Flight and migration are one of the greatest social and political challenges of our time. The INKONTAKT Gestalt Institute Berlin, founded in 2015, has devoted its attention to this topic from the very beginning. Gabriele Blankertz developed the first project “Circle of Peace”, a trauma group for Arab women, in response to the overwhelming flight movements of 2015. This project was set up in cooperation with the artist Arwa Azzouz and further developed together with Rawaa Alsamman. Both women fled Syria and are now trained in Gestalt therapy. Reflection and evaluation of our experiences led to further projects:

• Shaping Change through Dialogue – with responsibility for a common futur. 8 workshops each in 2018 and 2019.
• Dialogue – Empowerment – Integration in 2020 (funded by the Berlin Senate for 5 months).
• Circle of Peace – international online groups from 2020.
• Flight & Identity – further training in Gestalt counselling with 9 workshops (2022/23).

The positive experience in all these further education projects, which we carried out largely on a voluntary basis, encouraged Gabriele Blankertz to found an association together with participants and interested Syrians in order to have the possibility to receive donations and funding for this valuable work. In August 2023, the association “UNS e.V. – Verein für psychologische Bildung und Beratung für Migranten” was founded.

We are not only confronted with refugees from the Arab region, since 2022 many women with children and also elderly people have arrived in Germany from Ukraine. The Institute already started in March 2022 with the support of refugee Gestalt colleagues from Ukraine, who received a safe haven and collegial advice for their own therapeutic work here. The initial support group became a process group for Ukrainian colleagues.

The offers by and for refugees and migrants are part of our programme.