This post-qualification certificate course offers an embodied and relational Gestalt perspective on working with an intimate personal relationship in ways that differ from one-to-one work. It’s an ideal CPD opportunity for qualified experienced counsellors, therapists, senior coaches or psychologists. Ideally you are already accredited with a recognised professional body.
Who takes this course?
This programme of post-qualification training is primarily aimed at qualified psychotherapists and counsellors, clinical and counselling psychologists and senior coaches – you don’t need experience of Gestalt. You do need significant experience of working with clients under professional supervision. Participants are ordinarily accredited practitioners with a substantive body of clinical work behind them. The course explores embodied and relational psychological depth work from the outset.
Please note the course is not suitable for those still in training or practitioners not registered under a recognised code of ethics.
About the course
The programme is composed of four facilitated and taught units, and an assessed case study.
Outcomes – The programme offers practitioners such as experienced counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists and senior coaches the opportunity to develop or deepen skills, knowledge and experience required to work effectively with people in couples and other intimate relationship groups.
Method and Content– The programme includes self-reflection, group discussions and group processing of experiences, experiential and theoretical learning and practice, and advice in a supportive environment. We will have opportunities to work with handouts that a provided before, during or after each module.
The course explores,
- Established Gestalt Therapy Theory & Practice: field perspectives, ‘here and now’ and narrative awareness and phenomenological methodology
- Body Psychotherapy concepts: embodied relational perspectives, somatic experiencing and dynamics of transference and countertransference processes
- Other key therapy approaches, including systemic and relational processes
- Diversity, intercultural and intersectional understandings in relationship underpin the course content throughout the programme
- Reading lists and comprehensive handouts
The emphasis is on learning to use phenomenological-based meaning-making and active methods, as well as Gestalt field theoretical ideas applied in practice. There’s plenty of practice-based learning – you’ll be involved in couples and relationship practice play and receive live supervision and input on this.
At the Gestalt Centre we value equity and inclusion and welcome diversity and difference in all backgrounds, identities, cultures and voices. It is integral to who we are and how we work. If you have any accessibility requirements for this course, please let us know how we might be able to meet them.
All course days are intended to take place in person at our Centre in London.
Programme Modules
Module 1: Embodied Relational Couples and Relationship Therapy
This first weekend will suit practitioners with little or no previous experience of working with relationships, and also for more experienced practitioners wishing to delve into Gestalt Therapy Theory and Practice and its relevance to couples and relationship working. The first module includes establishing supportive working relationships in the group. Experienced applicants can request APL/APEL straight to the second module of Advanced Practice. It is recommended you do all modules.
Module 2: Advanced Practice in Couples and Relationship Therapy
Delving deeper into the work with relationships, this module discusses the role of systemic and attachment dynamics. It additionally offers supervisory and group exploration of practical client work examples, and facilitated couples and relationship practice play to explore specific issues that arise in this work. Some preparatory reading would be required.
Module 3: Creativity and Embodiment in Couples and Relationship Therapy
This module explores creative working with couples and intimate relationship, mainly through experiential exercises and Gestalt and Body Psychotherapy experiments. It includes reflective processing of our experiences of this with each other.
It additionally affords participants the opportunity to explore and practice utilizing creative methods such as drawings, vocalisation and movement.
Module 4: Practicum Weekend: Putting It All Together
This is a facilitator and peer feedback and clinical practice assessment weekend for participants who wish to achieve the post qualification Gestalt Centre Certificate in Couples and Relationships Therapy. At minimum participants will have attended Modules 2 and 3 before they will be eligible to take part in the practicum.
Course fees and payment
The Course Fees: £ 1,700 self-funded / £2,300 Charity sector (with turnover up to £1 million) / £2,600 private sector
Please note there will be an additional assessment fee of £140 for the written work.
Payments can be made in full before the start of the course, or with a pre-arranged payment plan.
To apply, when applications are open, please complete this form.
Certificate completion requirements
- Providing a signed log of supervised practice: 30 hours of supervised work with clients. The log to include brief notes about each case brought to supervision.
- Providing a signed log of clinical practice undertaken: minimum of two different couples or intimate relationship working. The log to include a brief note about each case, not already covered in the supervised practice log.
- Passing an assessed 3000-word Case Study focusing on one relationship, and incorporating experience acquired through the programme through group work, supervision and theory into practice including assessment and formulation.
Course tutor
Carmen Joanne Ablack is an experienced UKCP Registered Gestalt, Integrative and Body Psychotherapist (EABP accredited) and Director of Psychotherapy at the GC. Known both in the UK and internationally, with particular experience in embodied and relational approaches, body psychotherapy, sexuality in relationship and working with creativity and performance.
She is our Director of Psychotherapy and core tutor for the MA and Psychotherapy Practitioner Diploma. She has published in journals and books over the years.