There was a tremendous turnout for the Anniversary One Day Conference, celebrating 20 years of the Gestalt Foundation, which was held in the Town Hall on Sunday, the 4^th of November, 2018. The impact that, Gestalt Foundation, Psychotherapy and Training Center, has had over these twenty years, reverberates through the voluntary work and collaboration it has engaged in with local authorities. During this one day conference, this impact was also reflected in the presentations of dissertations, field applications of Gestalt, and in the history of both the Centre and the modality itself.  

A huge “thank you” goes out to all those, who generously shared their knowledge and experience through their presentations, and to everyone else involved, not only in the one day conference, but in the 20 years of steady progress that has put the concept of’ “together” into practice.

On Friday, 9 March, 2018, at 19:00 an open lecture was held at IANOS Culture Chain on: «Difficult separations…» from Mrs Katsamaka Vicki* and Savvaidou Terpsichori**.

The suggestions of the coordinators were heard on how can parents and the children takers could present the taboo theme “death” to them.

The interest of the participants was kept unimpaired and the questions asked to the coordinators were answered in a simple and understandable way from all.

* Katsamaka Vicki, Psychologist A.U.Th. – Gestalt Psychotherapist

**Savvaidou Terpsichori, Psychologist A.U.Th. - Gestalt Psychotherapist

Mrs. Yianna Yiamarelou*, an admirer of the wealth and the history hidden in words, took with her on a magical journey the participants in the lecture which she gave in IANOS in Athens on the 15^th of February 2018, entitled «The beauty of words»!

The Greek language is one of the richest in the world, not only because of its variety, but also because of the concepts and the history that each word carries. A single word can give us the feeling not only of where we are at the moment but also of where we come from.

How oikos, polis, dimos, logos led people into society and time to eventually reach what our ancestors called "Ev-morfos", ie "good form".

“Culture is beauty” and Mrs. Yiamarelou took with her those present in this unique world of words, who were in turn allowed to lead “Παρά το ελεύθειν όπου ερά τις”, that is, to where their soul asks.

* Yianna Yiamarelou, M.A. in Clinical Psychology. Gestalt Psychotherapist, Trainer & Supervisor, member of EAGT. ECP holder (European Certificate of Psychotherapy). Founding member of the Hellenic Association for Gestalt Therapy (HAGT).

On Friday, 9 February, at 19:00 an open lecture was held from Mrs Mavridou Maria* at IANOS Culture Chain (7 Aristotelous Str) entitled: “In front of the challenges of life: the self that changes…”.

… «Everything flows and nothing stays» according the Iraklito’s saying. This is something that comes true in our days through constant, overriding changes. Never before this topic of change were so timely but also how a person confronts it. This confrontation depends on high level on how well a person can adjust to the world but also in the deeper ability of our self to personal evolution.

Answers were given, such us, how often we deal with the challenge of a change, what happens to us when we are in front of a change, what mechanisms functions inside ourselves and how they facilitate or incommode us to move forward?

Mrs Mavridou with her speech packed and her excellent approach to the topic kept unimpaired the interest of the audience.

* Mavridou Maria, Bsc, M.ed Psychologist A.U.Th.-Gestalt Psychotherapist

On Friday, 19 January, 2018 was held in Thessaloniki, at “IANOS” Culture Chain (7 Aristotelous Str) an open lecture on: “Enchantment is a way to be answered yes, without having made a clear question” ’’Alber Camus’’.

This interactive lecture «enchanted» the audience and call them to participate to an experiential exercise, taking the role of the “enchanter” and the “enchanted”.

The coordinators Askaridou Victoria* and Georgakopoulos Evangelos** answered with clarity all the questions posed by the end of the lecture.

*Askaridou Victoria, Mental Health Counselor, Gestalt Psychotherapist, Sandplay Therapist, Therapeutic Hypnosis, Antlerian training in parent groups, Trauma Therapist (EMDR, CRM basic and advanced), trained trainer CRM ,

**Georgakopoulos Evangelos, HED, BSc Hons, MCMT, DNP, MIASP, MCSP, Physiotherapist – Trained Gestalt Therapist

With trigger the literature of Nikos Kazantzakis, Mrs. Despina Balliou* gave a lecture in IANOS in Athens on the 11^th of January 2018 entitled «A lump of mud is every one of us ... What is our debt?».

The works of N. Kazantzakis have been hiding many issues always relevant to this day and Mrs. Balliou, for the specific lecture, took inspiration mainly from “Ascesis: The Saviors of God” where she distinguished concepts such as responsibility, commitment, self-awareness and "authentic life".

As expected, the many dimensions that the above concepts can conceal have unfolded and the subject took life through the interventions of the attendees. Through this constructive dialogue Mrs. Balliou left everyone to give his personal answer to the question «A lump of mud is every one of us ... What is our debt?»...

*Despina Balliou: M.Sc. Counseling Psychology, Gestalt Psychotherapist, Trainer & Supervisor, member of EAGT. Trained in Traumatotherapy’s method EMDR. ECP holder (European Certificate of Psychotherapy). Founding member of the Hellenic Association for Gestalt Therapy (HAGT).

On Friday, 15 December, 2017, at 18:00 at “IANOS” Culture Chain (7 Aristotelous str, Thessaloniki) a book presentation was held on “The Art of Change. Gestalt: a different approach for organizations” by Sideris Editions.

Authors of the book are Frans Meulmeester*, Georges Stamatis** and Ioanna Rizou***, collaborators and coordinators of 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 coordinators of the presentation answered to a variety of questions from the audience and kept the interest in high levels.

* 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.

On Thursday 14/12/2017, Gestalt Foundation’s open lecture took place at the IANOS Culture Chain, entitled «Panic attacks».

The coordinators, George Diplas and Thalia Logothetis, began with the observation that nowadays more and more people are turning to psychotherapy to deal with panic attacks.

What is the chief complain; Finding ways and techniques for managing and, ultimately, eliminating crises as quickly as possible to return people to their everyday lives.

What do the crisis means for a person's life? On the basis of this crucial question, they referred to their meaning in relation to their identity, changes in their lives, their systems of support, and their intimate relationships.

The lecture was concluded by pointing out to the coordinators that because the phenomenon of panic is a function of the organization and the environment, the current conditions of generalized social, economic and cultural crisis make us wonder: is it a "panic crisis or ... panic of the crisis?"

A highly interesting lecture for the audience that the reflection of the round of the subject led to a fruitful dialogue. The moderators responded warmly to the number of questions and responded with clarity and clarity.

George Diplas, PGD Counseling Psychology, holder of ECP, Gestalt psychotherapist, trainer, supervisor, member of HAGT, EAGT, HAC, EAC, NOPG.

Thalia Logothetis, Psychologist of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, trained in Gestalt Psychotherapy, member of HAGT.

With the lecture of Mrs. Athina Anagnostopoulou on Thursday, 16/11/2017, the cycle of open lectures by Gestalt Foundation at the IANOS Culture Chain in Athens for the academic year 2017-2018 concluded. The topic of the lecture was «Limits: Traveling on the boundary of contact, Ego (I), You (Thou), We».

From the title alone, it is readily understood that this lecture focused on exploring what the limits mean by Gestalt theory, what their significance, necessity, quality, and how they are shaped, trampled, diminished, grow.

Ms. Anagnostopoulou, in order to make the concept of the threshold tangible to the public, was mentioned in the skin as part of our organization and at the same time as an instrument that brings us into contact with the environment. Skin is a limit, a meeting point through which we perceive and distinguish ourselves from the environment, and states that boundaries are the points of encounter in which we experience the "I", "You", through which we can we compose the experience of "We".

Through this, he tried to help the public explore what "what" and "how" in relation to the boundaries, ie what we are experiencing and what our way is, how we do to prevent or promote a life characterized by evolution and satisfaction.

The lecture has been very interesting to the audience that reflection of the round of the topic has led to a fruitful dialogue. The coordinator responded warmly to the number of questions and responded with clarity and clarity.

Athina Anagnostopoulou, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the American College of Greece, Certificate of 3 years of Counseling from Counseling & Psychotherapy in Scotland (COSCA). She has completed the four-year Gestalt Psychotherapy training at the Athens Gestalt Foundation, Psychotherapy & Training Center.