The GTIP Training Program meets in person one weekend per month from September through May. Trainees can expect to participate in the following over the course of a training weekend:
Saturday
9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — Session meets for theory presentation, including a short break in the middle. This session is directed toward formal theory discussion and holds the most concerted didactic aspects of the training with attention to the reading assignments.
2:00 – 5:00 p.m. — Trainees are divided into triads and quartets and assigned a Supervisor (usually a faculty member or graduate of GTIP). One trainee is the therapist, one is the client, and there are one or two observers. The typical therapy session lasts 20 to 25 minutes. The observers and the Supervisors use the remainder of the time for feedback to the trainee acting as a therapist. The roles within the triad are rotated so that each trainee will have a turn working as the therapist. Following triad sessions, each cohort meets together for 30 minutes at the end of the day to discuss and debrief about their experiences. Trainees have reported that the online format has actually improved the practicum experiences, decreasing the anxiety of being watched while acting as the therapist or client during the therapy sessions.
Sunday
9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. — These sessions are devoted to experiential groups in which the trainees work with the faculty on awareness/contacting, either one-on-one with their cohort observing or as a group. After the work is completed, observing trainees are encouraged to query the trainer about the theory involved in the work. This segment gives the trainees additional experience observing the work of a seasoned Gestalt therapist and connecting theory to practice.
Exceptions
On the first training weekend in September, directors, board members, faculty members and trainees meet together from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. on Friday night for an orientation.
During the academic year, the Community Meeting Planning Committee holds three community meetings for deepening our relationships with one another.
Once a training year, part of Sunday is devoted to assessment, feedback and evaluation in each class as part of building and demonstrating trainee proficiency.