GwG - Gesellschaft für Personzentrierte Psychotherapie und Beratung e.V.

What GwG - Gesellschaft für Personzentrierte Psychotherapie und Beratung e.V. does

GwG - Gesellschaft für Personzentrierte Psychotherapie und Beratung e.V. is a registered German non-profit association (eingetragener Verein, VR 7740) headquartered at Melatengürtel 127 in Köln, North Rhine-Westphalia. Founded in 1970 as 'Gesellschaft für wissenschaftliche Gesprächspsychotherapie' and led by 1. Vorsitzender Till Schultze-Gebhardt and Bundesgeschäftsführer Michael Barg, the organization is the principal professional association for person-centered (Carl Rogers) psychotherapy, counseling, coaching, and supervision in Germany, operating with approximately 10 staff and a distributed national network of regional groups. At its peak in the 1990s the association reached roughly 8,000 members before the 1999 Psychotherapy Act reshaped the profession.

The association's commercial and intellectual core is built around the Person-Centered/Experiential (PCE) methodology developed by Carl Rogers, with offerings spanning the GwG-Verlag publishing house, the quarterly journal 'Gesprächspsychotherapie und Personzentrierte Beratung' (€12.50 per non-member issue), continuing education seminars (Fortbildungen, 1–3 days), comprehensive advanced training programs (Weiterbildungen) covering psychotherapy, supervision, coaching, body psychotherapy, child and youth work, and focusing, plus DGSv-certified supervision/coaching, the 'Zugewandt' podcast, conferences and congresses, and the GwG-Atrium member portal. Distribution combines an e-commerce shop shipping via Deutsche Post (free over €50 in Germany), direct delivery of training programs, a public 'Fachleute finden' practitioner directory, and newsletter/blog content marketing via MailChimp.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: recurring annual membership subscriptions (stimmberechtigte Mitglieder, Fördermitglieder, Ehrenmitglieder), pay-as-you-go publication sales, and professional services revenue from training, supervision, and coaching. The association is governed through a Delegates' Conference, an Ethics Council, and a Scientific Advisory Board, and is strategically embedded in DGfB e.V., the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband, the nfb Nationales Forum Beratung, PCE Europe, and NEAPCEPC. As a small e.V. it has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no funding rounds, no patents, no mobile app, and no public revenue disclosure.

Name

GwG - Gesellschaft für Personzentrierte Psychotherapie und Beratung e.V.

Legal name

GwG – Gesellschaft für Personzentrierte Psychotherapie und Beratung e.V.

Website

https://gwg-ev.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GwG e.V. is a Köln-based German professional association that advances the Carl Rogers person-centered approach through accreditation, continuing education, a publishing house (GwG-Verlag), the quarterly journal 'Gesprächspsychotherapie und Personzentrierte Beratung', conferences, and a practitioner directory serving psychotherapists, counselors, coaches, and supervisors across Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Köln

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Publishing (GwG-Verlag): Sale of specialist books, journals, and DVDs related to the Person-Centered Approach through the GwG publishing house and online shop.
2. Educational programs (Fortbildungen & Weiterbildungen): Continuing education seminars (1-3 days) and advanced training programs (Weiterbildungen) in person-centered psychotherapy, counseling, supervision, coaching, and focusing.
3. Membership fees: Annual membership contributions from stimmberechtigtes Mitglied (voting members), Fördermitglieder (supporting members), and Ehrenmitglieder (honorary members).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GwG is a German nonprofit professional association that provides accredited training, certification, publications, and networking for practitioners of Carl Rogers' person-centered approach in psychotherapy, counseling, coaching, supervision, and focusing. Its core commercial activities include continuing education seminars (Fortbildungen), comprehensive advanced training programs (Weiterbildungen), a specialist publishing house (GwG-Verlag) producing the quarterly journal "Gesprächspsychotherapie und Personzentrierte Beratung," DGSv-certified supervision and coaching services, and annual professional congresses including the PCE World Conference.

Product overview

GwG e.V. is a professional association for person-centered psychotherapy and counseling that offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational services and professional resources. The core offerings include the GwG publishing house with its quarterly journal "Gesprächspsychotherapie und Personzentrierte Beratung" and specialized books; continuing education courses (Fortbildungen) of 1-3 days; comprehensive advanced training programs (Weiterbildungen) in psychotherapy, counseling, supervision, coaching, and focusing; and the GwG Podcast "Zugewandt". The association also organizes professional conferences and provides a member portal with exclusive resources. The organization is the largest professional association for psychotherapy and counseling in Germany, founded in 1970, and maintains affiliations with DGfB, Der Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband, and the National Forum.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GwG-Verlag: The publishing arm of the association, publishing books and the journal 'Gesprächspsychotherapie und Personzentrierte Beratung'
• GwG-Zeitschrift
• GwG-Atrium
• Podcast 'Zugewandt'

Products and services

• GwG-Zeitschrift "Gesprächspsychotherapie und Personzentrierte Beratung"

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DGfB e.V. Deutsche Gesellschaft für BeratungcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe GwG is a member of DGfB e.V. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Beratung, the German Society for Counseling, which operates under the umbrella organization dachverband-beratung.de. GwG holds a leading role in this association.
• Der Paritätische WohlfahrtsverbandminorOthersGwG is a member of the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband (DPWV), one of Germany's largest welfare associations, extending the reach and societal impact of person-centered counseling.
• nfb - Nationales Forum BeratungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGwG is a member of the National Forum for Counseling (nfb), a psychosocial platform developed under GwG's leadership and supported by approximately 30 German associations.
• PCE Europe (Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counseling Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGwG is actively involved in PCE Europe, the European association for person-centered and experiential psychotherapy and counseling. The organization participates in PCE Europe's annual conferences and initiatives. GwG hosted the PCE 2026 World Conference in Cologne.
• NEAPCEPC (Network of the European Association for Person-Centred and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counselling)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGwG is represented at NEAPCEPC, which represents European person-centered associations at the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP). This connection provides international recognition and standardization for GwG's professional credentials.
• ÖGWG (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Gesprächspsychotherapie und psychosoziale Interaktion)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustrian sister organization of the person-centered approach. Representatives participate in each other's congresses and events.
• VPKJ (Verband für Personzentrierte Kinder- und Jugendlichenpsychotherapie)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-publishing partner for educational DVDs such as 'Den Spiel-Raum nutzen' (Use the play space), a teaching DVD for person-centered psychotherapy with children and adolescents.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ÖGWG (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Gesprächspsychotherapie und psychosoziale Interaktion): Austrian sister organization of GwG for person-centered psychotherapy and psychosocial interaction. Directly comparable as a national member association advancing the same Carl Rogers methodology, with mutual participation in congresses.
• DGSv (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Supervision und Coaching): German Society for Supervision and Coaching, with which GwG co-certifies supervision/coaching programs. Highly comparable as a Germany-based professional association delivering accredited continuing education in adjacent helping-profession disciplines.
• VPKJ (Verband für Personzentrierte Kinder- und Jugendlichenpsychotherapie): Sub-specialty German association for person-centered child and adolescent psychotherapy. Directly comparable as a method-specific association co-publishing with GwG (e.g., the 'Den Spiel-Raum nutzen' DVD) and serving overlapping practitioner members.

Broad incumbents

• DGfB (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Beratung): Umbrella German association for counseling of which GwG is a leading member. Comparable as a multi-method professional body aggregating counseling providers, but broader in scope across counseling modalities.
• Deutsche PsychotherapeutenVereinigung (DPtV): Large German psychotherapists' professional association representing multiple therapeutic orientations. Comparable as a membership association offering continuing education and advocacy, but method-agnostic versus GwG's single-school focus.
• BPtK (Bundespsychotherapeutenkammer): Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists in Germany. Comparable as the overarching professional body shaping regulation, ethics, and training standards in psychotherapy, but with statutory rather than voluntary membership.

Emerging players

• PCE Europe (Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counseling Europe): European-level person-centered association in which GwG is a core participant. Comparable as a higher-aggregation entity convening national person-centered bodies, including joint annual conferences and initiatives.
• GwG-Institut Köln (and other regional PCE training institutes): Smaller regional PCE training institutes in Germany (e.g., the Köllertal institute referenced in GwG's Sommerschule listing) that deliver person-centered Weiterbildungen. Comparable as direct providers of accredited advanced training competing for the same cohort of practitioner learners.
• Society for Humanistic Psychology (APA Division 32): International academic-professional division advancing humanistic and person-centered psychology. Comparable as a methodological community in the same theoretical tradition as GwG, but US-rooted and academic in orientation.

Regional players

• PCA UK (Person-Centred Association): UK-based association promoting person-centered therapy and counseling. Comparable as a method-specific national membership body, but operating in a different geography and not directly competing for GwG's German members.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gwg---gesellschaft-f%C3%BCr-personzentrierte-psychotherapie-und-beratung-e-v-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about GwG - Gesellschaft für Personzentrierte Psychotherapie und Beratung e.V.