Does anyone know what happens at a "Weekend Personal Development Gestalt Group"?

[wondering2]

Because I am thinking of going on one this weekend and don't really know what it's about.

I posted this in chat but it's already gone to the second page with no answers so am posting here now.

Thanks .

No idea

I presume you have ^some' idea since you are considering attending. What is it ?

One to one gestalt counselling consists of, amongst other things, the counsellor and client role playing significant relationships in the client's life in order to help the client understand themselves and the dynamics present better.

I think anyway. There is more to it than this but it's new to me. I was wondering if anyone has any experience of this kind of group. It's going to be run by gestalt trainees apparently.

Is there a cost involved ?

I did a gestalt weekend group ( at the Gestalt centre in London) where we all sat in a circle and the facilitators didn't say anything, just waited for people to speak. It was excruciating! I don't really like such unstructured groups, have done courses where I learnt a lot more about myself but it was interesting...

Are you doing this as part of your training or just for the fun of it?

I wanted to do it out of interest and to find out more about gestalt. Yes there is a cost but I think it is reasonable for two 8 hour days.

That is where I want to do the weekend awholelotta. Sitting in silence does sound excruciating! What kinds of things did people talk about?

(Might be changing my mind.)

Oh don't let me put you off! It was interesting but because I'd done lots of personal development courses before that were truly life changing, it didnt do much for me. Was too meandering and didn't really go anywhere. I prefer groups with a structure. I think it also depends on who else is in the group and how good the facilitators are.

Does that mean there is potential for some gobshite with verbal diarrhoea to take over the whole thing ?

There is always one, isn't there ?

I've done an NLP week, Landmark Forum, a silent meditation 4 day retreat, a year long Tantra course,a brilliant course called 'More to Life' and some challenging courses at an Ashram in India. I'm a bit of a course junky, me!

AnyFucker, well that's always the problems with those sorts of groups! Tbh no one did, in fact it took one woman a whole day to even say a word. She finally spoke on the second day and was in tears as it was so difficult for her.

What are you hoping to get out of it OP?

Which was your best one awholelotta?

My sister did the introductory year of a counselling course which involved a therapy group with a silent facilitator. She really hated it and it's one of the reasons she stopped the course.

I am not sure awholelotta. I was wondering if I would make a good counsellor (I don't actually think I would) and thought this might give me some insight.

I did a year with London Marriage Guidance as I wanted to be a relationships counsellor. We did the silent group thing every week and I hated it so much, found it really frustrating and pointless and it was one reason I didn't continue with them. Was lots of pondering and speculating and I got absolutely nothing out of it.

The best one I ever did was More to Life. I did it in 1994, did all their courses, trained to teach some of their courses and I can honestly say it changed my life in a most profound way. Helped me stop being so self critical, afraid of anger, became more authentic and just happier. However I don't believe there's one right way, it's whatever works for you and I've got something out of most things I've done.

Have you thought about doing a life coaching course? They can be very good. Or an introductory counselling course? Why do you think you wouldn't be a good counsellor?

I have done the first year of the Birkbeck introductory certificate in counselling.

I think I would find it very hard to deal with things outside my experience / traumatic and abusive things people might have been through. I also think that while I am quite a good listener, I wouldn't have that extra "wise/able to challenge people or see past their fronts" spark.

Hadn't thought of doing life coaching.

What do you do awholelotta - are you on a job that involves counselling?

in a job

Did one of these weekends about 40 years ago. Imagine the format is still the same. As WholeLottaNosy says, it's unstructured - at least in the beginning.

You generally sit around until a discussion/observation develops. The facilitator(s)/therapist(s) running the session observe behaviours/non-verbals and ask questions/make comment that help people come to understandings and realisations about themselves and how they relate to others and the world.

I loved it. I learned at lot. I still remember some of the wonderful experiences I had over those two days.

Go with an open mind wondering2 and you'll be rewarded with a magical experience.

Thanks toyou, am thinking about what I am going to do and do some more research on google . Will report back!

I quite like gestalt, but then I've always enjoyed role-play type things and am horribly fairly uninhibited. I reckon you have to try a lot of such things before you get an idea of which ones are most likely to suit you :)

Remember there's always a door if you can't stand it!