Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Truly Gestalt psychotherapeutic training requires deep understanding of how oppression and privilege impact clients, shape our perspectives as practitioners and inform the field in which we work and live. Creating authentic therapeutic rapport requires acknowledging all the dynamics in the room, here and now, and that must include the forces of systemic oppression in the environment at large. We understand that without conscious awareness of the systemic oppression outside our community, we are destined to recreate it within our community.
OUR INTENTION
Therefore, it is our intention to support each member of our community in taking responsibility for undoing the fixed gestalts of privilege and oppression. We are committed to ensuring our community has the knowledge, skills, and structures to support liberation from oppression and to build systems of justice. This includes, but is not limited to, fixed gestalts surrounding race, sexual identity, size, socioeconomic background, gender identity and expression, age, religion, ability, citizenship status, and looks, as well as forms outside our current awareness. We seek to create conditions that promote a culturally responsive and inclusive training environment, therapy practice, and community.
WHO WE ARE
Founded in 2014, we are an independent committee of the GCPT composed of students, faculty, and alumni. We meet about once a month via video conference and in person.
OUR VISION
We envision a GCPT community – including staff, faculty, alumni, students and the executive committee – that …
Is committed to becoming culturally responsive;
Seeks and provides training that is anti-oppressive and acknowledges the historic harm of oppression, including in its field;
Brings awareness to and tolerates discomfort in differences, remains engaged, and responsibly addresses any discomfort with formal and informal practices of accountability and forgiveness;
Offers a training curriculum that embodies these beliefs, intentions, visions and values in order to best prepare students to effectively serve a population that is reflective of the city and world in which we live;
Intentionally seeks and promotes a faculty, student body, and clients who reflect the city and world in which we live.