The Istituto di Gestalt was founded in July 1979 by Giovanni Salonia and Margherita Spagnuolo Lobb. It was the first School of Gestalt Therapy Training in Italy. It has made a significant contribution to the development of this psychotherapeutic method in Italy and is now internationally recognized for its original theoretical development of the principles of Gestalt therapy, especially in hermeneutic terms, i.e. in terms of ongoing dialog with the demands of the society in which we live.

From the beginning the Institute was in constant touch with the founders of Gestalt Therapy, Isadore From and Jim Simkin, who were then still alive. Exchanges in the teaching and scientific fields have also been established with the most distinguished of the second-generation Gestalt therapists, Joseph Zinker, Erving Polster, Miriam Polster, Sonia March Nevis, Ed Nevis, Richard Kitzler, Michael Vincent Miller, Ed Lynch and others.

From 1982 to 1999 the Institute has trained around 500 students, running 24 four-years Training Programs (in Venice, Rome, Naples, Palermo and Ragusa/Siracusa), as well as various two-years specialization programs (for therapy with  seriously disturbed patients, with couples and  families; trainings for trainers).

The Istituto di Gestalt is a full member of the following associations:

• F.I.S.I.G. (Federazione Italiana Scuole e Istituti Gestalt)
• S.I.P.G. (Società Italiana Psicoterapia Gestalt)
• E.A.G.T. (European Association for Gestalt Therapy)

Exchanges in the teaching and scientific fields are also mantained with the following Centers and Institutes:

• New York Institute for Gestalt Therapy, New York, U.S.A.
• A.A.G.T. (Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy)
• Institut Français Gestalt-Therapie, Bordeaux, Francia (dir. Jean Marie Robine)
• Institut für Gestalttherapie, Düsseldorf, Germania (dir. Bertram Müller)
• Gestalt Training Center, San Diego, U.S.A. (dir. Proff. Erving e Miriam Polster)
• Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.
• Institute for Gestalt Therapy, Boston (dir. Michael Vincent Miller)
• I.G.T.A. (International Gestalt Therapy Association)
• E.A.P. (European Association for Psychotherapy)
  

The School's scientific contributions have been internationally recognized and have been published in  U.S.A., German, British, French and Polish journals.

Since 1993 the School has been a member of a European research group which runs the Advanced European Research Program in Gestalt Therapy.

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