Foundations of Gestalt Therapy (9 hours)

ABOUT THE COURSE:

This course provides clinicians with an overview of Gestalt therapy, including its history and the context within which the theory emerged. Participants will become familiar with differences between Gestalt theory and other existing theories of the time. Foundational underpinnings, as well as defining clinical characteristics of Gestalt theory as a third force in psychotherapy will be discussed. Clinical concepts, such as “I-It / I-Thou”, “contact”, “awareness”, “paradoxical theory of change”, and “creative adjustment” will be explained and clinically exemplified.  Participants will be introduced to three important elements of the dialogic method and its therapeutic implications. In addition, this course will discuss the concept of phenomenology, its components and clinical application.  Finally, the instructors are going to walk the participants through the concepts of field theory, as well as paradoxical theory of change and their clinical implications. 

INSTRUCTORS:

Friedemann Schulz, MA, MFT, has been the faculty chair for the Pacific Gestalt Institute (PGI) until spring 2021, and he is past-president of the Gestalt Institute of Los Angeles (GTILA).  For many years, he taught at Antioch University Los Angeles, and he has been a long time supervisor of mental health professionals.  Friedemann maintains a private practice in West Los Angeles.  He has earned the rank of a senior instructor of Shintaido, a Japanese body discipline, and he has conducted workshops in the US, Germany and Mexico that draw from eastern philosophies and Gestalt therapy principles.  His publications include "Roots and Shoots of Gestalt Therapy Field Theory: Historical and Theoretical Developments” (2013),  "Dialogue and Experiment", co-authored with Gary Yontef, PhD (2016), "Gestalt Couples Therapy" (2018), and "Living in a World of Meaning" (2022, in press).  As a young adult Friedemann came from Germany to the US, and now lives with his family in Santa Monica, CA.

Amanda Rowan is an LCSW and the founder and CEO of the Therapist Development Center. Amanda graduated with honors from Dartmouth College where she majored in Neuroscience. She earned her Masters in Social Welfare at UCLA. Since founding the Therapist Development Center in 2008, Amanda has prepared more than 50,000 therapists nationwide to pass their state licensing exams.  She is a certified Gestalt Therapist who has worked with a wide variety of clients in a range of settings over the past 20 years.  She is a highly effective instructor who has a passion for collaborating with seasoned therapists who understand what works because they do it every day.  

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE:

This course is appropriate for mental health clinicians at all levels of experience to better understand the legal and ethical issues that can lead to disciplinary actions and identify concrete steps they can take to protect their psychotherapy practice.

Therapist Development Center, provider 1449, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Therapist Development Center maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 5/30/21-5/30/24. Social workers completing this course receive 9 continuing education credits. 

If you are an AMFT, MFT, ASW, or LCSW in California, the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) accepts continuing education credits given through ASWB ACE-approved courses.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

As a result of participating in this training, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the concept of I-Thou

2. Differentiate between I-Thou and I-It concepts

3. Understand elements of the dialogical methodology

4. Grasp the evolution of Gestalt therapy theory

5. Differentiate between psychoanalytic and gestalt theories

6. Understand the concept of “awareness” through Gestalt theory lens

7. Gain knowledge of field theory and its clinical implication

8. Understand the concept of phenomenology as it applies to clinical practice

9. Describe three aspects of phenomenological method: bracketing, description, horizontalization

10. Articulate paradoxical theory of change

11. Describe the concept of “creative adjustment”

COURSE OUTLINE: 

1. Lecture 1: 

   1. Introduction

   2. The History of Gestalt Therapy

   3. Contact and Awareness

2. Lecture 2: Dialogue Centered Approach

3. Lecture 3: Phenomenology

4. Lecture 4: 

   1. Field Theory

   2. Paradoxical Theory of Change

REGISTRATION: Please register online at www.therapistdevelopmentcenter.com 

HOW TO ACCESS THIS COURSE: Once registered, participants will be able to download the Powerpoints, handouts, and listen to recorded audio lectures. 

PRICE: $108

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION: The participant will be able to print their certificate of completion immediately after receiving a score of 80% or better on the posttest and completing the course evaluation

CANCELLATION POLICY: If you contact us prior to utilizing your course, you may receive a tuition refund less a $10 cancellation fee.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Therapist Development Center

Email: help@therapistdevelopmentcenter.com.