Our Ethos
The Gestalt Institute of Ireland offers a rich and comprehensive range of programmes, including an MA in Gestalt Psychotherapy, Personal Development Programmes (Residential and Non-residential), Gestalt Clinical Supervision Training, and a variety of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities. Our approach is grounded in group learning, fostering relational and dialogical engagement, community building, and embodied ways of knowing. As a not-for-profit organisation, we are committed to integrity, ethical practice, and the ongoing development of Gestalt theory, research, and its application. Our work is also informed by a commitment to social justice, recognising the wider social and cultural contexts that shape human experience and relationships.
The legacy of our founders is deeply embedded in our organisational ethos and the delivery of our programmes. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and ethical learning environment that upholds respect, equity, and justice. Our work and personal interactions actively reflect our dedication to diversity, ensuring that all individuals and groups, regardless of race, ethnic origins, cultural background, socio-economic status, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious belief, or disability, are valued and supported.
Our mission is to cultivate a dynamic learning community that extends beyond our institution, engaging with and influencing the broader society in meaningful ways. We prioritize the quality and relevance of our students’ experience, integrating embodied, cognitive, emotional, and practical dimensions of learning. This holistic approach nurtures not only intellectual growth but also personal transformation, embodied and ethical awareness, as well as the development of socially responsible practitioners.
At the Gestalt Institute of Ireland, we emphasise the interconnection between theory, professional competencies, and personal development. Our programmes are designed to integrate Gestalt’s commitment to relational ethics, embodied ways of knowing, social responsibility, and dialogical engagement. The development of the therapist as a self-aware, socially conscious, and ethically grounded embodied practitioner is central to our philosophy. This principle, along with our dedication to dialogue, aesthetic forms of contact and relational depth, informs the structure and delivery of all our educational and therapeutic work.
“The philosophic aim of education must be to get each one out of his isolated class and into the one humanity. Prudence and responsibility are not middle-class virtues but human virtues.”
― Paul Goodman
Our History
We have been providing quality psychotherapy training & personal/professional development since 1983. We began as the Irish Gestalt Centre, an organisation founded by Joan O'Leary & Hank O'Mahony to offer a range of training and CPD programmes in Ireland, the UK and Europe. In 2017 we founded the Gestalt Institute of Ireland to recognise the standing of our work, our increasing research profile and our international activity. IGC is part of the Gestalt Institute and operates as its administrative arm.
The Gestalt Institute provides regular opportunities for graduates and the wider professional community to keep abreast of changes in Gestalt theory and practice including through our international seminar series. A vibrant postgraduate community offers support and mentoring to newly qualified therapists and experienced practitioners.
We have a strong reputation within Ireland and in the international Gestalt community and have graduated more than 400 therapists. Our alumni work worldwide in university settings, medical centres, education, social services, statutory & voluntary organisations and private practice. Our tutors take pride in working as a professional team. They are committed to their own ongoing personal and professional development and are involved with other Gestalt Institutes and organisations in Europe and the USA.
“Teaching means to show a person that something is possible.”
— Fritz Perls
Founded in 1983
We are have been providing Gestalt education for more than 40 years
400 Graduates and Counting!
See what graduates say about our programmes
Recognised Programmes
MA & PG Diplomas validated by SETU.
PG Diploma accredited by IAHIP & IACP
A strong team
All our trainers are well experienced therapists and educators
