30
Exploring the
then, now & next
of gestalt therapy
in Australia
WHEN:
15-16th November 2025
WHERE:
The Treacy Centre
126 The Avenue, Parkville
Kulin nation, Melbourne, Australia
The title of the conference reflects that 2025 is the 30th anniversary of the founding of Gestalt Therapy Australia (GTA), which is Melbourne’s gestalt therapy training institute. This conference will in part be a birthday celebration for GTA: a chance to reminisce, catch up with old friends and colleagues, and reflect on the ongoing place and relevance of the institute.
A 30th birthday is something of a milestone and a time for reflection…
Goodbye, twenties! Does this mean I’m an adult now? This isn’t quite where I imagined I’d be. Do I still care what my younger self thought a 30-year-old should have achieved? Time’s starting to feel more limited than it once did, that’s for sure. And some of the things I felt so passionate about no longer seem as important. What do I really want to be doing with my life now? Maybe a better question is: what is my life asking of me? To be honest, I don’t even know how to begin thinking about what the future could hold…
…reflection on our past, our present, and our possible futures.
Like any good milestone celebration, this conference will offer the chance for reflection on the then, now, and next:
Then: Where have we, as a community of practitioners, come from? Looking back, we can recognise that we’ve been doing this for a while now, that we’re part of a rich and living tradition, and that there are elders among us. What can our past tell us about where we are now and where we might be headed?
Now: What does it mean to be practicing gestalt therapy here and now, in Australia in 2025? All traditions must evolve to meet the demands of the moment. Are we adequately meeting our moment?
Next: Together, can we imagine a future for gestalt therapy? What do we want this future to look like? As we step into the next moment, what should we hold onto, and what is asking to be left behind?
This conference will also be about more than GTA. We warmly welcome anyone interested in gestalt therapy. Some of the presenters and workshop facilitators will be from interstate and have no affiliation with GTA.
The conference will involve a mix of keynote presentations, presentations, workshops, and panels. Some of the presentations, workshops, and panels will be running concurrently, so participants will be able to choose topics of most interest to them.
Program
The program is still being developed.
Watch this space for updates.
Call for contributions
Do YOU have something to say about the then, now, or next of gestalt therapy in Australia? Would you like to present, run a workshop, or be involved in a panel? If so, we would love to hear from you.
Please get in touch with us at admin@vagp.com.au and share your idea/s in a few sentences. Your ideas don’t have to be fully formed; if you have the desire to say something and some initial ideas, we can start there and see where we end up.
Please also get in touch if you would like to be involved in conference planning and organisation. The only prerequisite is a passion for gestalt therapy. The success of this event will depend on the input of many members of our community.
Tickets
VAGP members:
Early bird full price (July-Aug): $285
Early bird concession price (July-Aug): $215
Full price: $315
Concession price*: $245
Non VAGP members:
Early bird full price (July-Aug): $335
Early bird concession (July-Aug): $265
Full price: $365
Concession price*: $295
* Current GTA students automatically qualify for concession prices.
Financial hardship considerations: We don’t want people who are interested in attending the conference missing out because of the cost. We have a limited number of scholarships available, as well as volunteering opportunities. Please contact us at admin@vagp.com.au to enquire.
The ticket prices include morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea on both the Saturday and Sunday. They do not include the optional dinner and drinks on the Saturday night, which will be hosted at a separate venue; further details on this will be released closer to the date.
Location
The conference will be at the Treacy Centre (126 The Avenue, Parkville. See https://www.treacycentre.com.au/), which is close to Melbourne’s CBD, near to the two GTA premises, and right next to Royal Park.
We will be utilising the Edmund Rice function room for plenary sessions and morning and afternoon tea. We will also have access to at least two other rooms for concurrent presentations, panels, and workshops.
The Treacy Centre sits on the land of the peoples of the Kulin nation, for whom the Melbourne area was a centre of trade, celebration, spirituality and law. Peoples from all over Victoria would come to the area now known as Melbourne, with each group having a designated camp. What became Royal Park was traditionally a camp area for Koorie peoples from the Geelong and Western districts.
Accessibility
The Treacy Centre is a mobility-friendly venue with several accessibility features, including wheelchair Access (accessible toilets and ground-level entry to key rooms like the Edmund Rice and Waterford Rooms) and support for assistance animals. For specific accessibility needs or to discuss accommodations, you can contact the Treacy Centre directly at info@treacycentre.com.au or (03) 8359 0101, or contact us at admin@vagp.com.au.
Contact
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch