Professional Development

Definition

Professional Development is recognised as an ongoing need for most professions and for GANZ members it is a necessary requirement for membership renewal. Professional development strengthens the knowledge and skill base of a Gestalt practitioner and supports the Gestalt therapist’s commitment to maintaining an effective practice. It allows the practitioner to build and refresh his or her skills and to participate actively in his or her career development. It is a life long learning process where the Gestalt therapist selects the most appropriate opportunities to meet his or her particular professional development needs. For clients who place their trust in Gestalt counsellors, psychotherapists and consultants , professional development can offer some measure of assurance that, as individuals and as members of GANZ, the practitioner has a commitment to ongoing professional development. This may include at times a willingness to provide evidence of the content and processes of that development.

While it is recognised that professional development takes many forms, GANZ adopts a definition similar to that of PACFA, that is workshops, seminars, lectures, training courses, and conferences meet the professional development requirement.

Fifteen hours of professional development per year is the minimum requirement for ongoing clinical, member and graduate member of GANZ. Members are advised to keep documentary evidence of professional development activities in the event of such documents being requested for audit purposes.