The Gestalt Centre is consciously working at improving our offer to meet the needs of student counsellors and psychotherapists who identify as GSRD, Queer, LGBTQIA+, Trans. This includes recognition of dual and multiple identities – for example, cultural heritage and race, class, physical abilities, neurodivergent abilities and age.
We want to recruit more people from GSRD, Queer, LGBTQIA+, Trans identifying communities who wish to extend their learning and study by undertaking one of our accredited Gestalt Therapy programmes.
Out trainings include the opportunity for dialogue, with each other and with the faculty members and directors, to ensure we are working together to improve “the how” and “the what” of our work for different communities.
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.
We encourage our trainees and our trainers to attend to heritage and culture including, dual and multiple identities, physical abilities, neurodivergent abilities, age, class 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 together. Looking at understanding being discovered / emergent in the group as a whole , and for the individual in the group.
You are encouraged, supported and trained 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., aiming to offer challenge and support, as we focus on contact with self and each other. And focus on reflective engagement within an appreciation and exploration of diverse identities in the room, the community of GC, and the wider environment. We are paying attention to with this to other psychological and emotional processes – implicit and explicit.
The Psychotherapy Training
Qualifies you to work with adult groups and adult individuals. You normally 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 in an external Partnership currently 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 on the Post Graduate Diploma year for applicants experienced in Gestalt Therapy, some groupwork, 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