Event Details
Date: Saturday, 6 December 2025
Time: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm (including morning tea & lunch break)
Location: Elie, Gestalt Centre Training Campus, 27 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052
Fee: $195 (includes GST)
Capacity: Maximum 20 participants
Facilitated by: Tony Jackson (Managing Director, Gestalt Therapy Australia)
Overview
Join us for an immersive one-day exploration of the three foundational pillars that underpin relational gestalt therapy: field theory, phenomenology, and dialogue.
This workshop offers a comprehensive introduction to the philosophical and practical foundations of gestalt thinking. Through experiential learning, you'll discover how these interconnected pillars inform a holistic and compassionate approach to personal development, relationships, and therapeutic practice.
What are the three pillars of gestalt?
Field Theory: Field theory recognises that behaviour is a function of the person and the environment together—neither can be viewed in isolation. We are all beings situated within multiple and interrelated spheres of influence, from personal history to cultural context, from relationships to environment. Understanding ourselves as embedded in these fields supports us to be more curious about our own lives and the lives of those around us. This contextual lens shifts our inquiry from "What's wrong with me?" to "How does this make sense?", fostering humility and compassion whilst honouring the co-dependent nature of individual and environmental fields.
Phenomenology: Phenomenology invites us to explore immediate, present-moment experience with curiosity and openness—attending to our sensory experience, bodily sensations, thoughts, feelings, and the ways we make meaning. Rather than seeking to uncover what lies beneath experience, phenomenology works with presenting phenomena, allowing space for awareness and meaning to emerge. Through phenomenological inquiry, we become more attuned to the here and now, developing greater awareness and presence. In gestalt therapy, we focus on the "what" and "how" of experience rather than the "why", honouring the unique ways each person reaches out to and makes sense of their world.
Dialogue: Dialogue represents a way of being in relationship that trusts the between and is willing to surrender to what emerges there. In dialogue, meaning is not found in one person or the other, but only in the dialogue itself—in the "between" which people live together. Through dialogue, we discover who we are in relationship, exploring the intersubjective patterns that emerge and recognising that in any meeting, both parties are changed. Dialogue is built on the values of presence, confirmation, authenticity, and inclusion, creating the ground for profound relational healing and the affirmation of each other's humanity.
What can I expect?
This experiential workshop will introduce you to the building blocks of relational gestalt and their role in personal development and therapy.
The workshop is highly interactive. You'll practise and apply key concepts through pairs and small group activities. We'll introduce you to our inquiry-based teaching methodology and explore how these three pillars weave in and out of one another, with the relational perspective at the core of each.
By the end of the workshop, you'll have a deeper understanding of:
- How field theory, phenomenology, and dialogue inform gestalt therapy
- How to apply the three pillars in personal and professional contexts
- The philosophical roots of gestalt theory and the role of a gestalt therapist
- Pathways to further learning with Gestalt Therapy Australia
Is this for me?
This workshop is designed for anyone interested in learning more about gestalt therapy—whether you're looking to apply gestalt principles to your current work, enrich your personal life, or explore the possibility of becoming a gestalt therapist.
Past participants have come from diverse professional backgrounds, including psychology, social work, youth work, counselling, occupational therapy, nursing, pastoral care, people management (HR), coaching, engineering, and consulting.
No previous experience with gestalt therapy is required. All that's needed is curiosity and a willingness to explore.
About your facilitator
Tony Jackson, Managing Director, Gestalt Therapy Australia, Gestalt Centre
B.Theol, BA.Psych, GradDip.Counselling, AdvDip.Gestalt Therapy, GradDip.Supervision, M.GANZ
Tony is a gestalt psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer with over 20 years of experience.
Tony works with people to support resilience and wellbeing and helps them develop a sense of vitality and choice in their lives. He provides supervision for psychotherapists, assisting them to deepen their own personal and professional capacities.
Tony also provides training for individuals and groups that focuses on building responsiveness to individual and group needs in emergent situations.
Our previous participants said:
"The workshop brought into awareness how I move from confluence to isolation with clients, and how to move from these two unhelpful places towards a place of being with the client in what arises. It also reshaped my view of challenging clients as not something that we do to the client, but rather something that we support the client through."
"I thoroughly enjoyed every single part of this workshop. The training is so deeply experiential and very different from traditional teaching methods. I loved the fact that people in the group came from such diverse professional backgrounds. Sitting together in a circle (rather than facing one way) made me feel more welcomed and included. It was great that the group got to connect on a deeper level and learn from each other's insights and experiences."
Join Us
Discover how field theory, phenomenology, and dialogue can transform the way you understand yourself, connect with others, and navigate the complexities of life. Embark on a journey into greater presence, relational depth, and personal growth.
We invite you to explore a compassionate, contextual approach to human experience that honours the interconnectedness of all things. We have only 20 spaces available, and the previous workshops were sold out, so grab a ticket before they are gone!
We look forward to seeing you and connecting with you.
