Edinburgh Gestalt Institute (EGI) is a registered educational charity based in central Edinburgh, offering a relational embodied approach to gestalt psychotherapy, training and supervision. We enjoy being a small team with a commitment to high quality work and an appreciation of difference and diversity. We are passionate about learning, both for others and for ourselves. We have a distinctive style – a combination of a creative, emergent approach, attention to structure/standards, and a commitment to dialogue.
The executive and training team are Graham Colbourne, Kirsteen Greenholm and Jill McClure. Mary Turner is also a core trainer, and Neil Wykes as Institute Coordinator leads on the day-to-day administrative functioning. We are proud to welcome a number of national and international guest trainers to EGI. Our programme includes GPTI Diploma training in gestalt psychotherapy (leading to UKCP accreditation), supervision training, postgraduate workshops, therapy groups and personal development groups. Each of the training team also has their own private practice offering psychotherapy, supervision and training. We value contributing to the wider gestalt community. Graham was chair of the GPTI ethics committee for many years, Kirsteen was accredited members representative on the GPTI executive team, and both have been/are involved in the GPTI training standards committee. Mary is also member of the GPTI training standards committee, and an EAGT (European Association of Gestalt Therapy) member. She is involved in gestalt training and supervising in Poland, and has offered workshops at conferences nationally and internationally.
Edinburgh Gestalt Institute has offered gestalt psychotherapy groups and training since the mid-1990’s. The organisation began life as ‘Teamwork’ in the late 1980’s – this was a group of gestalt therapists interested in groupwork and training, all of whom had their own private practices as gestalt therapists, and were interested in working cooperatively. They shared an interest in developing ethical and boundaried practice. There have been several changes of personnel in the organisation’s history. Helen Kennedy, Guin Williams, Karen Rookwood, Elizabeth Cooksey, Colin White and Lannie Peyton were a stable team for many years.
Throughout EGI’s history, certain core values have shaped the organisation: a focus on teamwork; a deep interest in group process and community; a valuing of compassionate presence; an openness and enthusiasm about learning from other practitioners, and a strong commitment to ethics and quality. These continue to be passions for our current team, and are reflected in our programme, our training approach, and our way of running the organisation.
EGI’s lineage can be traced back to Laura Perls - she trained the trainers of the founders of EGI. Laura was a dancer with an interest in child development and spirituality, all of which are expressed in her contribution to the genesis of gestalt psychotherapy. These strands continue to be important to the current team, and are present in our relational embodied approach to psychotherapy, in our professional choices and in our personal lives.