Membership - Introduction

Individual membership

The Gestalt therapy-training program is defined as a program at post-graduate level. The entrance level of prior education is (according to EAP regulations) at least a Bachelor degree or equivalent (no less than 2000 hours) in the field of the helping professions or the social sciences. Psychologists or Social Workers are good examples of the group of persons who are eligible to become a gestalt therapist. Equivalence must be evaluated through published procedures for the Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).

It is understood that a finished education in the helping professions is required, but in modern society there is a wide spectrum of possibilities and programs, to become a member of the helping professions.

» Ordinary Members may be:

- Individuals who meet the EAGT criteria.

» Associate Members are:

Individuals who have started a training in Gestalt therapy or Gestalt Practitioners in Organisations in Institutes, which are members of the EAGT and is meant for individuals who do not (yet) meet the EAGT criteria for Ordinary membership.
Individuals who have started a training in Gestalt therapy or Gestalt Practitioners in Organisations in Institutes, which are members of the EAGT. Associate membership for students is a chance for trainees to become EAGT members in combination with a lower fee: the entry fee is € 20,- per year with a maximum of 4 calendar years and will then automatically be converted into the aforementioned membership which comes to € 65,- per year.
Retired Gestalt therapists/practitioners.

EAGT criteria explained:

600 hours of theory and methodology done in an experiential way (there has to be a minimum of 600 actual contact hours with at least 4 different trainers)
150 hours of supervision
400 hours of clinical practice (meaning at least 400 sessions with selected clients / patients (individuals, groups, couples, families, preferable a mix of these)
250 hours of personal therapeutic experience
50 hours personal preference The total training program consists of a minimum of 1450 hours.

Membership as Gestalt Practitioner in Organization

The EAGT is so far a professional organization which mainly organises the profession of Gestalt psychotherapy. In the Gestalt community is however a growing need to discriminate between psychotherapists and other practitioners using the Gestalt principles. One group of these practitioners can be identified as Gestalt coachers and/or Gestalt organizational development consultancies.

The statutes of the EAGT point: 2, 2, b: The union of persons, organizations and institutions active in Europe in the field of Gestalt psychotherapy and its applications, opens a possibility for inclusion of members who use the Gestalt therapy principles in other areas then psychotherapy.

On the Annual General Meeting in Prague 2003 a Chair of the Gestalt Practitioner in Organizations was appointed and his task it is to formulate a training standard for such practitioners. These standards shall be on the level of the members practising psychotherapy. More information will follow on this subject as soon as the standards are approved as definite and implemented.

Membership as Training Institutes

» Ordinary Members may be:

- Institutes, which meet the EAGT training standards and code of ethics and work in the field of training or clinical applications of Gestalt therapy.

» Associate Members may be:

- Every training institute, which commits itself to reaching EAGT training standards and is in the process of fulfilling the requirements of the EAGT in its training curriculum.

EAGT criteria explained:

A minimum of 4 years of training = 1.450 hours

Describe the entrance level in your educational program for psychotherapists (minimum: bachelor in the field of helping professions or equivalent).
250 hours of personal psychotherapeutic experience (at least 50 hours have to be done in individual setting).
600 hours of theory or methodology - including psychopathology – in accordance with the usual standards of the modality
400 hours of clinical practice with patients:
- either within a mental or social health setting, or equivalent
- either with individual clients/patients, families or groups, under regular supervision
150 hours of supervision of therapies with real patients.
50 hours personal preference (free choice)

Membership as Professional organizations

The accreditation of professional organizations describes, what must be fulfilled to obtain accreditation as an ordinary membership as professional organization.

Fulfilment (EAGT criteria) to become a professional organization:

A minimum of 4 years of training = 1.450 hours

Describe the entrance level in your educational program for psychotherapists (minimum: bachelor in the field of helping professions or equivalent).
250 hours of personal psychotherapeutic experience (at least 50 hours have to be done in individual setting).
600 hours of theory or methodology - including psychopathology – in accordance with the usual standards of the modality
400 hours of clinical practice with patients:
- either within a mental or social health setting, or equivalent
- either with individual clients/patients, families or groups, under regular supervision
150 hours of supervision of therapies with real patients.
50 hours personal preference (free choice)

Membership as a NOGT’s

A NOGT is a National Organization for Gestalt Therapy (NOGT). The majority of Training Institutes and individual Gestalt therapists in that country support the National Organization. The NOGT is the body, that is authorized by EAGT to represent Gestalt Therapy in that country. It is understood as a National Umbrella Organization, structurally and legally independent from any TI. The NOGT acts as the Professional Organization for its individual members and promotes and supports Gestalt therapy in the country. The NOGT has an official structure, and is officially registered.

EAGT will only accept per country one professional Umbrella Organization as the official NOGT. If there are competing Organizations, EAGT will assist to find a solution that all sides can accept. If this cannot be found, EAGT will decide which organization will be the NOGT and represent the country to EAGT. It will choose the one that best fulfils the criteria for a NOGT.

EAGT criteria:

A minimum of 4 years of training = 1.450 hours

Describe the entrance level in your educational program for psychotherapists (minimum: bachelor in the field of helping professions or equivalent).
250 hours of personal psychotherapeutic experience (at least 50 hours have to be done in individual setting).
600 hours of theory or methodology - including psychopathology – in accordance with the usual standards of the modality
400 hours of clinical practice with patients:
- - either within a mental or social health setting, or equivalent
- - either with individual clients/patients, families or groups, under regular supervision
150 hours of supervision of therapies with real patients.
50 hours personal preference (free choice)

The accreditation of NOGT’s (National Organization for Gestalt therapy) describes, what must be fulfilled to obtain accreditation as NOGT . There will be only 1 NOGT accredited per country, which will represent the qualified gestalt practitioners of a country and be supported by the majority of Gestalt-Training Institutes in the country. The accreditation of NOGT’s is processed by the Chair of NOGT’s in the Executive Committee.