BAGI Community 2020

BAGI Community 2020

THank you for your interest in the Bay Area Gestalt Institute!!

Who we are:

The Bay Area Gestalt Institute (BAGI) is a unique and diverse community of licensed and associate psychotherapists, rooted in a lineage of Gestalt teachers and practitioners, and committed to living the values we teach.

Our mission is to promote healing, aliveness, and authenticity in our communities and society at large by teaching and providing Gestalt psychotherapy.

Our work takes shape through:

▪ Facilitating personal growth and professional development for psychotherapy associates through Gestalt trainings and supervision

▪ Offering quality psychotherapy to the San Francisco Bay Area community

▪ Providing Gestalt education to the professional community and to the community at large

▪ Modeling a collective, non-hierarchical example of community interaction and decision-making that honors differences and nurtures aliveness in relationship to self, other, and the world

BAGI Associate Program 2024

BAGI comprises 20-35 members at any given time and meets on Mondays. Currently, we are meeting both via Zoom and in the Mission district of San Francisco; members can choose to meet in person or virtually depending on their needs and desires week by week. We currently hold two community-wide retreats per year, an overnight in the spring and a day-long in the fall. The associate program begins in September and membership is ongoing.

New associates are expected to make a membership commitment to BAGI of at least one year; membership can continue on past licensure.

Prerequisites to applying for the associate program are:

  1. To be an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist or an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor registered with State of California Board of Behavioral Services, having completed one year’s work experience post-practicum, or having completed the Church Street Integral Counseling Center Associate Program by the time you enter the BAGI associate program.

    —and—

  2. To have a strong interest in being a Gestalt therapist, demonstrated through participation in a Gestalt associate program, participation in a Gestalt process group, having a Gestalt supervisor or therapist, or other Gestalt-based activities.

BAGI provides associates:

  • An inspiring community of psychotherapists with diverse experience and backgrounds, offering guidance and support on the path to licensure

  • Administrative infrastructure to enable associates to earn income as employees or, as volunteers, to be able to spend pre-tax income on educational expenses

  • Opportunities to lead and participate in decision-making, process groups, organizational development, and training, according to the associate’s goals and interests 

  • Monthly training from internal and external trainers, including Gestalt therapy, related modalities, marketing, and other aspects of growing a private practice

  • A list of Gestalt supervisors to support you in your search for individual and/or group supervision

  • Slip-and-fall liability insurance for all offices

  • Online presence on the BAGI website

  • Referrals through BAGI’s general call line and website

  • Networking opportunities with the larger Gestalt community

Associate responsibilities include: 

  • Finding an office to sublet/rent under the auspices of BAGI (as some members remain virtual-only, this is an option but not currently required)  

  • Obtaining your own malpractice insurance

  • Arranging supervision with an approved supervisor familiar with Gestalt therapy

  • Monthly dues for shared organizational costs

  • Involvement in two BAGI committees, and participation in community events

  • Regular attendance at community meetings, trainings, and process groups (each member is expected to co-facilitate 1-2 meetings per year)

  • Submitting monthly accounting spreadsheets in a timely manner

  • Marketing your practice outside of BAGI

Applying to BAGI consists of 4 steps

  1. Attending the BAGI informational meeting on Monday February 5th @ 11.30am - please RSVP to bagiadmissions@googlegroups.com for the Zoom info

  2. Writing and submitting the written application

  3. Attending the group interview

  4. Scheduling and attending the individual interview 

Note: If for some reason you cannot make it to one of the above please reach out to bagiadmissions@googlegroups.com in advance.

2024 Application Timeline

*The purpose of the group interview is for BAGI members to have some contact with the applicants and vice versa, and for all present to have an experience of the applicants sitting in a circle with the current community.

We will be utilizing breakout rooms in Zoom in order to facilitate smaller group contact during the group interview. Candidates and current BAGI members will be asked to respond to a series of questions during the smaller group interaction.

**The individual interview will be conducted with two BAGI members and its purpose is to assess fit with the mission, culture, and offerings of BAGI, and to discuss if the organization can meet the applicant’s expectations. There will be time for applicant questions.

2024 BAGI Calendar

BAGI meetings, trainings, and process groups occur on Mondays, and generally follow the following schedule except when they fall on Monday holidays (as defined by community needs):

  • 1st Monday of the month 11am-2pm: Community Meeting

  • 2nd Monday of the month 11am-2pm: Process Group

  • 4th Monday of the month 11:30am-1:30pm: Training

    Full 2024 calendar available upon request

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