Summer Residential General Information

GATLA COMMUNITY VALUES & LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

We ask all registrants to review these principles and ensure they will abide by them before applying.

In seeking to preserve and evolve the learning, connecting, and healing opportunities afforded to so many in the Gestalt community by the GATLA training programs, we are committed to the following:

Our Core Values

At GATLA, we cultivate a learning environment founded on genuine dialogue, mutual respect, and transformative connection. We welcome, and do not tolerate discrimination against, participants of all backgrounds and identities, including all ages, races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexes, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, and any other aspects of personal identity. We honor how each individual chooses to be identified and addressed, including their name, pronouns, and gender expression. This is in alignment with APA guidelines.

Our community thrives through engaging with each other in a genuine I-Thou dialogue which means:

• Showing up with full respect for ourselves and others
• Seeing each other as whole, autonomous, responsible, and responsive individuals
• Practicing inclusion, including considering both impact and intent
• Honoring our own lived experience of each other
• Allowing ourselves to lean into the experience of being the other and allowing them to do the same with us without overwhelming or being overwhelmed
• Honoring our shared humanity, similarities, and differences at all levels

In this approach there is no place for “othering” … seeing others not as they are in their own right but as representatives of something else which is alien and objectionable.

We believe that relating in this way is the path that leads from conflict to healthy contacting and is the strongest antidote to nationalistic or otherwise ideological conflict.

We stand in solidarity with all who experience violence, oppression, or the threat of harm. We categorically condemn violence against other countries and express our full support to all who are experiencing war and the threat of war. Our community is founded on principles of dialogue, mutual respect, and the recognition of each person’s inherent dignity and worth.

We support all who share our point of view and welcome you as participants of any GATLA training. We wish to engage with those who will commit to this approach, respecting that not everyone will choose to.

Our Learning Environment

Our training model includes live therapy sessions and group processing as needed. The focus of these live-practice sessions is for learning Gestalt therapy and, thus, the training prioritizes the learning of the participant in the therapist role. However, individuals may also benefit personally from these sessions, both as clients and as observers.

This method of training can affect participants and observers deeply at times, as the content (by design) will never be fully predictable. Material present in the program may be sensitive for certain individuals and specific sensitive topics may come up in these sessions. Participants in our training come from a diverse set of backgrounds and are encouraged to come forward with their primary experience, which includes differences and impact. By attending this training, you agree to both participate in and observe these live sessions.

There is no expectation that participants engage beyond their emotional capacity in practice sessions (or group process as needed) if they have reached a limit of what they can process, express, and/or take in. Taking time to self-regulate during breaks, before or after the training, moderating and mindfully choosing one’s degree of vulnerability/personal sharing is highly encouraged and supported.

If at any time you are impacted beyond your level of self-support, whether by content, or difference of training group members, you may request support from the faculty. You may also need additional support beyond the training session.

We strongly recommend participants maintain their own therapeutic support with outside individual providers and/or other therapeutic services as needed. For any acute reactions, or in the case of an emergency, we recommend seeking support from a crisis hotline, calling 911 (or similar emergency resources in the country the training is being held in), or going directly to the hospital.

Participants are welcome, even encouraged, to express concerns about their own or other participants’ wellbeing directly to the faculty. Faculty will discuss and follow up related to concerns about safety and wellbeing including offering information for outside supports, such as emergency hotlines, so that participants experiencing any negative response to the program content may obtain adequate support.

Faculty follow up is guided by APA ethical guidelines and adhere to protection of privacy regarding participants’ personal information. Thus, specific actions and follow up taken or rationale for particular actions or follow up in any particular instances may not be disclosed to other training participants.

This consent and disclosure is to encourage more full engagement of participants. GATLA wants to encourage participants to expand their window of tolerance of discomfort, with mindfulness to not go beyond their window of tolerance. This consent is also meant to encourage participants to seek appropriate support when needed beyond those offered in the structure of the training program.

In rare cases, GATLA faculty may assess that a participant does not have enough support to be able to participate. If this should occur, GATLA faculty will discuss options with the participant, which may include halting participation until they are able to access adequate support.

We reaffirm that the primary focus of GATLA training is on the provision of the highest quality education and hands-on, live experiential training in Gestalt Therapy.

We welcome all and only those participants who will honor these principles and who engage with curiosity, compassion, courage, and a wholehearted commitment to connection.