Gestalttjenester coaching & therapy

I'm an American, born in 1964. I moved to Norway in 1987 and became a Norwegian citizen in 2021.

I worked as a professional orchestral musician here in Norway for 12 years. I have bachelor and master degrees in music from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States (1987) and The Norwegian State Academy of Music (1991), respectively. In 2011 I completed a masters degree in East Asian Linguistics (Chinese) at The University of Oslo. If you'd like to read about my research in Classical Chinese, you can click here.

I'm married and have a son, born in 1992.

From 1999 - 2017 I had a management position at Oslo's public library, where I was responsible for team development and had personal supervision of 22 employees. It was through this work that I developed a strong interest in helping individuals with personal and professional development.  From May 2017 to December 2018 the focus of my position at the library was developing and maintaining systems and routines that affect employees' daily working lives, and giving general support to the employees who worked directly with the public.

In 2016 I completed a two-year coaching programme at The Norwegian Gestalt Institute College (NGI), in 2019 I completed the Institute's four-year training in psychotherapy. I'm a member of the Norwegian Gestalt Therapist Association (www.ngfo.no) and an accredited member of the professional organisation GPO. I participate regularly in professional supervision with experienced coaches and therapists. I'm an associate professor at NGI, where I teach student therapists and coaches.

I've completed NGI's two-year International Advanced Training and an 18-month supervisor education and will complete a four-year programme of advanced training at Instituto di Gestalt in Italy in the spring of 2023. 

I am currently researching gestalt therapeutic intervention as a supplement to rehabilitation after stroke.

Photo: Kristin Aafløy Opdan