Ethical Policies

The Graduate Diploma of Gestalt Therapy combines theory, skills development and personal awareness work.

Personal awareness work is undertaken through the following forms:

• individual personal counselling
• the experiential component of group, pair and triad work
• essays which require personal experience
• peer supervision groups
• tutorials

This component of the course involves the revelation of personal information which may be of a sensitive nature.

All care is taken to ensure that such information is to be treated by all staff and students:

• with complete confidentiality
• with appropriate respect

Staff ensure that such personal disclosure is met with:

• appropriate levels of support
• an understanding that a student can stop at any time
• a understanding that the student is in complete control of how much they choose to reveal

Within the scope of this policy, written work is received, processed, and returned in such a way as to maintain privacy and ensure confidentiality.

The GANZ ethical code provides a backdrop to all activities of the Institute, its staff and students. Click here to view the code.

 

Ethical Review of Research involving Humans  

The Review Process  

East Coast Gestalt has Human Research and Ethics committee which both develops policy and vets both academic and student activity.

This committee considers research protocol applications in addition to policy development specific to the usual types of   research protocols considered by them.

Risk  

Level of risk should be identified by the researchers when submitting   proposals for review using the categorization system as required on  the standard ethics application form.

Students submissions   

It is the student's responsibility to become acquainted with the review process  and any specific requirements of submission  (eg closing dates, number of copies)   

Click here to see the ethical research policy statements, here to go to the Ethical clearance application form, and here to view a document by the National Health and Medical Research Council outlinng the ethical issues pertaining to research. You can also find here an overview of ethical considerations.

Statement of adherence to Ethical Principles  

Participant Information Sheets should contain the following statement:  

"This study has been cleared in accordance with the ethical review   guidelines and processes of East Coast Gestalt. These   guidelines are endorsed by the Human Research and Ethics Committee. You are free to discuss your   participation in this study with project staff (contactable on   .......................). If you would like to speak to an officer of East Coast Gestalt   not involved in the study, you may contact the Campus Ethics Officer on  (telephone number)

Submission of Applications within SMMS  

The original signed application plus two (2) copies should be lodged with the   Campus Manager, Academic and Research Support marked for the attention of  the East Coast Gestalt Human Research and Ethics Committee. Application may be made at any time.  Processing of applications will normally occur with four (4) weeks from  submission.  

Administrative requirements  

It is required that copies of the ethics application and subsequent correspondence be kept by the campus as a record of the process, i.e.:    

• the original application form  
• list of issues raised by the reviewers/ethics officer  
• responses by student  
• approval form (with any conditions if necessary)  
• reports of any adverse events: the researcher must advise of this  immediately.  They can do this either by letter, or by using the Incident  Report Form
• If some correspondence is verbal, then a diary note of any important  points     

Granting of Approval  

All applicants will be notified of the outcome of the review process in writing   using the approved form.