• What Is Gestalt ?
• About GANZ
• GANZ Council

Alan Meara
President

Hello/Kia Ora,

I have a long involvement with GANZ, including the meetings from which GANZ emerged some 12 years ago. The psychotherapy field has changed significantly since then, and as a member of Council, and President since 2002, I have witnessed the increasing complexity in the matters we address.

My history includes working in Organisational Development and Process Consultancy, Private Gestalt practitioner, Clinical Supervisor, Trainer, and Director of Training. I have a particular interest in group work and incorporating concepts from nonlinear dynamics into the practice of individual and group therapy, and have presented several papers and workshops at conferences, and been published in Australian and overseas journals in these areas. I am also a member of the editorial board of the Gestalt Review.

I see my role, and that of Council in terms of stewardship – developing services and benefits for members that also take into account the changing practice environment. I was attracted to the immediacy, creativity and contactful nature of Gestalt therapy, and find that these principles support me and my colleagues on Council.

Although I have recently moved to New Zealand, I am most easily accessible to all by email at alanmeara@ganz.org.au

Gabe Phillips
Chair-Community Development and Liaison

DipTeach, BEd, BA, GradDipAppliedPsych., MPsych., PhD, FMGANZ, MAPS

Gabriel Phillips is the Co-founder of Gestalt Therapy Australia (GTA). He was the Director of Training and Managing Director of GTA from 1995-2009 and is currently a member of the GTA faculty. Gabe has served on the GANZ Council since its inception in 1998. He was the inaugural Chair of Training Standards and Course Accreditation; a position he held until 2004. Gabe was the convenor of the conference organising committee for the 5th GANZ International Conference in Melbourne 2006. He is currently the Chair of Liaison and Community Development and convenor of the Directors of Training (DOTS) for Australia and New Zealand. Gabe was elected a Fellow Member of GANZ in 2008. And he is a member of the Editorial Board of the British Gestalt Journal.

Gabe is an ongoing student of the Diamond Approach to spiritual development (A.H. Almaas – Ridhwan School) and is engaged in synthesising the psychological and spiritual into his understanding of human experience and psychotherapeutic practice. Gabe works in private practice – Lifespace Consulting - where he sees individuals and couples for psychotherapy, provides supervision to managers and mental health professionals and consults to business and community groups. His psychotherapeutic practice is grounded in relational philosophy and informed by Gestalt, psychodynamic and diamond approach ideas and practices. Gabe has a particular interest in working with same-sex attracted people to develop healthy, intimate relationships and accepting confident identities.

Gabe lives with his long-term partner on a farm in central Victoria and relaxes cutting grass, establishing a new garden and entertaining friends.

You can contact Gabe on 03 9529 8877 or gabephillips@ganz.org.au

Greer White
Chair-Training Standards

Greer White EdD is one of the Co-Directors of Training at Gestalt Therapy Brisbane. She was the Director of Training at the Gestalt Association of Queensland Inc. when this Institute and the Brisbane Gestalt Institute merged to create Gestalt Therapy Brisbane in 2008. Greer has held her position as Chair, Training Standards in the GANZ Council since 2006. She is a Clinical Member of GANZ.

Greer is an experienced Gestalt therapist, supervisor, group facilitator and educator. She received her Gestalt training with the Gestalt Association of Queensland Inc. Greer has an education and welfare background with experience in working with young people at risk and those who have been abused or suffered trauma. Her doctoral studies focused on adolescent masculine development. She works with individuals, couples and groups in therapy, supervision and group facilitation. She works as a contracted consultant and educator to teachers and leadership teams within schools.

You can contact Greer on greerwhite@ganz.org.au

Ashleigh Woolridge
Chair-Membership

This is my second term with GANZ council; previously I was the NSW State Rep, and now fulfilling the Membership Chair role. The role of the Membership Chair is to review all Member applications and upgrades in consultation with the GANZ Secretariat and whole Council. The Chair of Membership also reviews requirements of ongoing Professional Development and Supervision. Other involvement in Council has included co-convening GANZ 2008, the 6th International GANZ conference at Ballina, which was quite a hoot!

Professionally my blurb includes; Grad Dip Gestalt Psych. Cert Holistic Counselling, Adv Cert Community Welfare Psychotherapist and Trainer with over 15 years experience working with individuals, couples and families, groups and organisations.

Currently, I have a private practice on the Northern Beaches of Sydney and am a member of Faculty at Gestalt Practitioners Training Sydney (GPTS) and The Australian College of Applied Psychology (ACAPSyd).

You can contact me on ashleighwoolridge@ganz.org.au

Leanne O'Shea
Chair-Ethics

Leanne is a psychotherapist and supervisor in private practice. She studied the Gestalt approach in Melbourne and London, and more recently the relational approach to Gestalt Therapy at the Pacific Gestalt Institute (USA). For the past ten years she has been a faculty member of Gestalt Therapy Australia. She is also a faculty member of the Relational Center, a Los Angeles based organization whose mission is to promote greater diversity within the helping professions.

She is also interested in creating greater awareness of and sensitivity to our relational responsibility, and is particularly passionate about the place of sexuality and the erotic within the therapeutic relationship. She is well published and is an inaugural co-editor of the new Gestalt Journal of Australia and New Zealand. Leanne previously served as a member of the GANZ Council (as the Victorian Rep) and after two years as a member of the GANZ Ethics Committee, returns to Council as the Chair of Ethics.

You can contact Leanne on leanne@gestalt.com.au

Joe D'Arcy
Chair-Communications

Joe D'Arcy has resigned from this role, and so the position is currently vacant.

Darren Cuskelly
Chair-International Relations

Hello I am Darren Cuskelly chair of international relations on the GANZ Council. I become a student member of GANZ in 2005 and joined the council at the AGM in September 2008. I graduated from GINZ in November 2008.

I am an Australian by birth and have lived in New Zealand for six years. I am based in Christchurch, New Zealand. I currently work as a Service Manager for IHC, four days a week, and provide therapy at a counselling centre and in a small private practice one day and two nights per week. I am keen to enhance relationships between Australia and New Zealand GANZ members. If anyone has any ideas in this regard feel free to email me cuskham@gmail.com. My interests are in relationships—relationships with myself, others and the environment.

Keep an eye on Aotearoa/NZ happenings, connect with some NZ GANZ members and/or come across the Tasman and experience the Mana of NZ. Where else can you ski, surf and tramp all in the same afternoon.

You can contact me on darrencuskelly@ganz.org.au

Susie Carr
Secretary

I am the secretary of the Council, having taken up the post in July last year. I am enjoying being part of the group, but taking the minutes can be a challenge! While my role mainly involves interacting with council members, members can email me directly regarding GANZ business.

I am currently working in the not-for-profit sector seeing individuals, couples and families. I also have a private practice in Sydney’s inner west. I conduct communication skills training in corporate training environments.

I have a BA (Hons) Humanities, Grad. Dip. Gestalt Psychotherapy

Grad. Dip Psychotherapy Relationship Counselling, Cert 1V in work place training.

You can contact me on susiecarr@ganz.org.au