“I don’t know how a poem takes form, I take the mud of my life and feel like a great sculptor.”
– Alda Merini –
From Tradition to Growing Edges
The School offers an approach to psychopathology from a phenomenological and Gestalt therapy perspective. It represents an original and unique combination of the European tradition of phenomenological psychopathology and of contemporary Gestalt Therapy theory applied to clinical practice. Psychopathology is explored from the roots of these traditions and developed towards the edges of a radical relational perspective.
Field Theory and Process of Change
We consider psychopathology as a field phenomenon emerging in the session and aiming towards transformation in the process of therapy. Clinical sufferings and symptoms are expressions of different ways of being absent in the situation. Therapy, consequently, is the art of presence and supports the forces acting in the field and moving towards transformation.
New Directions in Clinical Practice and Social Commitment
This understanding deeply impacts the therapeutic work and opens up new ways of meeting the client and of approaching clinical situations, emerging feelings and the therapist’s interventions. Since individual suffering is indissolubly entangled with the wider field, the social dimension becomes the necessary ground to understanding the clinical phenomena and, conversely, therapy becomes the crucible to foster the social change.
ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAM: FIELD PERSPECTIVES AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN CLINICAL PRACTICE (2026-2028)
The program is organized in online monthly seminars: lectures followed by discussion in small groups and then by a Q&A session. They critically address the topics from the historical, nosographic and diagnostic perspectives. The phenomenological and Gestalt understanding of every specific suffering is explored from a field theory perspective.
The first part of the program addresses the basis of field theory in Gestalt Therapy, the second part discusses the main symptomatological forms (that we call weathers), whereas the third part focuses on the personality dimensions (that we call landscapes). The seminars of the third part are led by two trainers in order to enrich the presentation from different perspectives.
Duration of each seminar: 3,5 hours
16:00 – 19:30 CET
(or 15:00 – 18:30 CET for Jan Roubal’s seminars)
Structure of the seminars:
16:00 – 17:15 Lecture
17:15 – 17:30 break
17:30 – 18:15 small groups
18:15 – 18:30 break
18:30 – 19:30 Q&A
PART 1:
FIELD PERSPECTIVES AND FUNDAMENTALS OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
In this first part we discuss different ways to conceptualize field theory in Gestalt Therapy, how psychopathology can be articulated with it, the influence of social-cultural backgrounds, the diagnostic and therapeutic processes in a field perspective.
- ORGANISM/ENVIRONMENT FIELD, PHENOMENAL FIELD, PHENOMENOLOGICAL FIELD
Francesetti, September 24th, 2026
- FUNDAMENTALS OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY: PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL FIELD
Francesetti, October 15th, 2026
- DIAGNOSTICS AND PROCESSES OF CHANGE
Roubal, November 18th, 2026
- METHODS OF WORKING FROM THE FIELD THEORY PERSPECTIVE
Roubal, December 16th, 2026
- WEATHERS AND LANDSCAPES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE
Gecele, January 13th, 2027
- SOCIAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS
Gecele, February 3rd, 2027
Costs
Fee for all the seminars: 650€
Fee for each seminar: 120€
PART 2:
WEATHERS
The second part addresses symptomatologies (the weathers) from nosographic and phenomenological-Gestalt point of view, and how this understanding can support the therapeutic processes.
- PANIC EXPERIENCES
Francesetti, March 11th, 2027
- DEPRESSIVE EXPERIENCES
Francesetti, April 8th, 2027
- MANIC EXPERIENCES
Gecele, May 5th, 2027
- SUICIDAL EXPERIENCES
Roubal, June 23rd, 2027
- ADDICTIVE EXPERIENCES
Van Zelst, July 14th, 2027
- ANOREXIC AND BULIMIC EXPERIENCES
Philippson, September 16th, 2027
- PHOBIC EXPERIENCES
Gecele, October 7th, 2027
- OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE EXPERIENCES
Francesetti, November 11th, 2027
- PSYCHOTIC EXPERIENCES
Francesetti and Gecele, December 9th, 2027
Costs
Fee for all the seminars: 1000€
Fee for each seminar: 120€
PART 3:
LANDSCAPES
Part 3 introduces to the main personality dimensions and provides the background for the clinical symptomatologies. Each seminar is led by two trainers.
- NARCISSISTIC DIMENSION
Gecele and Francesetti, January 2028
- HYSTERICAL DIMENSION
Gecele and Francesetti, February 2028
- SCHIZOID DIMENSION
Francesetti and Gecele, March 2028
- PSYCHOPATHIC DIMENSION
Francesetti and Gecele, April 2028
- BORDERLINE DIMENSION
Gecele and Francesetti, May 2028
- LANDSCAPES OF FEAR: OBSESSIVE, COMPULSIVE, PHOBIC AND PARANOID DIMENSIONS
Francesetti and Gecele, June 2028
- NAVIGATING LANDSCAPES: INSIDE THE SESSION, INSIDE THE WORLD
Gecele and Francesetti, July 2028
Costs
Fee for all the seminars: 900€
Fee for each seminar: 150€
