Workshop Description:
This 3-hour virtual training offers clinicians an immersive introduction to Gestalt therapy through a primarily experiential lens. Designed for mental health professionals, the workshop focuses on cultivating presence, deepening awareness, and working with the here-and-now in clinical practice. This training will mix lecture with structured experiential exercises, including chair work, guided self-reflection, and body tracking, all grounded in Gestalt principles.
Emphasis will be placed on using the creativity and presence as tools for co-creation, with space for participants to explore their own process as a way of understanding the client's experience. This training is ideal for clinicians who learn best by doing and are curious about integrating more embodied, relational approaches into their work.
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the basic concepts of Gestalt therapy, including awareness, the here-and-now, and the importance of personal responsibility in the therapeutic process.
2. Learn and practice simple Gestalt techniques, such as the empty chair and body awareness exercises, to help clients explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in the present moment.
3. Describe the patterns people use when making contact with others and the world, and how interruptions in contact (like avoidance or projection) can affect emotional well-being.
4. Develop skills in being present and authentic with clients by practicing active listening, curiosity, and respectful dialogue in a therapeutic setting.