Gestalt Australia and New Zealand (GANZ): An Association for Gestalt
Therapy and Practice was formally established as an Association
at the 1st 'Down Under' Gestalt Therapy Conference held in Perth
in September 1998. The establishment of the Association was the
outcome of a series meetings, the first being held in Sydney (November
1996) followed by Melbourne (May/June 1997) and Brisbane (March
1998). These meetings were attended by representatives of training
centres from across Australia and New Zealand, practitioners and
interested others. The motivation to form an Association arose
from developments in the field of counselling/psychotherapy and
registration requirements and a desire to forge bridges between
centres and practitioners across Australia and New Zealand.
Three working parties were established at the Sydney meeting;
umbrella/organization; standards/accreditation; and conference.
Each working party included representatives from various sectors
of the gestalt therapy community and provided materials for discussion
at each meeting.
In March 1998 a draft constitution, based on meeting discussions
and community consultation, was circulated, revised and accepted
by those who had participated in the various meetings. In June
1998, GANZ was incorporated in the ACT as professional Association.
GANZ seeks to promote the study of gestalt therapy and practice
as a specialty in the area of psychology and to advance the ethical
practice of gestalt therapy across a range of settings involving
human and environmental wellbeing. GANZ seeks to maintain a professionally-based
Association which is inclusive, representative, respectful, human
and humane.
Introducing the GANZ Council 1998-2000
Executive Officers:
Chairperson - Michael Reed (Sydney/Illawarra Gestalt Centre Wollongong)
Tel: 0412 011 350; E-mail: michaelr@nch.edu.au
Secretary- Brenda Levien (Gestalt Institute of New Zealand, Christchurch)
E-mail: be.levien@xtra.co.nz
Treasurer - Zish Ziembinski (Gestalt Training Institute West Australia,
Perth).
Tel: 08 9388 8890; E-mail: zish@mosaicbooks.net
Committee Chairs:
Training & Practice Standards - Gabe Philips (Gestalt Therapy
Australia, Melbourne)
Tel: (03) 9587 3900; E-mail: gestoz@iaccess.com.au
Membership - Helen Diack (Perth)
E-mail: hmdiack@bigpond.com
Ethics - Ruth Dunn (Gestalt Institute of Melbourne, Melbourne)
Tel: (03) 9818 7660
Communications - Steve Gunther (Northern Rivers Gestalt Institute,
Lismore)
Email: sgunther@scu.edu.au
Conference - Allan Meara (Gestalt Therapy Association of Queensland,
Inc, Brisbane).
E-mail: ameara@ozemail.com.au
New South Wales - Brian O'Neill (Illawarra Gestalt Centre, Wollongong)
E-mail: Brian_ONeill@uow.edu.au
Queensland - Yaro Starak (Brisbane Gestalt Therapy Institute)
E-mail: staraky@social1.socialnet.uq.oz.au Western Australia &Mac246;
vacant
New Zealand - Geoff Buckett (Christchurch)
Northern Territories - vacant
South Australia &Mac246; vacant
Aust Capital Territories - vacant
Trainee Reps (shared):
Australia - Sabin Fernbacher & Noel MacDonald (Melbourne)
Tel: via (03) 9587 3900
New Zealand - not filled.
Activities Update
At this point in it's development, members of the elected Council
are focusing on:
- defining minimum standards for membership of GANZ;
- defining minimum standards of training; - establishing ethical
guides of practice;
- establishing communication networks and newsletter; and
- preparing for the 2nd Down Under Gestalt Therapy Conference
to be held in Brisbane in 2000.
It is envisaged that membership standards will be finalised by
mid-1999, at which time a call for membership will be extended
to the Australia and New Zealand Gestalt Therapy community. This
timeline will place GANZ in a position to apply for full membership
of the recently formed Psychotherapists and Counsellors Federation
of Australia (PACFA) of which GANZ is a founding member.
Further updates will be provided via this website on a regular
basis. Please pass this information on to your colleagues and
please contact a member of the Council if you have any inquiry
and/or feedback regarding GANZ and its activities.