Training Program

Gignesthai | Hellenic Association for Existential Psychology

Integrated Training Program in Existential Counseling and Psychotherapy

Gignesthai, the Hellenic Association for Existential Psychology, as a European Accredited Psychotherapy Training Institute (EAPTI) in the Existential Approach, recognized and certified by the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP), offers an Integrated Program in Existential Counseling and Psychotherapy. The program consists of four autonomous and self-contained cycles of annual seminars which, taken together, fulfil the necessary requirements for obtaining the European Certificate of Psychotherapy (ECP) from the EAP. The purpose of the program is to provide participants who engage actively and responsibly in their training with comprehensive, integrated, and successful preparation for their future professional practice as Existential Psychotherapists. The Integrated Program in Existential Counselling and Psychotherapy is intended exclusively for final-year Psychology students and for individuals with academic backgrounds in Psychology or Psychiatry. Please note that the program is delivered entirely in Greek; therefore, a good command of the Greek language, both spoken and written, is required for participation. This ensures that trainees are able to fully engage in seminars, lectures, group discussions, and experiential exercises, all of which are conducted in Greek.

Program Objectives

To provide the theoretical foundations of the Existential approach in Psychotherapy and Counseling
To facilitate the personal and professional development of trainees through the enhancement of self-awareness, interpersonal skills, and the personal integration of core existential concepts
To create a framework in which trainees can explore and further develop their own approach to Existential Psychotherapeutic and Counseling practice

Program Structure

The Integrated Program in Existential Counseling and Psychotherapy is designed in accordance with the standards and requirements of the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP). It consists of four autonomous and self-contained cycles of annual seminars which, taken together, fulfil the necessary requirements for obtaining the European Certificate of Psychotherapy (ECP) from the EAP.
At the end of each cycle, participants are assessed by their teachers and supervisors. Progression to the subsequent cycle is not automatic and depends not only on the participant’s academic progress, but also on their personal development, commitment, and attendance throughout the program.

Upon completion of the first three cycles of seminars, participants may submit the necessary documentation for approval and recognition as Mental Health Counsellors by the Hellenic Association for Counselling (HAC), as the program fulfils all of its requirements. Upon completion of all four cycles of seminars, and having completed all the required hours of theoretical training and practical training, as well as having submitted all required assignments, together with all the hours of personal therapy, clinical practice, and clinical supervision specified below, participants may submit the necessary documentation for approval and recognition as Existential Psychotherapists by the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP).

Attendance Days and Hours

Attendance in the Integrated Program in Existential Counseling and Psychotherapy is mandatory, and recordings of the sessions, either video or audio, are not provided. The program takes place once a week on a different day for each cycle of participation. The program also includes a two-day seminar each month, with each seminar focusing on a different topic. The exact dates of all the above sessions are announced to participants at the beginning of the program.

Experiential Seminar Outside Athens

The Integrated Program in Existential Counselling and Psychotherapy includes a three-day experiential seminar held outside Athens each academic year, which requires the participation of all program participants. The seminar is attended by participants from all cycles of the annual seminar program. The three-day Experiential Seminar takes place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, usually in the spring of each year, and the exact dates are announced at the beginning of each academic year, immediately after the official schedule of the program is released.

Personal Development

In addition to their participation in the core requirements of the Integrated Program in Existential Counselling and Psychotherapy, participants in the program are encouraged to attend related seminars from other psychotherapeutic approaches as part of their continuing education and professional training. A necessary prerequisite for the certification of participants as existential psychotherapists by the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP) with the ECP certificate is also the completion of the following hours:

250 hours of personal therapy, of which two thirds (2/3) must be derived from individual or group psychotherapy with a certified therapist of the existential approach. Previous hours of therapy or therapy from other approaches are recognized up to one third (1/3). It is very important that personal therapy begins as early as possible, preferably from the first cycle of seminars, as it constitutes a particularly critical factor in personal development and significantly supports the learning process of specialization.
300 hours of clinical practice with collaborating institutions during the program or up to two years after its completion (36 hours of practical experience are fulfilled through work with volunteers, across the four cycles). The commencement of clinical practice takes place in the third year of the program and requires the approval of the institution by the administration of Gignesthai. Private cases may be included in clinical practice, but only up to 40 hours of therapeutic work, accompanied by corresponding supervision, maintaining the exact ratio defined by the EAP (1 hour of supervision for every 2 sessions). Finally, up to 70 hours of practice undertaken at institutions prior to the commencement of the program may be recognized, provided that they are accompanied by the corresponding supervision, in accordance with the exact ratio specified by the EAP.
150 hours of clinical supervision (36 hours of supervision are fulfilled through work with volunteers, across the four cycles). Clinical supervision may be provided either within the framework of the clinical practice itself, privately, or through a combination of both (if the institution or framework does not provide the exact required ratio of hours).

Previous hours of therapy, clinical practice experience, and supervision may be recognized upon submission of relevant certificates from the corresponding institutions and following their approval by the administration.

Program Philosophy – A Brief Overview

Comprehensive and intensive training in all essential psychotherapeutic skills
Study and familiarization with all fundamental aspects of the existential approach, including Existential Philosophers, Existential Therapists, and key Existential themes
Utilization of art as a therapeutic factor

Training in Psychotherapeutic Skills

A significant part of the Integrated Training Program in Existential Counseling and Psychotherapy involves teaching and applying the various skills utilized by psychotherapists, regardless of their theoretical orientation. These include all the competencies that create a safe therapeutic frame, ensure ethical standards are met, and allow the therapist to listen effectively to the client. These skills and knowledge provide the foundational training of the student, preparing them to stand alongside clients in a therapeutic and beneficial manner. They are always based on the best practices set forth in the codes of ethics of the Hellenic Society for Psychotherapy (EEΨE), the Hellenic Psychological Society (EΨE), the Hellenic Society for Counselling (EEΣ), and the Federation for Existential Therapy in Europe (FETE), while incorporating the latest findings from scientific research.

Training in Existential Psychotherapy

Gignesthai, the Hellenic Society for Existential Psychology, believes that there is no single way to become an existential psychotherapist. Students are first equipped with the foundational skills of counseling and psychotherapy, and then introduced to existential psychology in all its breadth. They are gradually encouraged to develop their own personal approach to practice. To achieve this goal, training at Gignesthai is based on the following core pillars of Existential Psychology:

Pillar One | Existential Philosophers
The existential approach to psychotherapy is largely grounded in philosophy. Thus, during the program, participants will be invited to become familiar with the thinking of key philosophers associated with existentialism. Notable figures include Soren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Simone de Beauvoir, and others.

Pillar Two | Existential Psychotherapists
Participants in the program will have the opportunity to become acquainted with nearly all of the most significant existential psychotherapists, both historical and contemporary. This acquaintance is facilitated through their published books and articles, as well as through the study of audiovisual materials, such as videos or therapy demonstrations. Whenever possible, we also strive to invite prominent existential psychotherapists to Greece, so that participants can engage directly with their work through presentations and experiential seminars.

Pillar Three | Existential Themes
Existential themes are those topics that recur throughout the extensive literature of both existential psychology and existential philosophy. Themes such as freedom, responsibility, meaning-making, mortality, existential anxiety, existential guilt, thrownness, the life drive, and many others are studied throughout the program. The aim is to familiarize participants with these issues both experientially, as part of their personal development, and theoretically, as part of their technical training in the art of psychotherapy.

Pillar Four | Phenomenology
Phenomenology underpins much of existential philosophy and psychology. It is systematically integrated into the training, offering students a new way of perceiving both the world and the client, beyond conventional interpretations.

Pillar Five | Art and Existentialism
Existential approaches often find their richest expression through experiential engagement with art. At Gignesthai, art is used both as a powerful medium for exploring existential themes and as a unique opportunity for personal growth.

Program Entry Requirements

Psychology or Psychiatry Studies

The Integrated Program in Existential Counselling and Psychotherapy is intended exclusively for final-year Psychology students and for individuals with academic backgrounds in Psychology or Psychiatry.

Professional Biography

It may include references to your undergraduate and, if applicable, postgraduate studies, your work experience, and possibly a brief summary of skills and personal qualities that you feel best characterize you.

Application of Interest

A letter (approximately 200 words) describing your personal reasons for wishing to pursue existential training in Psychotherapy and Counseling.

Two Recommendation Letters

Letters can be provided by former or current professors, psychotherapists, supervisors, or employers. They should offer a written assessment of your abilities, knowledge, skills, and personal qualities that are relevant to your studies in this program.

Individual Interview

Interviews with applicants wishing to participate in the Integrated Program in Existential Counseling and Psychotherapy are conducted throughout the year by the Gignesthai administration. Prior to the interview, however, prospective participants are required to express their interest by email and submit a recent CV to: info@gignesthai.gr

Application for Participation

By submitting this Application for Participation, applicants confirm their intention to enroll at Gignesthai and participate in the Integrated Program in Existential Counseling and Psychotherapy.

Process for Participation

Those interested in participating in the program are required to express their interest by initially sending a recent curriculum vitae via email to: info@gignesthai.gr and subsequently contacting us at one of the following telephone numbers: +30 697 7407505 or +30 210 8085712.

Academic Year 2026/2027

In the following link, you can find detailed dates and times of the program for the current academic year.

1st and 2nd Seminar Cycles

FOUNDATIONAL TRAINING

Educational two-day workshops
70 hours per cycle
Therapeutic skills study group
72 hours per cycle
Educational plenaries
16 hours per cycle
Experiential seminar outside Athens
20 hours per cycle
Practice with volunteers
6 hours per cycle
Supervision of practice with volunteers
6 hours per per cycle
Group supervision
16 hours per cycle

Total hours: 412

3rd and 4th Seminar Cycles

CLINICAL TRAINING

Educational two-day workshops
70 hours per cycle
Therapeutic skills study group
72 hours per cycle
Educational plenaries
16 hours per cycle
Experiential seminar outside Athens
20 hours per cycle
Practice with volunteers
12 hours per cycle
Supervision of practice with volunteers
12 hours per cycle
Group supervision
16 hours per cycle

Total hours: 436

Personal Development

DURING THE ENTIRE PROGRAM

Total hours: 700

Degree Certification

Upon the successful completion of the first three cycles of the Integrated Program in Existential Counseling and Psychotherapy, and having fulfilled the academic requirements applicable to their prior degree, as well as the requirements concerning work with clients, supervision, and personal therapy stipulated by the Hellenic Association for Counselling (ΕΕΣ), participants in the program may submit the appropriate application to the ΕΕΣ for recognition of their qualification as Mental Health Counsellors.

Upon the successful completion of the fourth cycle of the Integrated Program in Existential Counseling and Psychotherapy, and having fulfilled all the necessary requirements concerning work with clients, supervision, and personal therapy stipulated by the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP) and the Hellenic Association for Psychotherapy (EEΨE), participants may submit an application for recognition of their qualification as Psychotherapists and obtain the European Certificate of Psychotherapy (ECP) from the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP).