MSc Gestalt Psychotherapy

Gestalt Psychotherapy is grounded in the belief that awareness of present experience is transformative. This course focuses on the relational and experiential aspects of therapy, encouraging students to explore how meaning and change arise through contact between therapist and client. The training fosters curiosity, openness, and creative experimentation as key aspects of Gestalt practice.
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Key Information

Field of Study

  • MSc Gestalt Psychotherapy

Duration

  • 3 years part time

Start Date

  • 01/09/2026

Teaching Institution

  • Metanoia Institute

Awarding Institution

  • Middlesex University

Accrediting Professional Body

  • UKCP

Location

  • Blended - in-person at Metanoia Institute and online.

This UKCP-accredited MSc offers a rigorous and experiential training in Gestalt Psychotherapy, emphasising awareness, creativity, and relational contact. The programme develops practitioners who can work responsively and authentically with clients, drawing on the immediacy of experience and the co-created nature of the therapeutic relationship.

Students learn to work with Gestalt’s distinctive focus on the here-and-now, exploring how patterns of experience, emotion, and behaviour emerge within the therapeutic encounter. The course supports the development of a lively, embodied, and reflective clinical practice that integrates theory, creativity, and personal process.

Course Philosophy

Gestalt Psychotherapy is grounded in the belief that awareness of present experience is transformative. This course focuses on the relational and experiential aspects of therapy, encouraging students to explore how meaning and change arise through contact between therapist and client. The training fosters curiosity, openness, and creative experimentation as key aspects of Gestalt practice.

Course Modules

Supporting Information

Teaching and learning
Teaching takes place in weekend blocks and combines experiential group work, theoretical study, and skills training. Students engage in dialogue, movement, and creative exploration, integrating intellectual understanding with embodied awareness. Clinical supervision and reflective practice are woven throughout the learning process.

Assessment
Assessment is through multimedia portfolios, written assignments, skills observations, professional conversations, presentations, case studies, clinical supervision reports, and a final research project, allowing students to demonstrate integration of personal, theoretical, and clinical learning.

Clinical placement
Students are required to undertake supervised clinical placements throughout their training. These placements provide an essential context for integrating Gestalt principles into practice, supported by reflective journals and supervision.

Programme delivery
This part-time programme is studied over three years and delivered through weekend intensives in a blended format, combining in-person and online learning. The intake begins in September each year.

Alumni Path

Graduates are eligible to register with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and may practise professionally as Gestalt Psychotherapists in private practice, health, education, or community settings.

Key Contacts

Laurence Hegan

Head of Programme, MSc Gestalt Psychotherapy

Email laurence.hegan@metanoia.ac.uk

Entry Requirements

Start Your Application

For most students, the fastest route into a clinical MSc is to complete Metanoia’s Integrative Humanistic Psychotherapy Studies (UKCP Preparatory Year). Taking this route still enables you to finish the full MSc within four years.

Direct entry to an MSc is only available to applicants who meet all the following requirements:

  • The candidate has to have taken training or have experience equivalent to the Programme Learning Outcomes of our own UKCP Preparatory Year.
  • The training has to have taken place in the last four academic years prior to commencing Metanoia study i.e. 2022-2023 or more recent.
  • They need to have taken a minimum of 25 hours of personal therapy during the same period.
  • They need to have an academic qualification at QAA Level 6 or higher (or be able to demonstrate being able to work academically at QAA Level 6)
  • The candidate has to be able to secure a letter from a tutor at the training institution of their foundation study confirming they believe they are ready to begin placement. This is a separate document from their academic reference with their contact details stating who did the assessment, when the assessment took place, and within what training organisation this training and assessment take place. They therefore need to sign a proforma which states: ‘I verify that, in my professional opinion, the candidate is ready to become a Psychotherapy trainee and begin practice placement.’
NB. The candidate must meet ALL of the criteria identified above otherwise we cannot support their entry onto the MSc and they will instead be welcome to apply to the UKCP Preparatory Year, provided they have a level 5 qualification (or higher) in any subject.  

For students whose first language is not English, an IELTS score of 7.0 (with a minimum of 6.5 in each component) is required unless you have a prior higher education qualification taught in English. We also offer a supportive process to establish equivalencies in qualifications or experience (APL/APEL). If you do not easily meet our Level 6 Degree requirements, please contact us to discuss options.

Fees and Funding

Initial Fees

Annual MSc Course Fees for 2026/27

  • Year 1: £7,750
  • Year 2: £7,750
  • Year 3: £7,750

How to Apply

At Metanoia, we are committed to empowering the next generation of professionals in counselling and psychotherapy. This programme offers a unique opportunity to develop your skills and achieve your career aspirations in a supportive learning environment.

Click the button below to begin your application: