A group of psychotherapists form Krakow establishes at the Polish Psychological Association, a Workshop of Practical Psychological Skills. This workshop is one of the firsts units conducting economic activity in the area of psychotherapy and trainings. In 1988 the Workshops turns into the Gestalt Centre.

In 1991 the team of the Gestalt centre establishes the Polish Association of Psychologists Practitioners. The Association develops dynamically in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, the Batory Foundation, PHARE Foundation, In 1995 a branch in Krakow of the Polish Association of Psychologists Practitioners is created. As a branch of the association with a legal entity is still a self financing company. Since then it has widened its offer by training in business. The Institute maintains this legal status up till now. After two-year negotiations, analysis of training programs, verification of our work and qualifications the Institute became a full member of International Federation of Gestalt Training Organizations (FORGE). Since that time our certificates are recognized by this international Gestalt organization. Two departments are opened: HR department (Gestalt Personnel) and department for cooperation with education, local self-governments and NGOs. Our therapists participate in an international internship for therapists in France organized by the Gestalt School in Gestalt.

Since 2001 the Institute has become a full member in EAGT - European Association for Gestalt Therapy. It was a sign of appreciation from a significant European forum of our services and trainings, hence the value of our certificates has increased. On 25 December Jacek Pierzchała - the institute director - died. It was a great loss for Polish psychotherapy.

In July 2002 the institute organizes a world FORGE conference in Krakow. The main subject is working standards of a Gestalt therapist. Foreign representatives of Gestalt institutes express their appreciation for our professionalism. The President of the Board Magdalena Zaleska - Stolzman participates in the Extended Board in Vienna in the works on the Ethical Code of EAGT and on the elections of new authorities. Since August a new seat of the association is located at. Ul. Gwarna 2a. Michelle Combeau becomes an external supervisor of the Institute.

In 2003 a new Board is elected: Katarzyna Węglorz - Makuch (the president), Beata Leśniak and Tomasz Rebeta. Michele Combeau and Katarzyna Węglorz - Makuch conducted the first Polish - French therapeutic group for professionals.
Magdalena Zaleska - Stolzman participates in the world conference of FORGE in Malta. Katarzyna Węglorz - Makuch and Adam Stanclik conduct a workshop during an international IPSCAN Conference under the auspices of Jolanta Kwaśniewska. Tomasz Rebeta and Joanna Markin conduct a workshop during the 3rd Meeting in St. Petersburg organized by the Gestalt Therapy Institute in St. Petersburg. Magdalena Zaleska participates in the EAGT meeting concerning the issues of the Ethical Code for psychotherapists. We start our cooperation with the Gestalt Offices, gathering graduates from the Gestalt School for Trainers and Therapists.

In 2004 Katarzyna Węglorz - Makuch becomes a member of the presidium of the Polish Psychological Association. We start cooperation with the Polish Institute of Brief Therapy. Peter Schulthess, the Chair of the Training Standard Commission, has a visitation in the Institute. He checks the congruity of our training curriculum for psychotherapists with the EAGT standards and its quality. As an EAGT member we periodically undergo evaluation of this organization. The visitation confirms a good quality of our work and high standards. We start cooperation with training centers and conducting psychotherapeutic activity in order to create a national umbrella organization for Gestaltists - Polish Association for Gestalt Psychotherapy. In September the delegation from the Institute (12 people) participates in the 8th European Conference for Gestalt Therapy in Prague. Katarzyna Węglorz - Makuch, Beata Leśniak, Tomasz Rebeta and Krzysztof Papis conduct during the European Conference for Gestalt Therapy in Prague a workshop "Cultural roots and contact "here and now" in Gestalt therapy". The Institute participates in the FORGE meeting , which took place on 9 September during the conference in Prague. The Institute becomes one of the initiators of the creation of the Polish Federation for Psychotherapy..

Year 2005 is an important year for the Institute and Polish psychotherapy. We intensively cooperate with the Health Ministry on the amendments to the Law on the profession of a psychologist and professional self-government.
Beata Leśniak participates as an expert in the works of a parliamentary sub commission for the examination of the draft of the amendments to the Law on the profession of a psychologist and professional self-government. Our proposals to distinguish psychotherapy as a separate profession and to abolish punishment for non-psychologists are definitely blocked by the representatives of the Polish Psychiatric and Psychological Associations.
In our Institute we welcome therapists from abroad. They conduct the following workshops Daan van Baalen "Diagnosis in Gestalt" and Brigitte Guedon "Mask and person", Dick Lompa conducted a therapeutic workshop.
The Institute co-organizes I Congress of the Polish Federation for Psychotherapy in Krakow. Professor Alfred Pritz, a Secretary General of the European Association for Psychotherapy, is our guest at the Congress.
Polish Association for the Gestalt Psychotherapy is registered. The founding members of the association are the representatives of the Gestalt Therapy Institute, Institute of Integral Gestalt Psychotherapy, Centre for Gestalt Therapy and Development in Warsaw, Centre of Psychotherapy and Psychoeducation in Wroclaw, graduates from Gestalt School for Trainers and Psychotherapists at the Institute. The members' meeting elects the Board: Chairman - Ewa Canert Łąka from the Institute, Vice- Chairman Katarzyna Węglorz - Makuch from the Institute, Vice-Chairman Zofia Pierzchała , the director of the Institute for Integral Gestalt Therapy, General Secretary - Maria Wilamowska, director of the Centre for Gestalt Therapy and Development in Warsaw, Treasurer Krzysztof Papis - leader for the Centre for Psychotherapy and Psychoeducation Gestalt in Wroclaw.
At the Institute Katarzyna Węglorz - Makuch and Agnes Julien (France) together conduct a therapeutic bodywork training.
The Institute representatives: Katarzyna Węglorz - Makuch, Magdalena Zaleska - Stolzman, Tomasz Rebeta and Agnieszka Kaflińska take part in the 9th Word FORGE Conference in St. Petersburg.
The Institute representatives Katarzyna Węglorz - Makuch and Agnieszka Kaflińska take part in the 13th EAP Congress in Vilnius.
Tomasz Rebeta conducts a therapeutic workshop in Rambouillet in France. Katarzyna Węglorz - Makuch takes part in social consultations at the Health Ministry.
In London Ewa Canert - Łąka participates in the Extended Board of EAGT. The Israeli Association for Gestalt Therapy organizes a seminar in Turkey "Similarities and Differences" - Ewa Canert - Łąka participates in it.
We accelerate our activities to postpone entry into force of "Law on the profession of psychologist" Polish Federation for Psychotherapy, Gestalt Therapy Institute, Polish Institute for Brief Psychotherapy, Polish Association for Gestalt Psychotherapy together act for the amendment in a faulty act.
In Budapest the EAP Board meeting takes place with the participation of Katarzyna Węglorz - Makuch and Agnieszka Kaflińska.
In Krakow the 1st Congress of the Polish Association for Gestalt Psychotherapy takes place. The Polish Association for Gestalt Psychotherapy grants its honorary membership to Peter Schulthess. The Sigmund Freud University opens in Vienna. Radosław Bałaj represents us and the Polish Federation for Psychotherapy during the opening ceremony.
Katarzyna Węglorz - Makuch conducts a next bodywork workshop.

The year 2006 is the year when the Gestalt Therapy Institute receives an EAGT certification and accreditation as EAPTI. Katarzyna Węglorz - Makuch, Ewa Canert - Łąka and Beata Leśniak participate actively in the legislative works concerning the profession of psychotherapist.