Frans Meulmeester, Scientific Director of the Programme and Chair of the EAGT Gestalt Practictioners in Organisation Committee gives us an interview at the end of the first run of the course. The next course will start in January 2016.
Piergiulio Poli: How did the Program for gestalt in organisations come into being within EAGT? What needs does it respond to, within and outside the european Gestalt community?
Frans Melmeuseer: this program did not come into being within the EAGT. It was an idea of Franco and he looked for contact and with the help of Gianni, he found me. And of course, I am the chair of the GPO committee within the EAGT, but that was not the first reason.
It responds to the need of many gestalt people who finished their therapeutic training, but also work or mainly work in organizations and understand that some thing else is needed than therapy.
Although most people in the community are therapists, there is a growing group of people who (also) work in organizations and want to learn more about that.
P: What are the sectors/industries gestalt organisational consultancy is more developed in Europe and outside Europe?
F:This is really very diverse. From education, business, healthcare, government etc etc. To name just a few examples: in a huge internation Swedish company the HR consultants are applying the Gestalt approach in coaching their international teams, in South Africa the Gestalt approach is applied in community support. in Holland the Gestalt approach is applied in teamcoaching and consulting work especially in healthcare, education and companies, like e.g. a huge energy company and the Dutch Railway Company, in Belgium it is used in training staff and workers in a huge supermarket and the national public transport.
P: How would you describe the theoretical orientation you and the rest of the trainers work from and what is their main areas of activity in organisational consultancy?
F: The orientation is gestalt, which means relational, field oriented and working on increasing awareness. More focus on process than on product or structure although we do not deny the value of those aspects. Further on specific value and attention is given to the hidden dynamics in organizations which can cause resistance, low energy and low performance.
P: Who are the participants, what are the targets and how is the International Programme for Organizations in Italy, at the Scuola Gestalt di Torino, connected to EAGT certification? What is your final evaluation of the first run of it?
F: As you have seen your self, the participants are diverse. The program gives an entrance to the EAGT as GPO however, only this one and a half year is not enough. But because most students have dome already the therapy training of four year, they have enough theoretical background. Most lack the practice of gestalt in organizations to become a member yet. In this group there are several people who really understand what it is about to apply gestalt in organizations. Of course some need more experience, but it is a nice start. As you have understood from the last day, during the evaluation, you gave us very good and clear feedback, which we will certainly use for a second edition.
