PHILOSOPHY

THE NYIGT TODAY

Over the years, the Institute has evolved into a world-wide membership organization addressing the needs of the Gestalt therapy community. Its structure continues to develop according to the needs of individuals and of the group-as-a-whole. Each month from the relative isolation of psychotherapy practices, supervision, seminars, practica, and study groups, people come together in a larger community to socialize, learn from one another, and contactfully challenge themselves in the on-going group process.

Each of us meets as a peer, regardless of our background or experience, whether student, teacher, fellow, full or associate member.

We at the New York Institute for Gestalt Therapy think of ourselves as serving a special function in the larger Gestalt therapy community.Rather than offer formal structured programs to “train” Gestalt therapists,our primary function is the ongoing teaching and learning of Gestalt therapy itself. We believe teaching and learning Gestalt therapy are aspects of a single contact-boundary phenomena. An experienced teacher learns through the process of teaching; a student teaches through the process of learning. All of us continue to discover, invent, learn, and create the theory of Gestalt therapy.

Learning thus does not emanate from the top down in a fixed hierarchy, but emerges as figures of interest in a field of excitement and support. We invite all interested people to join our teaching/learning community. Each of us organizes his/her own teaching learning experience based on need, interest and excitement. We encourage one another to follow his/her interest, attend to what is exciting in this process, and to bring his/her needs, questions, and concerns to our monthly meetings in order to further the continuing study of Gestalt therapy by all of us.We believe this leads to awareness and growth in a way that most effectively embodies the values and spirit of Gestalt therapy.