Applications are now open for the blended delivery pathway with facilitated online classes and four in-person long weekends in Melbourne. The opening weekend will be in October with 18 students max.
Program structure
The full training program is 4 years. However, students enrol one year at a time, and there is no obligation to complete all 4 years at once.
Year 1 and 2: Foundation studies in relational gestalt practice
Years 1 and 2 introduce you to relational gestalt through the exploration of gestalt theory and practice. This allows you to apply gestalt principles to professional and personal contexts, which means you can take the learning from these 2 years into your existing professional practice, with greater personal awareness and confidence, enhanced interpersonal skills, and a solid grounding in a gestalt.
The first two years can be studied as a stand-alone program and you will be awarded an Gestalt Practitioner certificate upon completion. The certificate is also a prerequisite for further study at GTA.
Personal therapy
All students are required to complete 50 hours of individual therapy by the end of 2nd year. Up to 15 hours of therapy completed in the year before study can be counted towards this requirement. You can also count some hours of group therapy.
Year 3 and 4: Advanced clinical training in relational gestalt psychotherapy (with internship)
Years 3 and 4 expand on the previous two years and help you develop the clinical thinking and practice competencies to become a therapist. Students who complete both the training program and internship graduate as a Gestalt Psychotherapist. It is possible to complete the training program without an internship, and you will graduate with a certificate of completion for applied gestalt practice recognising the 600 hours of training.
ConnectGround clinic student internship
During years 3 and 4 of training, students are expected to complete 100 hours of face-to-face client work under supervision. Most students undertake an internship in our community-based clinic ConnectGround. Those students who are already working with clients in a therapeutic setting may apply for an exemption for the internship. Students located interstate will receive support in finding their own clients.
An internship at the ConnectGround clinic offers a unique opportunity to gain practical experience in working with clients. It serves as an apprenticeship in gestalt psychotherapy, providing interns with a supportive and collegial learning environment. It is also necessary to put the skills to practice in a gestalt psychotherapy setting.
Interns work with a caseload of 3 clients per week and receive fortnightly group and individual supervision. Most placements are 12 -18 months in duration, and are usually started in the third year and completed in the fourth year.
Dates, times, and location
For the first-year blended pathway starting October 2026, classes run from October 2026 to August 2027 with school and public holiday breaks. Online classes are conducted 5:30 pm - 8:45 pm Melbourne time on Tuesday evenings.
In-person weekends are held from Thursday to Sunday in October, February, and May at Elie (Parkville). Plus a whole school residential weekend in August in Hepburn Springs with accommodation and catering included.
Fees and financial aid
The annual program fee is $10,600 for 2026. The same fees apply to both in-person and hybrid training programs. For subsequent years, this amount can be adjusted with a price indexation of no more than 5%.
The program fees include:
- Onboarding and administration fees
- Tuition (weekly classes and assessment)
- Tuition (weekends and specialist modules)
- Residential modules (including food and accommodation)
The annual fee can be paid up-front with a 5% discount, or in 4 payments across the academic year. A $1540 deposit is required to secure your place once you receive an offer.
As we are not a tertiary institution, there is no government fee assistance; however, please get in touch with us if you are under financial stress. Some students claim their program fees through their taxes or workplace professional development budget upon consultation with an accountant/financial advisor.
Student demographics and career outcomes
Our students come from diverse professional backgrounds, including but not limited to psychology, social work, counselling, occupational therapy, nursing, music/art therapy, yoga and bodywork, teaching/school welfare, HR, coaching, engineering, and consulting.
Graduates of our program work in various settings and take up many different roles, including working in education, hospitals, youth services, community health, mental health settings, and other business or social organisations. Many have thriving private therapy practices.
Application and enrolment
Application criteria
With a central focus on the relational and experiential aspects of learning, we view each person as a whole, integrating their unique life experiences and growth journey into the process.
Rather than requiring a background in mental health, we are interested in who you are and how you engage with yourself and others. Our program welcomes students from diverse professional and academic fields—including but not limited to Business, Consulting, Engineering, HR, Education, and Technology—who are open to deep personal exploration and the rich, transformative experience that gestalt training provides.
Prospective students should meet at least one of the following key selection criteria before applying. Study/Work experience in mental health is not compulsory. We have students from various academic and professional backgrounds who thrive in the training program.
- Relevant life or work experience, and a history of therapy or personal development.
- An undergraduate degree in a relevant field, e.g. counselling, psychology, social work, nursing, psychiatry, occupational therapy, medicine, teaching, welfare and community development, or pastoral care is generally desired.
- Two years of work experience in a related field with professional supervision or mentoring (i.e. work experience after completion of a relevant undergraduate degree), or willingness to gain experience concurrent to the program.
Application and enrolment process
The four key steps of admission to the training program are: online application, interview, reference check, and enrolment.
The online application involves completing the application form with contact details, addressing key selection criteria, and referee contacts. A $200 application fee is payable when you submit your application unless waived.
Once your online application is reviewed and accepted, you will be invited to an interview. Depending on the number of applicants, the interview could be an individual or a group interview. During the interview, you can expand on your experience and interest in joining the training program. There will be an opportunity to ask questions about the program.
Following the interview, we will undertake a 1:1 follow up call in case you have any further questions, as well as a reference check with the referee details you have provided.
Once the reference check is complete, an offer to enrol is communicated personally by telephone, and followed up with an enrolment form and deposit invoice via email.
Applicants confirm their place by submitting the enrolment form and paying a deposit of $1,540. You become a student once you have done both, and you will receive a student discount (25% off) on all Gestalt Centre events.
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Applications are now open for the first-year blended delivery pathway cohort. Spots are limited, and we look forward to your application!
