How This Work Differs
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PsychotherapyWorks for the person, with single accountability and no system mandate.
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Executive PsychotherapyWorks for the person, holds the organizational field in awareness, and explicitly does not intervene in the system.
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Gestalt Work in Organizations (GPO)Works for the organization, with dual accountability and an explicit mandate to intervene in the system.
What’s the difference — and why it matters
Senior leaders often encounter different forms of Gestalt-based work: psychotherapy, executive psychotherapy, and Gestalt work in organisations. While they may sound similar, they are fundamentally different in purpose, accountability, and method.
This page clarifies those differences so you can choose the form of work that fits your situation.
1. Psychotherapy (general public)
Who it is for
Psychotherapy works for the person as a person.
Accountability
Single accountability — to the client only.
How the system is treated
Work, family, and social systems are explored as part of the client’s lived experience. They are context, not targets of intervention.
What this means in practice
Psychotherapy focuses on:
emotional and bodily experience
personal history as it manifests now
relationships as lived internally
symptoms, patterns, and meaning
There is no requirement to consider power, authority, or downstream consequences in organisations. The broader system remains in the background unless the client brings it to the foreground.
In short
Psychotherapy supports personal psychological change, without holding responsibility for organisational impact.
2. Gestalt Practitioners in Organizations (GPO)
Gestalt work in organisations is defined and regulated within the framework of the European Association of Gestalt Therapy and is not psychotherapy.
Who it is for
GPO works for the organisation or client system (which may include individuals, teams, or the organisation as a whole).
Accountability
Dual accountability:
to the client (individual or team)
to the sponsor or organisation commissioning the work
How the system is treated
The organisation is figural. The practitioner has an explicit mandate to intervene in the system.
What this means in practice
GPO work may include:
leadership development
team facilitation
organisational consulting
coaching or training
The practitioner is authorised to:
surface hidden dynamics
challenge structures
design or influence organisational processes
Psychotherapy is explicitly excluded unless separately contracted and ethically justified.
In short
GPO intervenes in organisations, with shared accountability and an explicit mandate to act on the system.
3. Executive Psychotherapy
Executive psychotherapy sits between psychotherapy and organisational work — but it is neither a hybrid nor a compromise.
It is a distinct model.
Who it is for
Executive psychotherapy works for the person — the CEO or senior leader — not for the organization.
Accountability
Single accountability:
to the individual client only
no sponsor
no reporting line
no organizational mandate
How the system is treated
The organizational context is figural, but not acted upon. This is the key distinction.
What this means in practice
In executive psychotherapy:
the leader’s role, power, and responsibility are fully acknowledged
organisational dynamics are held in awareness
consequences and influence are understood
At the same time:
the therapist does not advise, intervene, or act on the organisation
the work remains psychotherapeutic, not consultative
all decisions stay with the client
In short
Executive psychotherapy is individual psychotherapy conducted in a figural organisational field, under a single-client contract, with an explicit commitment not to intervene in the system.
Why this distinction matters
Senior leaders often ask:
Is this coaching?
Is this consulting?
Is this therapy — and if so, for whom?
The answer depends on three axes:
| Dimension | Psychotherapy | Executive Psychotherapy | GPO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it works for | Person | Person | Organization |
| Accountability | Single | Single | Dual |
| System mandate | Background | Held, not acted on | Actively intervened in |
Executive psychotherapy is designed for leaders who:
want depth, not advice
need clarity without organizational agendas
require a space free of sponsors, KPIs, and performance mandates
A final word
Executive psychotherapy is not “therapy for CEOs” in a superficial sense.
It is a deliberately constrained, ethically precise form of work that recognizes the realities of leadership while protecting the autonomy of the person.
That constraint — holding the system clearly while refusing to act on it — is what makes this work both demanding and valuable.
Beginning an Engagement
Start with a private consultation (50 minutes) to clarify context, boundaries, and fit, then decide whether to continue.
