Research on the working conditions of Ukrainian Gestalt Therapists

Methods and Organization of the Study

Between June 19 and July 15, 2024, an online survey was conducted with the participation of 194 respondents using Google Forms. The respondents identified themselves as practicing Gestalt therapists (either in training or graduates). The survey was conducted in Ukrainian and targeted Gestalt therapists of Ukrainian origin residing in Ukraine or abroad. Participants included therapists from various institutions, of different ages and genders, and with diverse levels of experience.

Special thanks are extended to the National Association of Gestalt Therapists of Ukraine (NAGTU) and the Kyiv Gestalt University (KGU) for sharing information about this study on their official social media platforms and assisting in recruiting respondents.

The study was conducted by:

• Oleksii Vinogradov (organization, management of the study, survey implementation, and article writing),

• Olha Sikorska (questionnaire development),

• Pylyp Dukhlii (consultative participation).

  
  

The online survey involved 194 participants, of whom 87% were women and 13% were men. Among the respondents, 138 people (71%) permanently reside in Ukraine, while 56 (29%) live abroad. Of those living in Ukraine:

• 49% (68 participants) reside in Kyiv,

• 19% (26 participants) live in regional centers,

• 26% (36 participants) live in other cities,

• 6% (8 participants) live in villages or small urban-type settlements.

  
  

Among those residing abroad, only 20% lived there before the full-scale invasion, while 80% relocated abroad after the start of the big war in 2022.

The majority of respondents hold higher education degrees (99%), with 6% also holding academic degrees and 1% having secondary education. Regarding academic psychological education, 10% of respondents do not have it, 78% have completed it, and 12% are in the process of obtaining it.

In terms of marital status:

• 74% of Gestalt therapists are either married (52%) or in civil partnerships (22%).

Gestalt-Therapeutic Education and Certification Levels

Regarding Gestalt-therapeutic education and certification levels, the analysis revealed that the majority of participants (30%) are currently studying at the second stage of gestalt-therapy. This indicates that these professionals possess foundational knowledge of psychological counseling and psychotherapy using the Gestalt approach, as well as the necessary skills to organize therapeutic sessions (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Certification Level of Gestalt Therapists

Only 1% of respondents reported completing or currently studying at the 1st level of Gestalt therapist training.

Among specialists:

• 21% have completed the 2nd level of Gestalt therapist training and are certified as Gestalt therapists;

• 19% have completed the 2nd level of Gestalt therapist training but are not certified as Gestalt therapists;

• 10% are currently studying at the 3rd level;

• 15% have completed the 3rd level and are certified as supervisors;

• Only 2% have completed the 3rd level of training but are not certified as supervisors.

Additionally, 37% of respondents indicated that they have at least one additional psychotherapeutic education in another psychotherapeutic method, and 6% are in the process of obtaining it.

Research Results

Let us begin with the analysis of the session duration conducted by Gestalt therapists. Most respondents indicated that their sessions last either 50 minutes (45%) or 60 minutes (40%), while 15% reported a session duration of 55 minutes. Interestingly, the analysis revealed that therapists conducting 50-minute sessions tend to earn more for their services compared to those who allocate more time per session.

Regarding the format of their work, 73% of therapists reported working either entirely online (43%) or predominantly online (30%). Furthermore, 92% of respondents stated that they provide individual psychotherapy, while 8% of Gestalt therapists do not provide individual psychotherapeutic consultations (likely engaging in group work or other psychotherapeutic services) (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. Types of Services Provided by Gestalt Therapists

Among the respondents, 22% provide individual supervision, 40% conduct couples therapy, and only 11% work with children. Additionally, 36% of respondents work with groups (24% lead therapeutic groups, 8% lead supervision groups, 11% conduct basic training groups, and 7% lead specialization groups).

58% of therapists, apart from their primary work, also provide individual psychotherapy at discounted rates. Accordingly, 42% do not offer discounted services.

In studying the working conditions of Gestalt therapists, it is important to consider their ability to restore their resources, specifically their internal need to receive psychological services through individual or group psychotherapy.

90% of respondents indicated that they had visited a personal psychotherapist in the last three months, with the majority attending once a week (70%). On average, therapists pay UAH 1,600 ($40) for personal therapy, which is higher than the average fee they charge for their own sessions (UAH 1,200 or $30).

Additionally, individual supervision is also frequently attended—86% of respondents had attended supervision in the last three months. Most commonly, these sessions are held twice a month (55%). On average, supervision costs therapists UAH 1,800 ($45), which is higher than the average fee they charge for providing supervision themselves (UAH 1,500 or $38).

The survey results show that the number of clients a Gestalt therapist has does not depend on whether they visit their personal therapist or supervisor. However, the quality of work is likely to differ significantly. A characteristic feature of this sample is that those who attend personal therapy tend to earn less per month on average (UAH 45,000 or $1,125) than those who do not (UAH 60,000 or $1,500). This is an interesting finding that requires further study. As for session fees, the data shows that therapists attending personal therapy earn the same per session (UAH 1,200 or $30) as those who do not, while those who do not attend supervision earn less per session (UAH 1,000 or $25) than those who do (UAH 1,200 or $30). It was also found that therapists attending supervision earn significantly more per month (UAH 50,000 or $1,250) than those who do not (UAH 35,000 or $875). This is likely due to supervision positively impacting work quality, resulting in more clients booking sessions with such therapists.

In terms of fees for Gestalt therapists (male and female), it should be noted that all amounts in the survey were indicated in Ukrainian hryvnias. For convenience, we will provide both the original amounts in hryvnias and their approximate value in US dollars (based on an exchange rate of 40 UAH = $1). This ensures that the data remains relevant if the exchange rate changes. Additionally, many psychotherapists tie their consultation fees to the dollar or euro.

The average income of surveyed psychotherapists is UAH 49,500 ($1,240). 50% of respondents reported earning between UAH 20,000 ($500) and UAH 86,000 ($2,150). This total income includes all types of earnings from psychotherapeutic activities, both individual and group. Most respondents (73%) indicated that psychotherapy is their primary source of income.

We also determined the average fees for individual consultations among Gestalt therapists:

• The average fee for an individual psychotherapy session (excluding discounted slots) is UAH 1,200 ($30), with therapists conducting an average of 10 sessions per week.

• Supervision sessions are more expensive, averaging UAH 1,500 ($38), with therapists providing two sessions per week on average.

• Couples therapy costs UAH 2,150 ($54) per session and is typically conducted once a week, lasting 90 minutes.

• Child psychotherapy costs UAH 950 ($24) for a 50-minute session, with therapists providing an average of two sessions per week. Interestingly, child psychotherapy is cheaper than individual therapy for adults, and relatively few therapists (11%) work with children. This suggests that child psychotherapy is not as popular and may require further study and development.

We studied the remuneration for conducting group sessions. It was established that the amount earned for a specific group depends on numerous factors, such as the group fee, its duration, the number of participants, whether the group is conducted with a co-therapist, whether there are expenses for advertising or office rental, and so on. Therefore, our questions did not aim to study all these influencing factors. Instead, the focus was on how much a Gestalt therapist earns for conducting one specific group.

The average income was calculated among respondents who provide the services listed below:

• 35% of respondents (69 people) indicated that they conduct group psychotherapeutic activities, and 24% of specialists run therapeutic groups.

• For one therapeutic group session, a Gestalt therapist earns an average of 3,500 UAH ($88), conducting three group sessions per month.

Regarding supervision groups, 10% of respondents conduct them. The group leader earns an average of 6,000 UAH ($150) per session, conducting two groups per month.

Trainers conducting basic training groups earn an average of 30,000 UAH ($750) per group, holding approximately 1.5 groups per month (these groups are usually two- or three-day sessions). Such groups are conducted by 11% of Gestalt therapists. In this study, basic training refers to working with groups at levels 1, 2, and 3 of Gestalt therapy certification. It was also noted that earnings from groups of different levels can vary significantly.

Thematic specialized groups for training in Gestalt therapy ("specializations") bring the highest earnings—39,000 UAH ($975) per session, with therapists conducting, on average, one specialization session per month. However, specialization leaders make up the smallest group—only 7% of the total respondents.

Other Sources of Income for Gestalt Therapists

We found that 8% of Gestalt therapists generate income from psychotherapeutic activities by providing services online. For instance, they conduct webinars, sell psychotherapy courses, run online marathons, and engage in other similar commercial psychotherapeutic activities on the Internet. The average income from such activities is 10,000 UAH ($250).

Additionally, 25% of Gestalt therapists indicated that, beyond the services listed above, they earn an additional 20,000 UAH ($500) on average from other psychotherapeutic activities.

Trainers of Gestalt Therapy Programs

The trainers in our survey are those who conduct the first, second, and third levels of Gestalt therapy training or specialization programs. They stand out among other categories of Gestalt therapists, so we will describe them separately. Typically, this group consists of experienced psychotherapists with an average of 14 years of psychotherapeutic practice (ranging from 5 to 30 years). Their average age is 46 years.

The average cost of a psychotherapy session conducted by trainers is 2,200 UAH ($55), while the average cost of supervision is slightly lower at 1,900 UAH ($48). This may be because trainers often provide supervision to participants of training programs at discounted rates. The vast majority of trainers work either exclusively online or primarily online.

The average monthly income of trainers is 123,000 UAH ($3,075), with those conducting specialization programs earning slightly more—135,000 UAH ($3,375). The minimum monthly income reported is 50,000 UAH ($1,250), and the maximum is 300,000 UAH ($7,500).

On a 5-point scale, the average level of income satisfaction among trainers is 4.2 points (details of income satisfaction among Gestalt therapists will be analyzed further).

It is also noteworthy that the percentage of men among trainers is significantly higher (34%) compared to their percentage among Gestalt therapists overall (13%).

Payment Methods

The methods of payment for Gestalt therapy services vary:

• 57% accept payment via bank cards,

• 55% accept payments to individual entrepreneur (IE) accounts,

• 30% accept cash,

• The remaining 7% use other methods. (Respondents were allowed to select more than one option.)

There is a logical trend: therapists who earn higher incomes more frequently accept payments via IE accounts.

Income Satisfaction

When asked to rate their satisfaction with their income on a 5-point scale (where 5 points means "completely satisfied"), the respondents answered as follows:

• 40% of Gestalt therapists are either completely satisfied (11%) or almost completely satisfied (29%);

• 30% are either dissatisfied (19%) or completely dissatisfied (11%);

• 30% rated their satisfaction as average (3 out of 5).

According to the survey, there is a direct correlation between therapists' satisfaction with their income, the cost of their individual sessions, and their overall earnings (see Table 1).

Table 1: Analysis of income satisfaction based on individual session fees and total earnings.

Table 1

Satisfaction of a psychotherapist with their income, taking into account the cost of their individual session and overall earnings.

Income satisfaction (from 1 to 5)	Average session cost, UAH ($)	Average monthly income, UAH ($)
1	800 ($20)	6 000 ($150)
2	1 000 ($25)	24 000 ($600)
3	1 200 ($30)	50 000 ($1 250)
4	1 500 ($38)	70 000 ($1 750)
5	1 500 ($38)	100 000 ($2 500)

During the study, we compared three groups of psychotherapists and compiled a generalized profile of a Gestalt therapist.

Based on the data from all 194 respondents, we can construct an approximate average profile of a Gestalt therapist. This is typically a 40-year-old woman with a higher psychological education, who has completed training as a Gestalt therapist and has been practicing for 5 years. This is her primary source of income. On average, she sees 10 clients per week, charges 1,200 UAH per session, and offers discounted rates (20% to 50%) to 2 clients per week. She also provides other psychotherapeutic services (e.g., supervision, couples therapy, child therapy) for an additional 2 sessions weekly.

In addition, she conducts 3 group sessions per month, earning 3,500 UAH per session. This brings her an average monthly income of 49,500 UAH. She also attends her own psychotherapist once a week and a supervisor once every two weeks, paying more for these services than she charges her own clients: 1,600 UAH for therapy and 1,800 UAH for supervision.

It should be noted that this description is highly generalized. Therefore, we believe it is appropriate to create several profiles of psychotherapists based on the duration of their practice.

We categorized these profiles as follows:

• Beginner therapists (less than 3 years of practice),

• Therapists with moderate experience (3 to 8 years of practice),

• Experienced therapists (more than 8 years of practice).

The table below outlines the average figures based on our research.

Table 2

Three Profiles of Gestalt Therapists Based on Work Experience and Income

	Beginners (0–3 years of practice)	Practicing Therapists (3–8 years of practice)	Experienced Therapists (8 or more years of practice)
Age	38	40	45
Total monthly income	22 000 UAH (550$)	60 000 UAH (1500$)	80 000 UAH (2000$)
Cost of individual therapy	975 UAH (25$)	1 300 UAH (32,5$)	1 800 UAH (45$)
Number of therapy sessions per week	6,5	10	15
Cost of individual supervision	1 250 UAH (31$)	1 400 UAH (35$)	1 600 UAH (40$)
Number of supervision sessions per week	1	2	3
Cost of couples therapy	1 500 UAH (37,5$)	1 800 UAH (45$)	3 000 UAH (75$)
Number of couples therapy sessions per week	1	1	1
Cost of child therapy	800 UAH (20$)	950 UAH (24$)	1 500 UAH (37,5$)
Number of child therapy sessions per week	2	3	1
Earnings from one therapeutic group	2 200 UAH (55$)	2 750 UAH (69$)	6 000 UAH (150$)
Number of therapeutic groups per month	3,5	3	2
Earnings from one supervision group	–	4 000 UAH (100$)	6 000 UAH (150$)
Number of supervision groups per month	–	1	2
Earnings from basic training group (levels 1, 2, 3)	–	24 500 UAH (612,5$)	30 000 UAH (750$)
Number of basic training groups per month	–	1	1,5
Earnings from specialization group	–	16 000 UAH (400$)	40 000 UAH (1000$)
Number of specialization groups per month	–	2	1
Cost of a session with the therapist's own psychotherapist	1 500 грн	1 600 UAH (40$)	2 000 UAH (50$)
Cost of a session with the therapist's own supervisor	1 500 грн	2 000 UAH (50$)	2 100 UAH (52,5$)

Analyzing the data from the table, we can observe a noticeable difference in the profiles of Gestalt therapists (male and female), taking into account their experience and the financial compensation they receive for providing psychological services.

We also studied whether there are differences in practice between male and female Gestalt therapists. According to our survey, on average, men conduct slightly more sessions per week (12) compared to women (10). Men also charge slightly more per session (1,300 UAH) than women (1,200 UAH).

The percentage of men and women who conduct 7 or fewer sessions per week and 15+ sessions per week differs significantly. In the first case, 11% are men and 89% are women, while in the second case, 15% are men and 85% are women. Additionally, the total income from psychotherapy varies, with men earning on average twice as much as women—80,000 (2000$) UAH compared to 40,000 UAH. (1000$)

To gain a more comprehensive understanding of the working conditions of Gestalt therapists, we compared the descriptions of payment conditions for Gestalt therapists in Ukraine and abroad.

Table 3

Comparison of payment for Gestalt therapy services of Ukrainian therapists in Ukraine and abroad

Average Indicator	In Ukraine	Abroad
Total income from psychotherapy	50 000 UAH ($1 250)	36 000 UAH ($900)
Number of sessions per week	10	9
Session cost	1 500 UAH (37,5$)	1 600 UAH (40$)
Number of group sessions per month	2,5	4

It is also important to add some interesting facts to this table. On average, Gestalt therapists living abroad earn 1.5–2 times more from group activities than those in Ukraine. Among those residing in Ukraine, there is a higher percentage of therapists with 15 clients per week (82%). Therapists living abroad are more likely to have up to 7 sessions per week (36%) or up to 14 sessions (35%) than 15 or more sessions (18%).

Among those who lived abroad before the start of the full-scale invasion, the percentage of therapists with a practice of 15 or more clients per week is higher than among those who relocated after the start of the war. Additionally, the session fees of these "long-term" emigrants are higher than those of "newcomers" (1,500 UAH compared to 1,165 UAH). This suggests that 2.5 years may not be sufficient for emigrants to build a strong practice abroad.

Therapists in Kyiv earn more than those in other locations. The average income in Kyiv is 60,000 UAH ($1,500), in regional centers 55,000 UAH ($1,375), in cities 45,000 UAH ($1,125), in urban-type settlements 49,000 UAH ($1,225), and in villages 36,500 UAH ($913).

In general, based on the results obtained, the following conclusions can be made: Gestalt therapists who relocated abroad after the full-scale invasion face challenges in building an individual practice (their service fees are lower, and they have fewer clients). At the same time, emigrants leading group activities fare better than their colleagues in Ukraine—they have more groups and earn higher income from group work.

Our research also found that basic education influences the pricing policy of psychotherapy services. For example, 90% of therapists in our survey have a higher education degree, and their average session fee is 1,200 UAH (30$). Those with academic degrees (6% of respondents) earn 1.5 times more, with an average session fee of 1,900 UAH (48$).

There is also a clear correlation in monthly income. Gestalt therapists with higher education earn an average of 50,000 UAH (1250$) per month, while those with academic degrees earn 80,000 UAH (2000$). Therapists who reported their education as secondary (only 2 individuals, or 1%) earn an average of 26,500 UAH per month.

A direct relationship was established between the level of Gestalt therapy education and the number of sessions per week. For example, students at the 2nd level have fewer clients on average (6) compared to certified therapists (9) or students at the 3rd level (15).

Certified Gestalt therapists earn an average of 1,200 UAH (30$) per session. Those studying at the 3rd level charge 1,500 UAH (38$), while those who have completed it charge 1,800 UAH (45$). A direct relationship was also observed in overall income: the higher the level of specialized Gestalt therapy education, the higher the monthly income.

It was found that years of practice as a Gestalt therapist also play a role—the more experience, the more clients per week. On average:

• Up to 3 years: 6 clients per week,

• 3 to 8 years: 10 clients per week,

• More than 8 years: 15 clients per week.

The average median cost of Gestalt therapy services in Ukraine and abroad does not differ. However, the average service cost in Ukraine varies significantly depending on the therapist's location. As expected, prices are higher in Kyiv (1,350 UAH or 34$) than in other cities (1,200 UAH or 30$). Interestingly, the cost is slightly higher in villages (1,250 UAH or 31$) than in cities, with the highest costs observed in urban-type settlements (1,800 UAH or 45$). This is probably influenced by the factor of forced internal displacement of specialists due to the war.

Conclusion

The study of the working conditions of Gestalt therapists shows that professionals in this field receive competitive compensation. Considering the favorable working conditions (such as the possibility to work online and a flexible schedule), along with a strong societal demand for psychotherapy services, more and more people are choosing the profession of Gestalt therapist. All conditions are in place for this trend to continue—and possibly increase—in the coming years.

The number of graduates from Gestalt therapy training programs is already significant and continues to grow each year. At the same time, it is important to remember the importance of training quality and to emphasize producing professionals with a solid theoretical foundation and practical skills to effectively help clients.