The Advanced Training modules are a result from the research focus group consisting of 6 therapists that conducted therapy with two couples each over five session. In this focus group it became clear that therapists are challenged far beyond individual therapy when they are working with couples who struggle and that being a couple therapist requires training beyond individual therapeutic trainings. This was also a finding in my literature analysis and how the recent trends point towards the need for a relational perspective to balance the therapeutic relationship.

The Advanced Training is thus constructed as a training programme aiming at qualifying practitioners from all modalities in a relational, integrative method based on Gestalt process work. Gestalt therapy is created with a relational perspective in contrast to other psychological theories that has the individual as the starting point. I found that Gestalt theory supported the process work, framing interventions in such a way that the partners in the couple acquire the resources to negotiate differences, the confluence-differentiation process, within few sessions of therapy.