Steve Vinay Gunther
My Story – Following My Bliss
1979
My parents wanted me to enter university immediately after I graduated from High School. But instead I worked on an organic farm, studied clowning, performed street theatre, worked as a journalist, sold advertising, drove taxis, ran a printing press, started a sign writing business, drove taxis, set up a food coop, worked as book-keeper, and at 22 became director of the Australasian office for a mindfulness group.
1985
Family
A few years later, my wife became pregnant with our first child. More followed…
Career
I decided to focus on my career, so I studied Gestalt therapy, got a Masters degree, and we moved to Lismore – a country town of 40,000 people. I set up practice as a therapist and created the Northern Rivers Gestalt Institute, which I later got accredited with the education department. During that time I also operated a seasonal sign writing business, set up a vegetarian cafe and gelato bar, and wrote a bestselling book of advice for men about relationships with women. And between all that, we raised 5 children.
Taking our Brady bunch to Rishikesh
Studying with
Richard Nelson Bolles
1992
Stepping into career coaching
In 1992 I attended a talk by the renowned Richard Nelson Bolles, author of What Colour is Your Parachute. I was deeply inspired by his presentation, and started reading everything I could about Career Development. I went to as many training workshops as I could, and met other greats in the field such as Barbara Sher and Mark Savickas. I became an accredited Career Counsellor. I ran 12 week courses for groups of unemployed men, taking them through the kind of processes that Bolles recommends in his books.
Six years later I had a conversation with Barbara Sher. She said, ‘I think you can do this in one session’. I took on the challenge, went through all the materials I had collected and condensed them into a single extended session.
Clients were delighted with the outcome. I found that I could guarantee a satisfying result using an holistic approach and a special decision making trick which I learned from Bolles. Over the years I continued distilling the essential elements of the career choice process.
Mark Savickas 2004
This is where you come in
I wanted more clients to benefit from this process. I decided to make it available to other professionals. So I designed a software system that incorporated all the key elements, assisting coaches to work with clients, step by step.
Demonstrating Gestalt in China
2000
Traveling and teaching
I have been a visiting teacher of Gestalt therapy in the USA and Mexico since 2000. I was professor in a Masters program of Transpersonal Psychology in Los Angeles. Then I started teaching in Asia (Korea, Japan and China) from 2008, bringing Contemporary Gestalt into a range of domains – therapy, business, education and parenting. I have developed a system called Relational Parenting with my wife, Sutara Ling, and we teach together in China. I am currently the director of a Masters of Gestalt, offered in Shanghai.
I enjoy my work and find a great deal of satisfaction from helping people move through their challenges, towards self discovery and empowerment. I find teaching and training particularly rewarding. I have a private practice, seeing clients from all over the world.
Teaching in Japan
Scaling Mt Yakedake, Japan
2010 Onwards…
An exciting and adventurous life
I now have 5 grown children and 4 grandchildren. I am fascinated by systems theory and cybernetics, and am currently a doctoral student, working on a thesis about the interpersonal dimensions of power. I am based in Hobart, Tasmania when I am not travelling and teaching.
