Core Competencies

    Gestalt Therapy (O'Neill)
    • Criteria for graduates of training institutes? by Gail Zinberg (yes@taconic.net), 4/27/98

    Core Competencies
    by Brian O'Neill, 5/1/98

    Gail,

    Here's a draft of core competencies that I put together for our working group of Gestalt Australia New Zealand (GANZ)

    Brian

    Core competencies of a Gestalt therapist seeking membership of GANZ:

    I have listed these under sections dealing with Field Theory, Phenomenology and Contact/Dialogue. I have left out personal as I feel this may belong in an ethics section yet of course much of what I list here as practice is very personal......

    Field theory

    Theoretical:

    Have a basic understanding of the development of field theory (history) and the various sources from which it arises and be able to relate this to other systems approaches.

    To be able to describe/define concepts within field theory, in particular organism/environment field; the wisdom of the organism; boundaries; homeostasis; maturation; figure; ground; interdependence; structuring the field; contemporaneity; the process of becoming; the field as unitary whole etc.

    To be able to describe the core relatedness and centrality of field theory in understanding the other key elements of Gestalt - phenomenology; contact/dialogue and experiment.

    Practice:

    To be able to recognise and affirm the wisdom of the organism (client, therapist, couple, group, community) through attitude and speech.

    To be able to support and encourage work in the present moment (contemporaneity)

    To be able to discern and develop an awareness of the connectedness of the field and offer this to the client

    To be able to perceive, discuss and where appropriate feedback to the client the connectedness of the therapeutic session.. how each affects the other

    To discern and feedback as appropriate the processes and patterns of homeostasis and maturation

    To be able to explore, discern and feedback as appropriate the boundaries in existence during the therapeutic session

    To understand the ways in which the client structures their field and report this as appropriate

    Core competencies:

    Phenomenology

    Theoretical:

    Have a basic understanding of the development of phenomenology (history) and the various sources from which it arises.

    To be able to describe/define concepts within phenomenology, in particular awareness; zones of awareness; figure ground; the variety of processes of figure ground formation; phenomenological field; the construction of meaning; phenomenological bracketing; paradoxical theory of change; philosophy of the obvious; fixed or frozen gestalten; patterning etc.

    To be able to describe the core relatedness and centrality of field theory in understanding phenomenology.

    Practice

    To be able to assist the exploration of awareness and the focusing of awareness

    To know and be able to explore the five subsets of awareness (Perls) : want; feel; doing; avoiding; expecting as well as to be able to notice the therapist1s own potential for fixed gestalten in favouring one of these areas of awareness over others

    To be able to be able to discriminate inner, outer and middle zone awareness and offer this discrimination to the client as appropriate

    (next 5 from Yontef)

    To put customary modes of thoughts in brackets

    To search for structural features of the field (insight)

    To be able to use systematic experimentation

    To make straight forward awareness the subject of reflexive awareness

    To be able to pay attention to the intentional correlation of the experiencer experiencing the experienced

    (Next one from Bob Resnick)

    To be able to view the client and the phenomenological field from a naive (nomena) perspective (Bob pretends he1s describing things to someone from Mars)

    To discriminate between current perceptions/feelings in the current situation and what is residue/unfinished/perceptual prisms from the past (Yontef & Resnick) and feed this back to the client as appropriate.

    Core competencies:

    Contact/Dialogue

    Theoretical:

    Have a basic understanding of the development of dialogical philosophy and psychotherapy (history) and the various sources from which they arises. To have an understanding of theory of contact in relationship (Polster).

    To be able to describe/define concepts within dialogical psychotherapy, in particular presence; commitment; inclusion; the 3lived2 of dialogue; I-It and I-Thou relating; dialogical intrapsychic; dialogical interpsychic; the between; healing through meeting; confirmation etc. To define/describe contact; contact functions; contact boundaries, contact disruptions and the syntax, representativeness and recurrence of the contact episode etc

    To be able to describe the core relatedness and centrality of field theory in understanding dialogue and contact.

    Practice

    To be able to start with the client1s experience

    To be able to include oneself into the experience of the other and accept them as they are.

    To be able to present the therapist1s own awareness authentically

    To commit to dialogue and allow the relationship to develop without overly controlling or making the relationship happen.

    To commit to the lived aspect of dialogue and respond to the figural images of relating

    To be able to confirm the reality and existence of the client

    To be able to track the ongoing awareness and meaning attribution of the client

    To note the contact boundaries of the client and therapist and feedback as appropriate

    To discern contact disruption and track, focus awareness and experiment with these disruptions in contact

    To discern the syntax of healthy and disrupted contact episodes and feedback as appropriate

    The theoretical aspects could be assessed by exams. essays, short answer questions etc as well as mini-thesis work. This can also be an integral part of supervision where the supervisee is expected to integrate theory skill and practice and use theory to inform an understanding of the session and guide further interventions.

    The practice aspects could be assessed through:

    Š Practical work viewed directed by trainer

    Š Video and audiotaped material

    Š Self and Other (eg trainer or peer) checklist to aid assessment and discussion and concretise come elements

    Š Feedback and processing of work done by others (eg trainer/peers)

    Š Micro skills demonstration where appropriate

    Š Discussion of vignettes where appropriate

    Core competencies of a trainer

    My list would be :

    Essential

    1. Directors of training should have qualification (or equivalent training) in Gestalt therapy at least at the level of training/education being conducted by them

    2. Directors of training are therapists of at least five years full time experience as a psychotherapist

    3. Directors of training will be currently engaged in the practice of Gestalt therapy at an individual, couple, group and/or organisational level

    4. Directors of training will demonstrate competence in adult learning with training and work experience in training and education

    5. Directors of training will inform students of their own training experience, philosophy of training and theoretical preferences

    6. Directors of training will be conscious of their own ongoing professional development and give evidence of this development. I like Yaro statement of this as 3Publication in Gestalt journals (I1d also add internet journal etc) and attending personal and professional improvement events2. I1d add - contribution to the Gestalt community through membership of boards and associations and through other community development activities (eg newsletters, hosting workshop etc)

    7. Directors of training will foster curiosity and exploration and critical analysis as part of their training approach

    8. Directors of training should not be in breach of professional ethics and will carry this responsibility for the training program

    9. Directors of training will engage in respectful interactions with students and facilitate an atmosphere of open and honest expression

    10. Directors of training will not discriminate between students on the basis of gender, class, culture, sexual preference, disability etc.

    Desirable

    1. Directors of training are eligible for membership of the professional body relevant to their qualifications

    2. Directors of training will have at least graduate level and preferably postgraduate level qualifications of be working towards them

    3. Directors of training will complete a two year training period as assistant to senior trainer.

    Trainers

    Trainers will meet the same criteria with allowably fewer years of experience than directors.

        • Thank you by Gail Zinberg, 5/5/98
    [Prev] [Up] [Next]
    [Reply] [Home] [Help]