The Gestalt Foundation participated in the 1st HAC One Day Conference for North West Greece on the subject of "BRIDGES UNITING COUNSELING. “We are all part of our future”- Andreas Embirikos (RIP). The Gestalt Foundation was represented by Ms. Despina Balliou, (M.Sc. Counseling Psychology, Psychotherapist, Gestalt Trainer and Supervisor), who delivered her speech on ‘Basic Principles and Concepts in Gestalt Counseling’.

 The meeting took place with great success on Saturday, October 20, 2018, in the Amphitheatre of the Pedagogy Department at Ioannina University, in collaboration with the Educational Psychology, Counseling and Research Department of the university. All the presentations gave food for thought and discussion followed with an open exchange of perspectives between the participants.

There was a great turnout and special interest for the Gestalt Foundation’s Anniversary One Day Conference, entitled: ‘GESTALT THERAPY and VOLUNTEERISM: “20 YEARS TOGETHER” - ACTION IN THE COMMUNITY’.

The event was organized in the context of celebrating the Centre’s twenty years of operation, and it took place on October 21, 2018, from 10:00 to 15:30 at Milos tou Pappa’, in the town of Larissa (Main Building, 53 Georgiadou Street). Collaboration with the local authorities was excellent, and the moving presentations of the speakers held the audience's full attention throughout.

With great success and a plethora of emotions, the educational and experiential workshop "Weaving My Ties to the World", which took place on October 12th, 13th and 14th, 2018, came to completion. Taking place at the Karapanou House, one of the most beautiful mansions on the island of Aegina, the workshop was facilitated by Despina Baliou (M.Sc. Counselling Psychology, Gestalt Psychotherapist, Trainer and Supervisor), and Exarmenia Pappa, (MSc.Psychologist,, MSc Mental Health Studies, Gestalt  Psychotherapist and Trainer). It involved experiential-somatic exercises, improvised movement, group process, process in the natural environment, and it connected, in the best possible way, Gestalt theory to the experiential work of the participants.

Supervision offers "space" and "time" for feedback, orientation, support, enquiry and guidance for the therapist, both on a theoretical and a practical level.As part of its 20th anniversary celebration, the Gestalt Foundation is launching, in Thessaloniki, a two-year supervision  training course  which is open to Gestalt therapists as well as therapists of other modalities.  The theoretical principles will be taught in five 3-day training sessions which constitute 75 hours of theory and methodology and 45 hours of hypervision.

The facilitators of the programme are distinguished Gestalt psychotherapists from abroad, with vast experience and expertise in the subject, as well as the founding members of the Gestalt Foundation: N. Levi N., J. Hewit - Evans., S. Denham - Vaughan., D. Balliou., K.Hatzilakou., A. Konstantinidou., Y. Yiamarelou. The educational programme will be conducted in English at the offices of the Gestalt Foundation in Thessaloniki (2nd floor, 109 Mitropoleos Street). Individuals who are interested in participating should submit their application  by the 15th of November 2018.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Gestalt Foundation, the following One Day Conferences will take place in Larissa, Thessaloniki and Athens :

•    Larissa: Sunday, October 21st, 2018, at 10:00, at the central building of "Milos of Pappa"
"Gestalt and Volunteerism, 20 years together - Action in the Community"

•    Thessaloniki: Sunday, November 4, 2018, at 10:00, in the auditorium ‘Nerou’ at the Manolis Anagnostakis building, Thessaloniki.
"Twenty Years Together"

•    Athens: Sunday, December 9, 2018, at 10:00, in the "Antonis Tritsis" Amphitheatre of O.P.A.N.D.A, 50, Akadimias Street, Athens.
"Phenomenology in Gestalt Therapy"

Admission to the workshops is free.
For more information, contact the Administration Office at the centres.

In May 2018, the excellent book “The Healing Relationship in Gestalt therapy” was published in Greek by the I. Sideris publications. Authors of the book are Rich Hycner and Lynne Jacobs, third generation Gestalt therapists.

The translation of the book was carried out by Mrs. Athanasia Karagiannopoulou while the scientific editing of the translation belongs to Mrs. Despina Balliou, founding member of the Gestalt Foundation. The whole project was completed within 2 years.

Great therapists and theoreticians of the Gestalt approach recognize this book as valuable, which adds depth and further confirms the primary concepts of Gestalt therapy, a «must read» book both for therapists and theoreticians as well as for learners of any experiential level.

In May 2018, another edition, by the Gestalt Foundation, was released. It is about the 1st issue of the first periodical edition in Greek, dedicated to Gestalt psychotherapy, under the distinguished title “Di-Ergasies” (“Processes”).

The "Di-Ergasies" periodical edition was derived from the wealth of the written essays, presentations and dissertations of the center trainees, which have been accumulated over the 20 years of the Gestalt Foundation operation, as a therapeutic and training center and the initiative was aimed at sharing this wealth with all those who are interested in Gestalt psychotherapy!

At the beginning, the idea was for the Gestalt Foundation to publish a single book but, as it turned out, a book was not enough to accommodate all this volume of such rich content and proceeded to the bold endeavor of the periodical edition!

This first issue focuses on a review of the historical evolution of Gestalt therapy, as well as presentations of topics such as holism, phenomenology, field theory, dialogue and commitment!

In time, the second, as well all the next issues, will be published as well.

From 17th until 20th May 2018, the 20th four-day Gestalt psychotherapy workshop of our center was held at Valis Resort Hotel, in Agria, Volos. This four-day workshop was particularly important for our center because it coincided with the 20th anniversary of its foundation.

The topic of the four-day workshop this year could be no other than "Commitment". Commitment to education, commitment to evolution, commitment to Gestalt psychotherapy!

The honored guest of this event was Dr Nurith Levi, from Israel, who was one of the first partners of the center and a great trainer! Both the trainees and the advanced group of professionals had the opportunity to work with her and enjoy her unique way of exploring, analyzing coordinating and supervising!

In an intensely emotional climate at the Gala the anniversary was celebrated. The evening opened with a greeting from Dr Nurith Levi, a loyal collaborator of the center since its inception, and then the participants read extracts from a presentation by Sir Harm Siemens, a great therapist and mentor of Gestalt therapy, who is no longer among us, about commitment and a video presentation followed, a delightful twist of the course of these twenty years.

Then the old graduates, today's associates of the center, spoke about their course and their evolution from young trainees to professional Gestalt therapists and thanked the founding members and trainers who guided and continue to guide them. They also sent a greeting to today's trainees of the center, who have now taken the toll of education! The evening evolved into an amazing feast with delicious dishes, plenty of wine, exciting music and dance.

We wish this course to have continuity, evolution, creativity, loyalty and commitment…!!!

The publication in Greek of the marvelous book “The Healing Relationship in Gestalt therapy” by Rich Hycner and Lynne Jacobs, third generation of Gestalt therapists, by Sideris publications is a reality.

The initiative of this project belongs to Mrs. Despina Balliou, founding member of the Gestalt Foundation, who chose the specific book and took over the scientific editing of the translation that was completed within 2 years by Mrs. Athanasia Karagiannopoulou.

Great therapists and theorists of the Gestalt approach recognize this book as valuable, giving depth and further confirming the primary concepts of Gestalt therapy, a "must read" book for both therapists and theoreticians as well as learners of any empirical level.