Benefits of Joint UKAGP-EAGT Membership
Professional Identity:
EAGT is a highly respected member of the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP). You will be included on the EAGT website as a Gestalt psychotherapist who meets EAP training standards.
European Certificate of Psychotherapy:
Full members of EAGT are entitled to apply for the European Certificate of Psychotherapy (ECP), awarded by the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP), via their direct Grandparenting scheme. As a Europe Wide Awarding Organisation (EWAO), the EAGT office will sign and submit full members’ application forms at no additional cost.
Opportunity to expand your client base:
As a joint UKAGP-EAGT member, you will be eligible to work with clients and trainees on the European mainland after Brexit. With the ECP in addition, joint members will be included on the EAP Register of Psychotherapists, and eligible for work with European clients whose therapy costs are covered by an employer or health insurance provider.
Staying Connected:
Compared with our neighbours, the British Gestalt Community is relatively small. Joint membership is one way of ensuring that UK members are in a position to connect to more than 1100 member colleagues in 20+ countries in diverse ways.
Staying up-to-date:
Joint members will receive both the UKAGP and EAGT newsletters and be regularly updated with news, developments, research opportunities and professional development events across Europe.
Reduced conference fees:
Joint members will be entitled to discounts for both UKAGP and EAGT conferences.
Opportunities for CPD:
There are currently 7 EAGT Committees with various responsibilities. These provide a range of opportunities for members to get involved. By putting yourself forward for election onto one of these committees you will develop a wider social network of colleagues and friends, whilst also expanding your knowledge, skills and confidence. Here are two examples:
Research Committee:
EAGT is fully committed to research activity, and actively encourages and supports Gestalt research and publications by its members through bursaries, bespoke events and so on. EAGT holds a repository of research chapters, papers and audio talks that focus on specific research areas or methods, and/or substantiate the effectiveness of Gestalt clinical practice. EAGT also provides training in research methods via seminars, conferences and workshops. You will receive invitations to participate in research and research development events.
Human Rights and Social Responsibility (HR&SR):
EAGT honours Gestalt’s radical roots and field orientation through an active commitment to social, cultural, ecologicial and political change. The HR&SR Committee is a uniquely transformative forum, which crosses borders and builds bridges between people by initiating and facilitating a range of timely social projects. These aim to improve the mental health, psychological growth and quality of life of the most vulnerable members of society, including, but not limited to, traumatised mental health professionals working in war zones, refugees, migrants and torture survivors. In partnership with Peace Brigades International, EAGT volunteers currently work in Europe, Africa, Central and South America. As a joint member you have an invaluable opportunity to stand for membership of this committee, and also to keep in touch with this life-enhancing work by actively volunteering, for psychological work in the field, for training volunteers or for offering online support, e.g. via skype supervision.