Black, African, Asian and Caribbean heritage identifying? Interested in becoming a qualified Psychotherapist or a Counsellor starting in September 2025?
The Gestalt Centre is consciously working at improving our offer to meet the needs of student counsellors and psychotherapists who heritage identify as Black, African and Asian. Including recognition of dual and multiple identities – gender, class, orientation, physical abilities, neurodivergent abilities and age.
We want to recruit more people of Black, African, Asian and Caribbean Heritage who wish to extend their learning and study by undertaking one of our accredited Gestalt Therapy programmes. This is why we are advertising places specifically on the BAATN listing, our Director of Psychotherapy, Carmen Joanne Ablack, is a founding member of BAATN and may be known to some of you.
Our Diploma in Counselling and our Practitioner Diploma in Gestalt Psychotherapy are accredited and recognised by BACP and UKCP respectively.
We engage directly with both professional bodies to improve dialogue and understanding of the subjective and intersubjective needs of all our trainees and their client groups. Attending to global majority and dual and multiple identities – gender, class, orientation, physical abilities, neurodivergent abilities, age and to the growing area of masculine identity processes.
We actively encourage exploration in each training group, including appropriate to role by the facilitators, of each person’s own identity processing as part of the of learning and understanding being discovered /emergent in the group, and for the individual in the group.
We encourage, support and train you to take self-responsibility for discovering what it means to be you in the context of the learning community of gestalt trainees. This in turn allows you to develop the skills for supporting others with their own emergent awareness, growth and reflective development. We encourage dialogue and learning at all levels, including the active engagement of faculty in this.
Our training is an embodied-relational approach to the practice of Gestalt Therapy.
Our groups aim to offer challenge and support, as we focus on contact with self and each other, and on reflective engagement within an appreciation and exploration of diverse identity, and other psychological and emotional processes.
The Psychotherapy Training
Qualifies you to work with groups and individuals. You would have undertaken some training (such as a counselling certificate) and have experience of gestalt therapy and some Gestalt Theory learning before joining the first year of the training .
We are currently recruiting for the Diploma in Professional Development (DPD). This is a Level 6 Training, leading to a diploma certificate with equivalent credits to an undergraduate honours qualification.
We are currently in an external Partnership with London Metropolitan University, who confer the DPD and our MA qualification in Gestalt Therapy Theory Studies.
The Diploma in Professional Development (1st year psychotherapy )
This first year of the psychotherapy training allows you to explore, experiment and apply Gestalt Theory to your experiences in your life as they manifest in the here and now, and in your workplace, be that a voluntary or paid role.
Starting a process of learning to reflect on ‘the what’ and ‘the how‘ of your engagement in a group setting, being part of your group- based learning.
Our training groups are a maximum of 16 students at DPD level. There are currently some places available. Please go to
Diploma in Professional Development | The Gestalt Centre To find more details and an to make an application Admission
Post Graduate Diploma (2nd year of MA & 3rd year psychotherapy)
Places are available for applicants experienced in Gestalt Therapy and with some GT learning and or supervision if already in practice. The Post Graduate Diploma year is the second year of the 3-year part-time MA. The MA forms part of the overall qualification for accreditation as a Gestalt Psychotherapist. We welcome your APL applications. Please use an advanced application form Admission to apply.
Certificate in Humanistic Counselling Skills (Counselling Faculty)
This certificate gives participants, with little or no Gestalt experience, and little personal therapy experience the opportunity to develop and learn about humanistic and specifically gestalt approaches to facilitating another and learning about yourself.
It can offer a good entry route for applicants who need to develop their gestalt understanding and experience in a group setting before applying for a place on the psychotherapy training. Please see Gestalt Counselling Course | The Gestalt Centre for more details and you can apply here Admission.
All offers are made on a case-by-case basis, we consider other community learning activities and communication and facilitation experiences you may bring when you apply.
We look forward to hearing from you,
Carmen Joanne Ablack
Director Psychotherapy, Gestalt Centre London