On Friday 3 November 2017, at the IANOS Culture Chain in Thessaloniki, a lecture was held on «What happens when regularity meets diversity?».

The lecturer Ms Koutela Irene, M.Sc.Psychology, Psychotherapist, Gestalt Foundation graduate, and research associate at psychological support line , 11528,- NEAR YOU,I-MBA, DEA, began her lecture, analyzing the course of adolescence to adulthood, comparing to the butterfly that leaves behind its cocoon and decides to open its colorful wings.

She continued with a broad reference to human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity, issues that many people worry about.

The audience, as expected, due to the topics of the lecture, was mobilized and there were a barrage of questions and queries which were answered by Ms. Koutela, with care and has stimulated thinking about this issue and its extensions.

You can watch this lecture and many others, very easily, by going to our Gestalt Foundation YouTube channel

Mrs. Antonia Konstantinidou's lecture, on Friday, 20/10/2017, opened the Gestalt Foundation open lecture circle at the IANOS Culture Chain in Thessaloniki for the academic year 2017-2018. Theme of the lecture: «When Time, Space and Meaning Are Lost ... Depression and Gestalt Treatment».

This lecture was devoted to depression, a concept and a word that exists in our everyday vocabulary, we hear it everywhere and we often use it. Despite all the misconceptions and shifts of its "scientific" importance, this, along with "anxiety", are popular comrades of our time and culture. And that is not a coincidence.

Mrs Konstantinidou, in her own personal way, described and defined, this situation so as to help the audience to understand how it can handle it, when it hits the door.

The questions raised and the dialogue that followed, after the end of the lecture, showed the great interest and concern of the audience about this sensitive issue. Mrs. Konstantinidou responded warmly to the number of questions and answered aptly with clarity and sensitivity.

You can watch this lecture and many others, very easily, by going to our Gestalt Foundation YouTube channel

4th International Summer Camp

Forrest Village “Livadaki”

Karpenisi 11-15 of July 2018

“Discovering my “True” North”

Orienting the self. A part of the contact cycle in Gestalt Therapy.

From sensations to contact.

To orient, you have to become aware.

To become aware of your position, when lost … you need to find your “True” North.

For the fourth year in a row we will try through team spirit, within a relational process that characterizes the camp, to “share” knowledge and experiences through orientation games, mapping, climbing, canyoning, meditation, yoga, modern and primitive dance, horseback riding, percussions instruments, flying fox, archery, hiking, bird watching, creative workshops, “treasure” hunting games.

The camp is addressed to all ages.

There will be an adjusted program for the children of all ages.

Co-ordinators

Antonia Konstantinidou, MSc Social and Clinical Psychology of (A.U.Th.), Gestalt Psychotherapist, Trainer & Supervisor, member of EAGT and the National Psychotherapy Company of Greece. Holder of the ECP (European Certificate of Psychotherapy). Ex-President & Founding member of the Hellenic Association for Gestalt Therapy, Founding member of Gestalt Foundation

Maria Farmaki, Psychologist, Early Childhood Educator, Β.Α. Psychologist, Gestalt Psychotherapist. Member of the Pan-Hellenic Association of Early Childhood Educators (P.A.E.C.E), and of EAGT. Founding member of the Hellenic Association for Gestalt Therapy. Ex-president of HAGT.

Katia Hatzilakou, M.Sc. Clinical & Social Psychology (A.U.Th.), Gestalt Psychotherapist, Trainer & Supervisor, member of EAGT (ex-Chair of NOGT and External Relation of EAGT) and the National Psychotherapy Company of Greece. Holder of the ECP (European Certificate of Psychotherapy). Founding member of the Hellenic Association for Gestalt Therapy, Founding member of Gestalt Foundation

CHOICES OF ACCOMODATION

Small cabins

The cabins have two two-bed rooms with the option of accommodating an extra person to a smaller bed, a mini kitchen and bathroom.

Strictly on priority due to the limited number of rooms available

Tent

The campers will have access to the facilities of the Forrest Village (outdoor WC and showers)

Cost (for the cabins residents):

5days (from Wednesday 11/7/2018 – 15/7/2018)                        360€

Included to the cost: 4 overnights, 4 breakfasts, 3 dinners and the Saturday’s festive fire ceremony dinner.

3days (from Friday 13/7/2018 – 15/7/ 2018)                                  260€

Included to the cost: 2 overnights, 2 breakfasts, a dinner and the Saturday’s festive fire ceremony dinner.

Cost (for the tents):

5days (from Wednesday 11/7/2018 – 15/7/2018)                        280€

Included to the cost: 4 overnights, 4 breakfasts, 3 dinners and the Saturday’s festive fire ceremony dinner.

3days (from Friday 13/7/2018 – 15/7/ 2018)                                  200€

Included to the cost: 2 overnights, 2 breakfasts, a dinners and the Saturday’s festive fire ceremony dinner.

Not included to the cost: coffees, beverages, alcoholic beverages, snacks, rafting, canoeing, kayak, canyoning, flying fox, archery, horse back riding.

A vegetarian choice will be available. Please inform the secretariat of Thessaloniki for any nutritional or any other need before the beginning of the camp.

To validate the participation, especially for the cabins residents, it is obligatory to deposit the 30% of the total amount the latest until 25 of May 2018. Due to the residential nature of the seminar and the particularity of the rooms and the surrounding area you must contact the secretariat of Thessaloniki to book your room or to reserve a tent space.

For information and bookings please contact the Secretariat of Thessaloniki, Monday – Friday 10:00 – 17:00 at the telephone +30 2310 283588 or by e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

3rd International Summer Camp

Forrest Village “Livadaki”

Karpenisi 5-9 of July 2017

… and the rainbow always comes after a storm …

… do you think that in the “panta vrexei” (always raining) canyon there are “always rainbows”? If you are equally curious as us and you love adventure, team life in nature, risks and changes, come with us this summer on the 3rd Summer Camp of Gestalt Foundation in “Livadaki”, a forest village in Karpenisi, from the 5th to the 9th of July 2017 … to discover all the “rainbows” and the opportunities behind the storms in our lives.

For the third year in a row we will try through team spirit within a relational process that characterizes the camp to “share” knowledge and experiences trough climbing, rafting, canoeing, kayak, canyoning, meditation, yoga, modern and primitive dance, horse back riding, percussions instruments, flying fox, archery, hiking, bird watching, creative workshops, “treasure” hunting games.

The camp is addressed to all ages.

There will be an adjusted program for the children of all ages.

Co-ordinators

Antonia Konstantinidou, MSc Social and Clinical Psychology of (A.U.Th.), Gestalt Psychotherapist, Trainer & Supervisor, member of EAGT and the National Psychotherapy Company of Greece. Holder of the ECP (European Certificate of Psychotherapy). President & Founding member of the Hellenic Association for Gestalt Therapy, Founding member of Gestalt Foundation

Maria Farmaki, Psychologist, Early Childhood Educator, Β.Α. Psychologist, Gestalt Psychotherapist. Member of the Pan-Hellenic Association of Early Childhood Educators (P.A.E.C.E), and of EAGT. Founding member of the Hellenic Association for Gestalt Therapy. Ex-president of HAGT.

Katia Hatzilakou, M.Sc. Clinical & Social Psychology (A.U.Th.), Gestalt Psychotherapist, Trainer & Supervisor, member of EAGT (ex-Chair of NOGT and External Relation of EAGT) and the National Psychotherapy Company of Greece. Holder of the ECP (European Certificate of Psychotherapy). Founding member of the Hellenic Association for Gestalt Therapy, Founding member of Gestalt Foundation

CHOICES OF ACCOMODATION

Small cabins

The cabins have two two-bed rooms with the option of accommodating an extra person in the “common area”, a mini kitchen and bathroom.

Strictly on priority due to the number of rooms available

Tent

The campers will have access to the facilities of the Forrest Village (outdoor WC and showers)

Cost (for the cabins residents):

5days (from Wednesday 5/7/2017 – 9/7/2017) 350€

Included to the cost: 4 overnights, 4 breakfasts, 3 dinners and the Saturday’s festive fire ceremony dinner.

3days (from Friday 7/7/2017 – 9/7/ 2017) 250€

Included to the cost: 2 overnights, 2 breakfasts, a dinner and the Saturday’s festive fire ceremony dinner.

Cost (for the tents):

5days (from Wednesday 5/7/2017 – 9/7/2017) 270€

Included to the cost: 4 overnights, 4 breakfasts, 3 dinners and the Saturday’s festive fire ceremony dinner.

3days (from Friday 7/7/2017 – 9/7/ 2017) 190€

Included to the cost: 2 overnights, 2 breakfasts, a dinners and the Saturday’s festive fire ceremony dinner.

Not included to the cost: coffees, beverages, alcoholic beverages, snacks, rafting, canoeing, kayak, canyoning, flying fox, archery, horse back riding.

A vegetarian choice will be available. Please inform the secretariat for any nutritional or any other need before the beginning of the camp.

To validate the participation, especially for the cabins residents, it is obligatory to deposit the 30% of the total amount the latest until 26 of May 2017. Due to the residential nature of the seminar and the particularity of the rooms and the surrounding area you must contact the secretariat to book your room or to reserve a tent space.

For information and bookings please contact the Secretariat, Monday – Friday 10:00 – 17:00 at the telephone +30 2310 283588 or by e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Gestalt Foundation accepted the invitation of the Médecins Sans Frontières Association in Athens, and voluntarily offer two one-day training workshops to members of the Association such as doctors, psychologists, translators and other specialists who come in contact with people suffering from exhaustive and constant travel, torture, abuse, loss and and deal with people experiencing incredible insecurity and fear.

The workshops were coordinated by Ms. Yianna Giamarelou, founding member and Senior Trainer of the Gestalt Foundation, who has twenty years of experience in crisis affairs, with the contribution of the senior trainees of the Center, Mrs. V. Antonatou, Mr. P. Kalomirakis, Mrs. E. Lazarou, Mrs. F. Pantazatou and Mrs. P. Tsomidi. The aim of the workshops was to raise awareness amongst participants about self-support and awareness of how to handle the crisis both personally and interpersonally, while the participants came in contact with basic principles of methodology and supervision.

The workshops introduced a new perspective on the issues of the "crisis" and the peculiarities that one encounters each time. All participants were committed to a future cooperation on this issue.

We wish the Médecins Sans Frontières Association to be strong in order to continue the difficult humanitarian work that it provides globally.

Οn Friday, June 9, 2017, the open lectures on the IANOS Culture Chain in Thessaloniki, for the period 2016-2017, were completed, with the lecture on "The Magnificence of the Solaris Planet: Sonata for the Imagination and the Reality of our Meetings".

Coordinator Petros Theodorou, Gestalt Psychotherapist, member of EAGT, creator of PSP: Process-Stage-Praxis, and author of the book "... to the heretics of love: the eyes that looked at me" tried to analyze “How does the subjective feeling of our existence relate to what happens when we love, fall in love, touch or glutton the Other?”

He started his lecture, referring to the fact that we all live, more or less, in a personal world, “a private island”. We feel as if our minds, thoughts, memories and feelings exist in our own, completely private "inward" space, inaccessible to everything, well separated by a strong psychological limit from our "outside".

He also explained that we usually think that in this "inward" space, we can distinguish what is the product of our imagination and what corresponds to the "outside" physical reality. On the occasion of the central idea of Andrei Tarkovsky's film "Solaris", he tried to illuminate some of the main themes and their variants that make up the soundtrack (melodic or dissonance) of our meetings.

The way in which the subject was presented by the psychotherapist and writer intrigued the audience and there were a lot of questions which Mr Theodorou answered in his unique, personal way, always giving rise to further thinking and reflection.

You can watch this lecture and many others, very easily, by going to our Gestalt Foundation YouTube channel

On Friday, May 26, 2017, a lecture held on "How long can I stand the light of the other?", in “IANOS” Culture Chain in Thessaloniki.

Coordinator Katerina Siampani*, during the lecture spoke about jealousy, a feeling that we, as human beings, experience in our everyday life, as well as many other feelings. However, even though like any other feeling within us, jealousy help us experience and also direct us both in our relationship with ourselves and in our relationships with others; remains one of the most negatively affected feelings.

The constructive dialogue that followed with many interesting questions and interventions by the public led to further enlargement and exploration of the subject of jealousy.

*Siampani Katerina, MSc Counseling Psychology, University of Sheffield, Gestalt Psychotherapist, Trained in Art-Therapy. Member of EAGT, of the Hellenic Association for Gestalt Therapy and board member of HAGT. Author of the book "Walking together. The view of Gestalt psychotherapy in dementia".

You can watch this lecture and many others, very easily, by going to our Gestalt Foundation YouTube channel

On Thursday 18/5/2017, begun the 19th 4-day Gestalt Psychotherapy Workshop, organized by our Center, held from 18-21/5/2017 and hosted by Valis Resort Hotel in Agria, Volos.

This year, the central theme is: "Process: The continuum in space-time"

Maybe you all know that a snake changes his skin, but have you ever heard that the lobster also sheds its shell? Lobsters, as they grow, they change their shell…they do it a number of times in their lifetime… From the second year of their life till they become seven they would change shell once a year. From then on, they change every two or three years, and they grow each time they change… In this 4day workshop was explored how “sheltered” we are, like “lobsters”, and how difficult we find the perpetual process of “change” in the space-time.

The Workshop is addressed to:  

• All the trainees of the Center.
• Students and Mental Health professionals: psychologists, doctors, consultants, social workers, trainers, educators, nurses, who wish to learn about the Gestalt psychotherapeutic approach and people who wish to go deeper in the above mentioned matters in an experiential level (experiential group).
• Gestalt and/ or other approaches psychotherapists, with clinical experience who wish to explore the above topics, both personally and at supervisory level (advanced group).

There were theoretical presentations and posters from our center's trainees.

The SNFCC hosted the presentation of the book "The Art of Change-Gestalt: a Different Approach for Organizations".

On Sunday, May 14, 2017 at 19:00, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (Room of Library Book Tower) presented the book "The Art of Change-Gestalt: A Different Approach for Organizations" by Sideris Editions.

Authors of the book are Mr. Frans Meulmeester *, George Stamatis ** and Ioanna Rizou ***, Gestalt Foundation’s collaborators and coordinators of the Gestalt in Organizations Training Program.

This publication is a basic manual in Greek language, for the Gestalt in Organizations workshop, which analyzes Gestalt's theory as a factor of creative change in Organizations. The Gestalt in Organizations training program links Organizations, Business and Management with the Gestalt approach theory, and includes case studies that demonstrate how Gestalt works in Businesses and Organizations.

The writing of this book is part of Gestalt Foundation’s publishing activity, which purpose is to encourage, not only the Gestalt Foundation’s founding members but also its associates to write and/ or translate textbooks and books and enrich the Greek bibliography.

Speakers of the presentation were Messrs. Eliza Giannakopoulou, Public Relations Advisor and former executive of ALPHA BANK Management, Sofia Dimitriou, President of "Society in Action" Association, Antonis Zairis, Vice-President of the Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry Professor at the Open University, Gloria Karapli, Human Resources Director INDITEX (ZARA Group) and Konstantinos Kostas, Gestalt Psychotherapist - Psychotherapist, President of the Hellenic Psychotherapy Association Gestalt.

* Frans Meulmeester: Staff member and guest trainer of several Gestalt institutes around the world. Registered Gestalt Therapist and Gestalt Practitioner in Organizations (GPO) in EAGT and a registered psychotherapist (ECP) in the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP). Member of the Executive Committee of the EAGT.

**Stamatis Giorgos: B.A. in Law, H.S.D. in Marketing, M.Ed (Adult Education). Graduate Gestalt Foundation (G.P.O.). Business and Organizational Development Consultant, Trainer and Coach in Greece and abroad. Gestalt Advisor for Businesses and Organizations (G.P.O.). He has taught at the Athens University of Economics and Business and at UNYP Prague and UNYT Tirana Universities. He has written 12 books.

*** Ioanna Rizou: Psychologist with a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA). She graduated from the Gestalt Foundation in 2013. During the last 5 years he has been working as a psychologist and helping individuals and organizations in managing the modern challenges.