itself.
  • A daily personal psychotherapy group is held throughout the workshop by only one faculty in order to emphasize continuity of the therapeutic relationship. This is an opportunity for S. P. participants to work therapeutically on issues arising out of training, out of the practice of doing therapy, as well as out of their personal lives and histories.
    

Trainer Assistant:

• After completing certification exams with GATLA, (see section on Certification) competent and interested trainees are invited to work with faculty as Trainer Assistants. Trainer Assistants are often those therapists interested in doing training in Gestalt Therapy in their countries of origin. They use this opportunity to heighten their training skills. Each TA is assigned to a particular group (Basic - Supervision Practicum) to work with the trainer. T.A.'s remain with the same group throughout the workshop to provide continuity as various Trainers rotate through. TA's work as therapists with members of their group, provide supervision in the large groups, in trios, and to those in the Practicum Groups who have an individual client. In addition, they present theory to the community, and offer lectures in the evenings in their areas of expertise. TA's and trainers meet at the end of each day to review the TA's progress. A daily TA group meeting, lead by a trainer, offers an opportunity for TA's to speak with each other for support and consultation.