Leading with Presence: Why More Leaders Are Turning to Gestalt Coach Training

Leadership, in recent years, has asked more of us than ever before. Whether you’re navigating your team through rapid change, holding space for uncertainty, or working to inspire others without burning out yourself, it can often feel like you’re being stretched in every direction. Many leaders are discovering that what’s needed isn’t more management tools, but a deeper capacity for presence, awareness, and relational depth. This is where Gestalt coaching can help.

At Kinharvie, we’ve been delivering our Gestalt Coach Training Programme since 2014. While it attracts a diverse range of participants, many of those who join us are in senior leadership roles—Chief Executives, Directors, Heads of Service—often in the charity or public sectors. These leaders are seeking something more than traditional professional development. They’re looking for an approach that allows them to better support their people, particularly through times of transition, complexity, or potential burnout.

Coaching as a Leadership Capacity

What if coaching wasn’t just a skill, but a way of leading?

Gestalt coaching offers an experiential and holistic approach that supports leaders to expand their self-awareness, stay grounded in the moment, and respond more creatively to the challenges they face. Rather than offering quick fixes or advice, Gestalt coaches learn to tune into what is emerging in the present—what’s being said and what’s left unsaid, shifts in energy or tone, or the subtle dynamics at play within a conversation. This form of coaching is especially powerful for leaders looking to:

• Support others’ growth and development
• Facilitate meaningful conversations about change
• Navigate uncertainty with authenticity and calm
• Move beyond ‘problem-solving’ into insight and transformation

One past participant shared:

“Kinharvie’s Gestalt Coach Training has been transformational for me—in my work, life, leadership, and coaching. It took me out of my comfort zone and gave me the theory, practice, and support to see my role differently and refocus on what I needed to be an effective leader and coach.

A Pathway for What Comes Next

We also meet leaders who are preparing for the next chapter in their career—often retirement or semi-retirement. For them, Gestalt coaching offers not only a way to support others, but a meaningful vocation they can grow into. Many have told us that learning to coach the Gestalt way has reconnected them with their purpose.

Our ICF-accredited Gestalt Coach Training Programme provides a comprehensive foundation for those wishing to bring coaching into their leadership or pursue it as a profession. The programme includes two modules:

• Foundation Module (6 days) – A grounding in coaching skills and Gestalt principles, with practical experience in contracting, attending, awareness raising, coaching for change, and working with resistance.
• Advanced Module (3 days) – Builds on the foundation with more complex skills like embodied presence, working with metaphor, and using experiments to deepen awareness.

For those seeking ICF credentialing, we also offer Mentor Coaching and a clear pathway toward the ICF Level 1 Completion certificate.

Lead with Greater Awareness

If you’re a leader who wants to be more than just effective—if you want to be fully present, grounded, and capable of supporting others through complexity—Gestalt coaching might be the approach you’ve been looking for.

How can I sign up?

Sign up for the programme here. 

Why not join our next Taster session?

Our next two-hour Introduction to Gestalt Coaching taster will be delivered online on Monday 4th August. Sign up now and learn more about coaching with a Gestalt approach.

Contact Us

If you want to learn more about Kinharvie’s Gestalt Coach Training programme read our recent FAQ blog or click here to get in touch.