Our History

The Irish Gestalt Centre History

Joan O’Leary and Hank O’Mahony founded the Irish Gestalt Centre in 1983. Joan and her husband Eoin O’Leary introduced Gestalt to Ireland in 1974. Eoin was previously active in working with others to establish the London Gestalt Centre.  When in 1975 Eoin, Joan and Hank O’Mahony explored their ideas for specific training programs that enabled persons to grow both as individuals and also as agents for change agents. They developed the G.O.A.T. Programme (The Gestalt Orientation and Alinsky Training Programme). The programme was to promote the ideas of Fritz Perls and Sol Alinsky, two radical activists in the field of personal development and social change. However the death of Eoin in 1978 interrupted the development of this idea but it finally came to fruition when Joan O’Leary and Hank O’Mahony founded the Irish Gestalt Centre in 1983. They conceived of a Gestalt learning community that would not only train Gestalt therapists, but more importantly have graduates who’s authenticity would enable them to be transformers of society.   To date the Irish Gestalt Centre has graduated a considerable number of therapists both in Ireland and the UK. These graduates work worldwide in university settings, medical centres, educational and social services and have also developed business consultancies and private practices.

We take pride in working as a professional team, dedicated to our own ongoing personal and professional development as well as providing opportunities for our graduates to keep abreast of changes in Gestalt theory and practice.

What is Gestalt Therapy?

Gestalt is a German word meaning a Whole or a completion that is greater than the sum of it’s parts. An integrated person is aware of all the elements that unite to make them whole – their body, feelings, intellect, and senses.

When unaware, people may drift through life with some of those parts missing eg. not feeling, which might cause them difficulty in relationships. Some people ,through their conditioning in early childhood, have lost a sense of self and may develop relationships through confluence and manipulation instead of making real contact.

Gestalt Psychotherapy was developed by Fritz Perls who moved from the psycho analytical school of psychotherapy into developing a humanistic and experiential form of therapy based on Existential philosophy where a person taking responsibility for him/herself moves from dependency towards independence and wholeness.

Gestalt Therapy aims to find wholeness and integration through awareness in the ‘here and now ‘. It focuses in the present on HOW the individual blocks expression and spontaneity and explores ways of releasing trapped energy which is both liberating and exciting. Gestalt therapy continues to develop as part of the humanistic and integrative movement in psychotherapy.

A Gestalt group involves a creative encounter between people. It enables individuals to obtain greater awareness of their power and potential as well as their blocks and to experience richer contact in relationships.