Seminars

2024 Gestalt Institute of Pittsburgh Summer Seminar Series

A Gestalt Approach to Working with Couples: Beginning, Advanced and Specialty Areas Theory and Techniques – The Gestalt Institute of Pittsburgh’s inaugural CERTIFICATE PROGRAM!

Mental health professionals are experiencing an unprecedented influx of couples seeking therapy. Used to the normal diversions of simultaneous careers, activities, children’s needs, and a variety of other factors, the pandemic and higher levels of awareness have brought relationships into sharper focus. Couples are now looking to improve and heal their relationship issues, both current and historic, and are seeking help to achieve growth and relief from their concerns. The diversions of so much doing have been replaced by a greater desire to make quality contact with each other and be more in tune with the being aspects of partnering.

This certificate-level training program is designed to provide participants with focused, theoretical, practical, and personal application education from a Gestalt perspective. With its unique emphasis on quality of contact skills, Gestalt is ideally suited to provide clinicians with a higher level of focus regarding clinical intentionality while joining in a non-shaming and non-pathologizing relationship with each member of the partnership.

Presenter: Dr. Maura Krushinski

Dr. Maura Krushinski has been active in the mental health community in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas for over 40 years. During that time, she has served as a clinician, supervisor, university-level educator, and therapeutic trainer. Maura is a Pennsylvania Licensed Psychologist and Licensed Professional Counselor. She is co-founder of and practicing clinician at the Psychological and Counseling Center, Inc. since 1987. Maura is a senior faculty member and program director of the Gestalt Institute of Pittsburgh. She earned her certificate in Gestalt training in 1985 and has continued advanced training in Gestalt therapy for over 40 years. Maura has devoted her professional career to the gatekeeping process of the mental health profession, specializing in ethics, anxiety adaptations, counselor education, and systems theory. After serving as a counselor education program director at Duquesne University for 15 years, she is currently building a graduate program in clinical mental health counseling at LaRoche University.

Dates: July 12 (12 – 7 pm), July 13 (9 am – 4 pm), July 14 (9 am – 4 pm)

Fee: $800 for full program or $300 per module (see below for module information)

Location: Gestalt Institute of Pittsburgh, 1824 Murray Avenue, Suite 201, Pittsburgh, PA 15217

APPROVED FOR 18.0 CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS. *The program will include 3 credits in ethics and 1 credit in suicidality*

Module 1: Basic Couples Theory and Techniques Friday, July 12, 2024

Within a Gestalt Framework, this seminar will overview a basic level understanding of:

Systems Theory
Identifying client contact styles
Differing figure formation strategies
Common couples’ issues
Cultural continuum awareness
Communication Interruptions
Utilizing the Cycle of Experience with couples
Assess the role of defensiveness in the system
Recognizing “the Past in the Present”

Module 2: Advanced Theory and Techniques Saturday July 14, 2024

Within a Gestalt Framework, this seminar will overview an advanced level understanding of:

Co-created negotiation strategies
Communication distortion
Cultural continuum awareness
Racial development models
Interruptions to contact
Role of therapist projection in the therapeutic alliance
Conflict resolution strategies
Role and impact of trauma and early abuse experiences on the couple

Module 3: Specialized Issues in Couples Therapy Sunday July 15, 2024

Utilizing a Gestalt Framework, this seminar will overview issues specific to interventions with couples:

Infidelity
Macro Issues affecting the couple (infidelity, polyamory, pandemic, finances, etc.)
Trauma
Paradoxical Intervention
Top dog/underdog roles
Differing levels of mental heath
Recognizing personality adaptations
Trigger trances
Role of privacy Vs secret keeping

Group Leadership Training Program for Professionals: Seminar Presentation Skill Development

As training programs and professional education workshops and seminars have become more vital as a learning tool for the mental health professional, the need for the skilled facilitator and trainer becomes more important to the process. Utilizing a Gestalt framework, this seminar will provide an effective strategy to equip the facilitator with an overall framework on how to prepare and present relevant valuable professional and therapeutic content to one’s fellow clinicians.

This seminar will deepen one’s understanding of group and transformational team training dynamics and intervention skills, build a goal-setting learning environment and development a higher level of confidence in the emerging or seasoned group leader.

Presenters: Dr. Maura Krushinski and Dr. Tom Petrone

Date: Saturday, July 27, 2024

Time: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Fee: $300

APPROVED FOR 6.0 CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT

Location: Gestalt Institute of Pittsburgh, 1824 Murray Avenue, Suite 201, Pittsburgh, PA 15217

Register here.

Gestalt Therapy – Clinical Theory and Technique Basics and Beyond

This seminar provides an opportunity to learn more about the GIP Two Year Gestalt Training for Professionals as well as a refresher for seasoned therapists.

Presenter: Dr. Thomas Petrone

Date: Thursday, August 8, 2024

Time: 5:30 – 8:15 pm

Fee: $50

Location: Gestalt Institute of Pittsburgh, 1824 Murray Avenue, Suite 201, Pittsburgh, PA 15217

APPROVED FOR 3.0 CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS

Continuing Education:

The Program offers a specific number of Continuing Education Credit per seminar

The Gestalt Institute of Pittsburgh is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GIP maintains responsibility for this program and its content. The Gestalt Institute of Pittsburgh has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5069. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. GIP is solely responsible for all aspects of the program.

Program Participants:

Each program is designed for participants who are:

Mental health professionals holding a degree in their respective field at a Masters and/or Doctoral degree level.
Licensed human services professionals including Psychologists, Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors and Marriage and Family therapists
Teachers and school counselors in both educational and community settings.
Graduate students preparing for professional careers in mental health disciplines, behavioral sciences, or in the area of human services in which Gestalt methods would be a relevant extension of basic professional competence.
Professionals who are practicing law and specializing in mediation services
Two Year Program participants and graduates who are not practicing mental health professionals but who are interested in further skill development

Program Faculty:

This seminar training program is staffed by the current Faculty of the Gestalt Institute of Pittsburgh and Program Graduates. The members of the faculty of the Pittsburgh Gestalt Therapy Training Program for Professionals are practicing therapists with over 40 years of experience. They have earned certificates for completing 2-year Gestalt Training programs and have participated in advanced Gestalt training for more than 30 years. They are joined by Guest faculty who are practicing Gestalt therapists and vital members of the GIP community. This series also includes Umaa Thampu Faculty member Gestalt Centre of London.

Thomas Petrone, Ed.D. Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Professional Counselor
Maura Krushinski, Ed.D. Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Professional Counselor
Kristy Carnahan, MA. Licensed Professional Counselor
Connie Kramer, MA Licensed Professional Counselor
Stephanie Helsel, PhD, LPC
Holly Lassila, DrPH, MSEd, RPh, Licensed Professional Counselor
Umaa Thampu MBACP (Accred)

Mission Statement: The mission of the Gestalt Institute of Pittsburgh is educate, enlighten an excite individuals and trainees about the theory, integration and application of Gestalt therapy. Our Faculty and staff provide the highest quality programs to individuals seeking training, personal development and support for their professional and personal endeavors. The Institute is guided by belief in the wholeness of human experience, adherence to the highest ethical standards and support of social justice values.

Program Description: This seminar program provides participants the time and opportunity to develop and practice foundational skills they acquired in their educational and in other professional endeavors. It supports development from basic mental health practice to becoming a more skilled and more accomplished therapist with a Gestalt approach. The program offers the opportunity for theoretical inquiry, skill development and personal growth experience necessary to integrate Gestalt theory and methodology into each therapist’s personal and professional therapeutic style.

Statement on Multicultural Considerations and Equitability:

The field-theoretical and the phenomenological tenets as well as the principles of holism take, per definition, cultural differences into consideration. Implicit in its field-theoretical understanding is the fact that human beings are not islands but impacted by social influences as well as impactful on others. With respect to the existential field, each person shares a world with others in a variety of ways contributing to meaning and value. (Kirchner, 2000). As such the Administrative staff and faculty of the Gestalt Institute of Pittsburgh are dedicated to conveying respect to all program participants without bias toward gender, physical disability, culture, ethnic origin, spiritual/religious orientation, sexual orientation or other personal differences. It is the expectation of the Gestalt Institute of Pittsburgh that all program participants will exercise the same principles.

Statement on Evaluation Process:

The Institute faculty will consider the following key elements when determining each participant’s completion of individual seminars and awarding of Continuing Education credit:

Full attendance and participation
Completion of seminar evaluation

Statement on Privacy Policy:

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