For the past several years we have been a community of 80-100 persons, mostly non-Americans. We offer 6 levels of training, evening sessions in which participants present their work, and offer special focus seminars, We attribute our success to our high quality of training as well as our eagerness to change the program to meet the evolving needs of our participants. We take seriously the proposals and the feedback from participants and try diligently to discriminate between healthy growth and faddish trends. We would like to share with you what our program looks like today.

The Opening:
Our workshops begin with an evening Community Meeting in which participants introduce themselves and learn about the "other". In 2000, excitement grew as people from 25 different countries began to speak, each in their individual accent, each telling about their work, their life in their country of origin and their interest in attending this program. There were 80 of us who spoke. The richness of the community came alive, the knowledge and diversity in the room, the eagerness to know and be known, the anxiety, the excitement, the anticipation.

This kind of community meeting, albeit brief, takes place each morning throughout the workshop for the purpose of continuing the connection among all participants, as well as providing a place to talk about housekeeping issues, unfinished community business and planning evening and free day activities. On one of the free days in Greece, Summer 2000, many of us spent the day sailing on a small schooner in the blue Aegean. In Spain, 2001, we plan to have the entire community visit the fabulous Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao on one of the free days.

Groups:
When the community meeting ends, all participants disperse to their groups that are assigned by level of expertise and knowledge of Gestalt therapy. In 1972 we had only 1 group level - Basic - and 1 trainer led the group. In 2001, we have 6 levels of groups with 3 - 3 day training modules so each group member experiences 3 different trainers.

(For a description of each of the group levels click here)

Morning groups meet for 1 1/2 hours during which trainers work as therapist with participants, participants work as therapist under supervision, group process issues are addressed and all work is related to Gestalt theory.

Theory:
Theory lectures follow the group sessions. Participants are divided by their knowledge level - Basic group members receiving introductory lectures on Gestalt Therapy theory, Advanced group members receiving lectures that are more advanced and challenging, Clinical Practicum members are presenting their own theory lectures (each member of the group presents on a pre-assigned topic) and Supervision Practicum members interweave theory and discussion within their supervisory sessions. Theory lectures are provided by Trainers, Trainer Assistants, and Practicum participants.

After a lunch break, individual therapy sessions begin, along with trios and quartets. This time is divided into two, one-hour modules wherein participants are either in trios and quartets, in individual therapy or participating in the special Organizational Development Seminar.

Individual Therapy:
Members of the Basic and Advanced groups are asked, upon registration for the program, if they would like to be an individual client for a member of one of the practicum groups. From the list of interested applicants, clients are selected and paired with experienced therapists (members of the Clinical and Supervision Practicum groups) and supervisors (Trainers, Trainer Assistants and Supervision Practicum members). For 40 minutes, each working day, client, therapist and supervisor meet in a designated room. The client works on his/her personal issues with the therapist and the supervisor observes the process. When the session ends, the client leaves and the supervisor supervises the therapist for 20 minutes. Clients who have individual therapy also have an opportunity to be in a trio or quartet in the hour following or preceding their individual session. Part of the supervisor's own practicum group is related to the supervision of supervision.

Trios and Quartets:
Members of the Basic and Advanced groups meet in trios or quartets along with a supervisor who is either a Trainer, Trainer Assistant or a member of the Clinical Practicum Group. Participants rotate roles (therapist, client, observer) throughout the hour. Supervision is given to the therapist at the end of each brief session by the supervisor and the observer. Ample time is allowed for feedback as well as theoretical and clinical discussion of the work. Participants change trios after each 3 day segment to have an opportunity to work in a more intimate setting with different members of their group.

Organizational Development Seminar:
Being responsive to the requests of many of our returning participants, GATLA began an Organization Development Seminar to explore the use of Gestalt principles in organizational settings. This seminar is designed specifically for (and only open to) those who are currently working in non-psychotherapy settings and who are interested in entering into conversations with others who are similarly engaged. The discussions focus on readings by organizational and educational theorists and are designed to be thought-provoking and stimulating. Among other topics, the readings examine ways of viewing the Gestalt principles of field theory, phenomenology and dialogue in alternate professional settings. Participants are also asked to prepare a case for presentation and discussion.

End of the Day:
We end each day back in our groups with an opportunity to work again as therapist or client, to share the experiences of the day, to discuss some aspect of theory that is unclear, or just to reconnect with our now familiar home group colleagues.

Evenings:
Dinner is followed by optional evening presentations wherein both faculty and participants present and discuss their current interests or expertise. The rich and bountiful backgrounds of therapists from 25 different countries and cultures provide an absolutely outstanding array of presentations. Other evening activities include singing, playing the guitar, dancing, arguing theory over a glass of wine, or quietly sitting or walking under the stars.

Faculty:
When the Summer Residential began in 1972 only 4 Gestalt therapists participated in the program (Jan Rainwater, Ph.D., Bob Resnick, Ph.D. Bob Martin, DSW, and Harold Oaklander, M.S.) - all American, all from the Gestalt Therapy Institute of Los Angeles. In 2000 the faculty consisted of 12 professionals, 7 from Gestalt Associates Training Los Angeles (Todd Burley, Ph.D., Rita Resnick, Ph.D., Bob Resnick, Ph.D., Liv Estrup, M.A., Gertrude Harrow, Ph.D., Jan Ruckert, Ed.D., and Vernon Van de Riet, Ph.D). Helen Kennedy, BA (Hons.) joined the faculty from Teamwork (Edingurgh Gestalt Institute) in Edinburgh, Scotland, Claudia Rosenbach-Ziembinski, Dipl. Psych. Clinical (originally trained with the Berlin Gestalt Center) and Zish Ziembinski, M. Psych. from the Gestalt Therapy Institute of Western Australia, Australia and Jay Levin, M.A. (Clinical Psych.) from Cape Town, So. Africa (recently moved to Sarasota, Florida to work at the Kanner School). Our final faculty member in 2000 was Virginia Burley, M.A. who is currently the Associate Dean of Humanities at Mt. San Antonio College. Ginny led our organization seminar in 2000 and will do the same in 2001. We had Trainer Assistants in 2000 from Ireland, Poland and the U.S. In 2001 we have instigated a new category of trainer - Distinguished Visiting Faculty - and we are most honored to have Sonia Nevis, Ph.D., Director of the Center for the Study of Intimate Systems, and Edwin Nevis, Ph.D., Director of the Gestalt International Study Center working with us for three days of the workshop. This diverse faculty provides a unique opportunity to work with professionals who bring different perspectives, different ways of imparting information, different sensibilities, different humor and therefore can support and encourage differing styles of therapy. Diversity stimulates expansion and flexibility which are the hallmarks of our program.

Certification:
GATLA offers two certification tracks: Certification of Completion which requires attendance at three Summer Residentials including at least one in the Advanced Group and Certification of Competence by examination. The examination process consists of a written theory exam, an oral theory exam and a clinical exam in which 3 trainers observe the trainee working with a client either in a group or an individual setting.

Advances to the Program:
Our program has constantly evolved to meet the changing needs of our participants. Practicum groups were added for more advanced participants. Trainer Assistants were invited so that those doing training in their countries of origin could have some "hands-on" practice. A Couples Therapy Training Workshop now precedes the annual Gestalt Training Program because of an interested expressed by many participants to learn to work with this population. The organizational seminar is a new addition to the program - again a request from participants interested in translating Gestalt principles to organizational and educational arenas.

Summary
The kind of training GATLA is doing fills an important niche. As our world has grown, one of the losses we have all experienced is a shared sense of community. Many of us, as members of the helping professions, lack a place to share ideas, frustrations and growth with others who hold common values, knowledge and ideals. The Summer Residential Gestalt Therapy Training Program works hard to fill this void. We are a community of multi-cultural participants and faculty who are committed to respectful dialogue. We offer a supportive environment to do personal therapy and an opportunity to have "in vivo" supervision - someone actually sitting in a session and providing intensive supervision over 9 working days. We live together for 12 days with strangers who later become colleagues, friends and confidants.
In an alienated society, the residential provides a chance for real contact supported by the principles of Gestalt Therapy. We hold a wholeness by incorporating diversity. We have a reasonable base of shared values. The faculty works hard to demonstrate our level of caring and to earn the trust and respect of the participants. We try to stimulate young and old minds and to keep ourselves vibrant and at the cutting edge. We offer challenge, diversity, honesty, stimulation, instruction, and the possibility for connection in fun, laughter and song.