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Ethics & Professional Conduct

The SBG is committed to supporting its members in a practice that advocates for the strict respect of the preservation and protection of fundamental human rights, in their (future) practice of Gestalt, as guaranteed by the Belgian Constitution, and specifically included in its Ethical Charter and Code of Professional Conduct.

Gestalt is an integrative approach that falls within the stream of humanistic and experiential therapies.

Objective & Function


The objective of the research on ethics and professional conduct is to aim for a common ethics that guarantees a reliable framework for Gestalt practices.

Its function is to nourish the reflection of SBG members starting from the questions arising from daily practice in order to develop a professional approach that guarantees an ethical practice of Gestalt.

This reflection includes the revision of the Ethical Charter and the Code of Professional Conduct and also concerns the functioning of the Appeals Commission.

The SBG has chosen to opt for the generic use of the feminine for all mentioned roles, in order to avoid the heaviness of inclusive writing while ensuring an equal value *. 

Missions


The missions of the SBG in the fields of ethics and professional conduct are:

  • To stimulate reflection and research in the field of ethics and professional conduct.
  • Answering members' questions in this area. If necessary, a think tank will be set up to study a specific issue.
  • The receipt of a complaint made by a client against a practitioner is part of the tasks of the Ethics and Deontology Department. The procedure for receiving and processing a complaint is presented in the Internal Rules and Regulations (ROI) of the SBG.
  • When a difficulty arises, a Conciliation Commission (CdC) will be established with the task of managing a complaint or proposing a space to hear disputes between members. It aims to be a listening chamber and a space for developing a request. The terms of its operation are described in the ROI.

Membership Charter


The membership charter of the Belgian Society of Gestalt (SBG) was adopted at the General Assembly on 9 October 2022.
This document was developed by a research and reflection group, in consultation and with the participation of members of the Board and the think tanks on the restructuring of the statutes and the Internal Rules and Regulations (ROI). As the field of mental health is constantly evolving, this document will be reviewed and amended whenever necessary.

Consult the membership charter   

Its members


  • members of the SBG
  • members of another association of Gestalt practitioners
  • practitioners from other schools of psychotherapy
  • external resource persons to the SBG

Consult the list of members   

Its action


  • in the event of a problematic situation that is submitted to it concerning a practice of Gestalt, to offer the parties requesting it a space to be heard and possibly mediation
  • to establish and apply its intervention modalities as outlined in the Internal Rules and Regulations