Becoming a Psychedelically-Informed Gestalt Therapist: A Two-Part Workshop for Gestalt Therapists

(In-Person Format)

Daniel Tisman, LCSW

Ken Meyer, Ph.D.

Annalisa Birdsall, LMFT

Gestalt therapy, with its emphasis on present-moment awareness, relational depth, and integration of mind/body/spirit, is uniquely positioned to support the psychedelic experience of our clients, who are increasingly finding venues for these experiences, both unsupervised and in supported, therapeutic and ritual settings. However, for us to help them make the best use of these experiences, the nuances of working with non-ordinary states of consciousness require our own preparation, specialized knowledge, and skill. 

This two-part workshop is designed specifically for trained Gestalt therapists who wish to deepen their understanding of psychedelic-assisted therapy from a Gestalt perspective. We will explore:

• The intersection of Gestalt therapy and psychedelic work, including theoretical and ethical considerations

• The role of the therapist in preparing for and integrating psychedelic experiences

• The importance of set and setting for a valuable and safe experience 

• Safety, mitigating harm, and who is not suitable for psychedelic-assisted therapy

• Practical applications, case discussions, and experiential role-play to embody a psychedelically-informed Gestalt approach

As the "psychedelic renaissance" continues to unfold, Gestalt therapists have an opportunity to contribute meaningfully— but without proper training and appropriate preparation, there is a risk of integrating psychedelics into therapy in ways that are misattuned, unsafe, or disconnected from the best practices being developed.

Join us in this workshop series to ensure your practice is aligned with both the experiential knowledge base of Gestalt therapy and the evolving field of psychedelic-assisted therapy.  

Module 1: Psychedelics Through a Gestalt Lens

• The intertwined history of Gestalt therapy and LSD

• The Gestalt therapy principles used at Johns Hopkins’ psychedelic research

• Set, setting, and science: how psychedelic-assisted therapy is different

• Methods and molecules: the various psychedelic substances

• The role of the therapist in preparation (or dissuasion)

• Safety, ethics, and best practices

Module 2: Integrating Gestalt Practice into Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy

• Neuroplasticity, Gestalt dreamwork, and post-experience integration

• Working with trauma

• The role of spirituality

• Working with challenging experiences

• Next steps: the hopes and challenges ahead

Objectives:

1. Apply Gestalt therapy concepts, methods, and attitudes to psychedelic-assisted therapy.

2. Understand the scientific, medical, and philosophical foundations of psychedelic therapy.

3. Address the legal and ethical challenges to psychedelic-assisted therapy.

4. Understand and incorporate the existential and spiritual aspects of psychedelics.

5. Prevent and mitigate the adverse effects of psychedelics.

6. Prepare patients who are planning for psychedelic therapy or retreats.

7. Working with past trauma and challenging experiences.

Saturday, November 8, 2025
Sunday, December 14, 2025
11 am – 4 pm (ET) (with one-hour lunch break)
8 CE hours
$250

Click here to Register!

Introduction to Couples Work

(Online Format)

Marla Silverman, Ph.D.
For the therapist who wants a way to understand how to work with couples. We will cover principles and methods of working with couples, how to structure a session, what to look for and how to intervene. This workshop is both didactic and experiential. Through role play we will demonstrate and practice interventions and discuss therapeutic choices. Bring a sense of wonder and fun.

Objectives:

1. Understand what causes stuck patterns of stress in couples.

2. Understand how to set up a first session.

3. Understand how to create safety for both members of the couple.

Saturday, November 15, 2025
9 am – 12 pm (ET)
3 CE hours
$100

How to Work With Couples: 6-Week Hands-On Experiential Course

(Online Format)

Marla Silverman, Ph.D.
How do I make sense of the behavior between a couple? How do I understand what fears/hurts/wounds each member is protecting?  How do I help them move to a place of greater safety and connection?  This hands-on, practicum style, 6-week course is for therapists who want to develop or increase their skills with couples.  Each 3-hour session includes:  Didactic: principles and strategies of couples work; Questions: about your cases and the didactic material; Practicum: hands-on practice with couples role-played by group members, get feedback on your interventions - what did and did not work - and a chance to try other interventions.

Objectives:

1. Help couples recognize their patterns that cause distress.

2. Help each partner connect to the beliefs, fears and protective mechanisms that fuel their reactive responses.

3. Personally experience, via hands-on practice, the client’s protective mechanisms and fear, different character structures’ internal life, and the impact of the therapist’s stance, openness and interventions.

Six Saturdays:
February 7, 2026
February 21, 2026
March 7, 2026
March 21, 2026
April 4, 2026
April 18, 2026

9 am – 12 pm (ET)
18 CE hours
$750

Voice Attunement for Therapists

(Online Format)

Naaz Hosseini, MA, LP

Voice is central to human experience and integral, while invisible, to the therapeutic process. Voice attunement opens therapists’ ears to deepen perception, connection, and intention with clients. Through a gestalt lens, we will explore voice as a window to inner states and processes using discussion, experientials, case examples, and demonstrations. Clinicians at all levels, as well as others, can benefit from exploring the nature of voice. 

Objectives Day 1:

1. Understand the connection of voice, body tensions, and defenses.

2. Learn to use vocal cues to hear clients with greater attunement.

3. Learn to use your voice to nurture rapport, support, and co-regulation.

4. Access voice as an additional channel to inform therapeutic interventions.

Objectives Day 2:

      1. Apply the objectives learned during Day 1.

      2. Practice and explore use of voice therapeutically.

      3. Explore connections between vocal expression and contact.

Sunday, March 8, 2026
Day 1 workshop
11 am – 2 pm (ET) (no lunch break)
3 CE hours

Sunday, March 15, 2026
Day 2 workshop
11 am – 1 pm (ET) (no lunch break)
2 CE hours

Day 1 can be taken alone and is a prerequisite for Day 2.
Day 2 is open to Day 1 participants from previous years.

$175 for both day workshops
$100 each, if taken separately

Beneath the Magic of Gestalt Group Therapy

(Online Format)

Patricia Tucker, LCSW

This experiential workshop guides group therapists in applying Gestalt theory to group work. Through lecture, dyadic exercises, and group process, we will uncover ways that Gestalt therapy theory informs and enlivens our interventions as group leaders. First, we will explore how our focus on phenomenology, somatic experience, field theory, creative adjustment, polarities, and the paradoxical theory of change lead us to the interventions we make as Gestalt group leaders. Second, we will discuss and practice putting in place the structures that assist us in staying true to our theory, developing a secure ground, and creating and maintaining the conditions for dialogue.

Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to describe how Gestalt theory informs group therapy interventions.

2. Participants will be able to identify and describe three necessary elements of Gestalt Group Therapy structure.

3.  Participants will be able to learn three ways to enhance communication through embodied dialogue.

Saturday, June 13, 2026
10 am – 4 pm (ET) (with one-hour lunch break)
5 CE hours
$175