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.