About GISC

Who We Are

Three important elements distinguish our programs. Our training programs are rigorous, our methods based on years of research and successful application across disciplines, cultures and continents. The learning is applied, which means that our programs are concrete and practical, and you can put new skills to use immediately, although they may take much practice to master. The results are profound; there is a magnitude of impact in your work and in your life that is far beyond the norm. Because of this, many of our participants return year after year to GISC.

We are an independent nonprofit organization and a community of diverse individuals, anchored by the values of trust, optimism, generosity, and the importance of lifelong learning. As a nonprofit, we have the flexibility to continuously refine and explore our theory and applications, and aren’t bounded by the thinking or goals of any one
individual or corporation. We are engaged in formal study groups, annual conferences, commissioned research, and the publication of books and academic journals as we seek to continuously deepen our insight into how people work well together.

What We Do

We develop highly successful business and nonprofit leaders, as well as practitioners involved with organizational consulting, coaching, therapy, human resource development, education, and social transformation.

Through years of research, observation, and application in the field, we have developed theory and applications that articulate how individuals can be most effective, how people work well together, how groups develop successful interactions, and how organizations develop high performing cultures. Our core training technology combines experiences that support self-reflection with opportunities to practice new skills; we enable participants to learn and develop in a personalized way.

This theory provides a foundation and structure for learning and our teaching methodology ensures that participants come away having internalized how to integrate new skills and use their full potential to be more effective in working with others.

Our training develops the following personal competencies in participants:

• Enhanced self-awareness and confidence
  
• Stronger presence and ability to impact others
  
• Increased capacity to observe, decide and act with clarity and intention
  
• More skillful perception in the moment

Our training develops the following interpersonal competencies in participants:

• Developing relationships between people and between groups
  
• Articulating clear and useful feedback on the behavior of others
  
• Perceiving and building on the competence of individuals and groups
  
• Facilitating organizational effectiveness through systems knowledge and the dynamics of group interaction
  
• Leading successful change, recognizing and managing multiple perspectives
  
• Using the momentum of resistance as a part of change processes
  
• Understanding the development of high-performing organizational cultures

People who embark on a path of development at the Center learn to see more in themselves, their organizations and/or their clients. They learn to do more through others by acting more quickly, clearly and with intention. They learn to be more focused and impactful in how they interact and engage. They develop strong networks of influential
people who share their values. They build their community and they contribute to their fields.

What is Gestalt?

The Gestalt model underlies our work. “Gestalt” (ge’SHtält) means “an organized whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its parts.” It is a well-developed theory of how people take in and organize information, and how they use it in relating to each other.
Gestalt theory originated in scientific research on human perception, was then applied to psychology where it gained recognition, and has subsequently been incorporated into many therapeutic models.

Through the work of our founders and others over the last fifty years, the theory has been further developed into an extraordinarily powerful organizational development application, producing highly effective leaders, groups, and organizations throughout the world.

At GISC, we teach the application of Gestalt theory with a unique emphasis on perceiving and expanding existing competence as the foundation for achieving one’s own and others’ full potential. This seemingly simple shift in perspective opens up new choices and possibilities, provides a basis of trust and respect that supports both
professional and personal development, and creates lasting change.

Our organizational structure

The Gestalt International Study Center is incorporated as a nonprofit educational organization (IRS Section 501(c)3).

GISC does not discriminate in any of its programs with regard to race, color, gender, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation or handicapped condition.

Please contact us if you have any special needs that might affect your participation in any of our programs.

"More than any organization I have been connected to, I am regularly reminded of GISC’s commitment not just to providing professional and personal development, but to changing peoples lives, and to making the world a better place."

Stuart Simon, Consultant, Coach, Psychotherapist, Trainer in Private Practice, GISC Faculty Member

"It’s rare to find a place and a group of people where you can think and be. With so much pressure to do, to be active and productive, the respite provided by GISC is invaluable. The opportunity to reflect, recharge, and retool means that when I return to the world of doing I’m much more effective. I’m equipped at my core so that my actions are informed, not by a mechanical knowing but by a deeper understanding of myself, other people, and the world around me."

Heather Berthoud, Berthoud Consulting GISC Faculty member, Leading Nonprofit Organizations