77th Annual Conference Sessions and Workshops
Thursday, March 5 (Details)

Early Bird Open Sessions
Early Bird Colloquies
Conference Opening Plenary
All-Day Courses
All-Day Workshops
Morning Open Sessions
Morning Workshops
Lunch-Time Open Session
Afternoon Open Sessions
Afternoon Workshops

For more information on those presenters who have the CGP credential, please click on their names to view their CGP profiles. 

Early Bird Open Sessions
7:15 – 8:15 A.M.

Session 201
Contemporary Group Psychotherapy Research

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Research SIG

Chair:
Cheri Marmarosh, PhD, Professor, George Washington University, Washington, DC

This is the Research SIG's annual paper session presenting current research in group psychotherapy.

Session also on Friday (7:15-8:15 am)

Title: Validation of the Assault Response Scale: An Update for Nurses in a Group
Author: Marilyn Lanza, DNSc, CS, ARNP, FAAN

Title: Continuous Documentation of Group Therapy Session Process and Content: Results of a
Practice Based Study

Author: Bernhard Strauss, PhD, Full Professor, Institute for Psychosocial Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Jena, Germany

This is a paper session in which panelists present new, clinically relevant research findings, with time for discussion and questions from the audience.

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Summarize current research in group psychotherapy.
2. Integrate current group therapy research into clinical practice.
3. Match current research findings to areas of group practice and interest.
4. Discuss important principles related to developing and conducting effective group therapies.

Session 202
Addressing Medical Resident Wellbeing: Renewal Through Groups at Work

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Health and Medical Issues SIG and the Group Supervision and Training SIG

Chairs:
Brenda Boatswain, PhD, CGP, Wellbeing Manager, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York
Mark Mason, PhD, Resident Wellbeing Specialist, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, Delaware
 
Research documenting the increase risk of medical residents for burnout, depression and suicide, compared to the general population, necessitates addressing the behavioral health needs of residents. Given the number of hours residents spend in the workplace, groups at work to address their wellbeing would be an ideal. This open session presents innovative group approaches implemented in the workplace across various specialties of medical residents to help them manage the challenges and stressors of residency.

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to: 
1. Define challenges/stressors and consequences of  stress during  medical residency.
2. Identify benefits of mindfulness practices in managing residents’ stress.
3. Discuss two group interventions with medical residents.

Course References: 
1. Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (2017). Common program requirements, Section VI, with background and intent. (2017, August 9, 2017). Retrieved from http://www.acgme.org/Portals/0/PFAssets/ProgramRequirements/CPRs_Section%20VI_with-Background-and-Intent_2017-01.pdf
2. Busireddy, K., Miller, J., Ellison, K., Ren,V., Qayyum, R., & Panda, M. (2017). Efficacy of interventions to reduce resident physician burnout: A systematic review. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 9(3), 294-301.
https://doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-16-00372.1
3. Mata, D., Ramos, M., Bansal, N., Khan, R., Guille, C., Di Angelantonio, E., & Sen, S. (2015). Prevalence of depression and depressive symptoms among resident physicians: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Medical Association, 314(22), 2373-2383. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.15845 Retrieved from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2474424
4. Meek, J. (2018). Promoting wellness in graduate medical education. Retrieved from https://opmed.doximity.com/articles/promoting-wellness-in-graduate-medical-education-05832790-68e4-4dfb-9fb0-c70adbd65d4e
5. Shanafelt, T., West, C., Sinsky, C., Trockel, M., Tutty, M., Satele, D., Carlasare, L., & Dyrbye, L. (2019). Changes in burnout and satisfaction with work-life integration in physicians and the general US working population between 2011 and 2017. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.10.023 Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(18)30938-8/fulltext

 

Session 203
Group Therapy for Orthodox Jewish Men: The Correlation of Loneliness and Faith

Chair: 
Mendel Horowitz, MS, Group Therapist, Family Institute of Neve Yerushalayim, Jerusalem, Israel
 
In this open session, I will share my experiences working with Orthodox Jewish husbands and fathers in Jerusalem. Based, in part, on my own countertransference, I will suggest a correlation between religious homogeneity and loneliness. We will address the interface of religious practice and psychology through the examination of relevant Biblical and Talmudic sources, and group therapy literature.
 
Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to: 
1. Recognize the characteristics of loneliness in a homogeneous group.
2. Differentiate between positive and negative features of communal identity.
3. Identify means of facilitating culturally-sensitive dialogue with isolated group members.
 
Course References: 
1. Cornish, M. A., & Wade, N. G. (2010). Spirituality and religion in group counseling: A literature review with practice guidelines. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 41(5), 398-404.
2. Friedman, R., & Doron, Y. (2017). Group Analysis in the Land of Milk and Honey. London: Routledge.
3. Milevsky, A., & Eisenberg, M. (2012). Spiritually Oriented Treatment With Jewish Clients: Meditative Prayer and Religious Texts. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice.
4. Rosmarin, D. H., Pirutinsky, S., Pargament, K. I., & Krumrei, E. J. (2009). Are religious beliefs relevant to mental health among Jews? Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 1(3), 180-190.
5. Schnall, E. (2011). Multicultural Counseling and the Orthodox Jew. Journal of Counseling & Development, 84(3), 276-282.
 

---

Early Morning Colloquies
7:15 – 8:15 A.M.

Colloquy 1
The Ability of the Group to Induce Growth Through Renewal of Members' Emotions and Self-Esteem
  
Presenters:
Mohamed Taha Siddik Mohamed, MD, PhD, CGP, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Minia, Egypt
Hoda Refaat Mahfouz, MSc, CGP, Special Psychiatrist, Cairo, Egypt
Rofia Wessam, Specialist Psychiatrist, Minia University Hospital, Minia, Egypt
 
Our emotions represent the melody and tone of our internal world, and through them we tend to perceive, process and react. Stagnation and conflicts in our emotions are what we fear and suffer the most and could hinder our growth. This session will shed some light on the role of group therapy in detecting, working and resolving some emotional difficulties within members.

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Communicate more deeply through a new perspective in dealing with their emotions.
2. Give themselves the right to be happy and feel that they worth it, and to tach their clients so.
3. Know the difference between need, want, right and deicion in a therapeutic context and in their daily life.

Course References:
1. Mahfouz, R., Taha, M., & Ishak, W.W. (2015). The Four-step Integrative Model for Group Psychotherapy: Description, Development, and Application in Egyptian Culture. In H. Derrickson (Ed.), Group Therapy: Theory, Practices and Effectiveness (first edition, pp 1-18). New York: Nova Publishers.
2. Rakhawy, M., Taha. M., & Sabry N. (2015). Group psychotherapy in Egypt: Past, present and future. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 65(4), 595–605.
3. Taha, M., & Mahfouz, R (2008). Psychotherapy as a Creative Process: Theoretical and Clinical Perspectives. VDM Verlag: Germany.
4. Taha, M., Mahfouz, R., & Arafa, M. (2008). Socio-Cultural Influence on Group Therapy Leadership Style. Group Analysis, 41(4): 391-406. SAGE Publications: London, England.
5. Taha, M., Abd-El-Hameed, M.A., Kamal, A., Hasan, M.A., & Mahfouz, R. (2010). Power of Love and Love of Power in Group Psychotherapy. Group Analysis, 43(2): 155-169. SAGE Publications: London, England.
6. Taha, M., & Mahfouz, R. (2011). The Four Levels Therapeutic Game: A New Approach for Facilitating Therapeutic Change. In: D. Bloom & P. Brownell (Eds.) Continuity and change: Gestalt therapy now. Cambridge Scholars Publishing: Newcastle, England.
7. Cohen, S.L. (1997). Working with resistance to experiencing and expressing emotions in group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 47(4):443-58.
8. Rosner, Beutler, & Daldrup. (2000). Vicarious emotional experience and emotional expression in group psychotherapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 56(1):1-10.

Colloquy 2
Bion, Hallucinosis, and the Holocaust 

Presenter:
Bennett Roth, PhD, Private Practice, New York, New York

Violent groups, The Holocaust, and recent events in New Zealand, Pittsburgh, and Parkland have been ignored by group theorists. I believe there is a defensive posture toward violence in groups. Fight-flight behavior is substantively different from planned killing of unarmed individuals. I offer an explanation of violent groups.

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. List the ways that violent groups behave and describe the group dynamics that allow and foster violence.
2. Define Bion’s concept of “Hallucinosis” and describe the mind’s capacity to turn perception into useful elements.
3. List the kinds of group formations the elicit responses that range from exalted to violent.
4. Describe two hypotheses about group development and how it can lead to a defensive preoccupation with identifying with victims over generations and let to violence.
5. Describe how Bion’s theory of Hallucinosis informs the formation of predator and prey groups based on psycho-biology and the decryption thereof. 
6.  List the rewards for violent group behavior that are both criminal and neurological.

Course References:
1. Burkert W., Gerard, R., & Smith, J. (1987). Violent Origins Ritual Killing and Cultural Formation ( Ed R. Hamilton-Kelly). Stanford University Press.
2. Dimsdale, J.E. (Ed.) Survivors, Victims and Perpetrators: Essays in the Nazi Holocaust. PP 405–445. New York. N.Y. Hemisphere Publishing.
3. Gross, J. T. (2001). Neighbors: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
4. Haynal, A., Molnar, M., & de Puymehe. (1983). Fanaticism: A Historical and Psychoanalytic Study. New York, NY: Shocken.
5. Kaplan. M. (1999). Between Dignity and Dispair: Jewish Life in Nazi Germany. New York: Oxford University Press.
6. Kuran, T. (1995). Private Truths, Public Lies: The Social Consequences of Public Preference Falsification. Cambridge, MA.
7. Roth. B. (2018). Genocide: An Overlooked Basic Assumption. Group, 42 (3), pp. 245-257.
8. Roth, B. (2019). The Internal Establishment. Journal Of Analytic Group Therapy, (in press).

Colloquy 3
Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Students on a College Campus: A Multifaceted Approach Including Group Therapy

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA College Counseling and Other Educational Settings SIG

Presenter:
Abby Bradecich, PsyD, Staff Psychologist/Counselor Faculty, California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, California

This presentation will focus on the needs of college student-parents, and multiple ways to support pregnant and parenting students with an emphasis on in-person and online support groups. I will share different experiences working with student-parents in group and a model for supportive group therapy with college student-parents.

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe how support or lack of support from family, partner, and campus can impact a student-parent and their ability to succeed as a student.
2. Identify different methods of reaching out to student-parents on college campuses.
3. Discuss a model for a support group for college student-parents, including in-person and online components.

Course References:
1. Brown, V. & Nichols, T.R. (2013). Pregnant and parenting students on campus: Policy and program implications for a growing population. Educational Policy, 27(3), 499-530.
2. Gault, B., Reichlin, L., Reynolds, E., & Froehner, M. (2014). 4.8 million college students are raising children. Report, IWPR #C412. Washington, DC: Institute for Women’s Policy Research.
3. Nazarinia Roy, R., Bradecich, A., Dayne, N., & Luna, A. (2018). The transition to motherhood: The experiences of college student-parents. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 110(3), 48-57. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14307/JFCS110.3.48
4. Peterson, S. (2015). Community college student-parents: priorities for persistence. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 40(5), 370-384. doi:10.1080/10668926.2015.1065210
5. Ribeiro, M. (Ed.), Gross, J. (Ed.), Turner, M. (Ed.). (2018). The College Counselor’s Guide to Group Psychotherapy. New York: Routledge.

Colloquy 4
E-Group Psychotherapy (EGP) -- "Far away, but still very close" -- Online Group Therapy: Research, Best Practice, and Demonstration

Presenters:
Bram van der Boom, MD, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Pepijn Steures, MD, CGP, Senior Psychiatrist, Dutch Association for Groupdynamics and Group Psychotherapy(NVGP), Solutalks Utrecth, Netherlands

Group therapy through videoconferencing is the subject of a large research project in the Netherlands at VU University. Researchers Bram vanderBoom and Pepijn Steures will update you on the latest scientific evidence. They will teach and offer a live demonstration of an online group therapy, so you get a picture of what online group therapy has to offer.

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Gain greater understanding of online groups and learn keys on how to conduct one on the internet. 
2. Select patients that are suitable for online group therapy.
3. State the level of evidence there is that online group therapy is effective.

Course References:
1. Banbury, A. (2018). Telehealth interventions delivering Home-Based Support Group Videoconferencing; Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2;20(2):e25. doi: 10.2196/jmir.8090.
2. Gentry, M.T. (2019). Evidence for telehealth group based treatment. A systematic review. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 25(6):327-342. doi: 10.1177/1357633X18775855.
3. Khatri, N. (2014). Comparing telehealth-based and clinic-based group cognitive behavioral therapy for adults with depression and anxiety: a pilot study. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 9(1) 765–770. doi:10.2147/CIA.S57832
4. Stegelmöller, E.L. (2019). The Feasibility of Group Therapeutic Singing Telehealth for Persons with Parkinson's Disease in Rural Iowa. Telemedicine Journal and e-Health, 2(20). doi: 10.1089/tmj.2018.0315.
5. Tsaousides, T. (2014).  Delivering group treatment via videoconference to individuals with traumatic brain injury: a feasibility study. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 24(5):784-803. doi: 10.1080/09602011.2014.907186.

---

 Conference Opening Plenary Address
8:30 – 9:45 A.M.

Workshop 1a
Sexuality, Hate, Shame, and Abandonment: The Family We Wish We Had and the Group We Can Have

Chair:
Jordan Price, LCSW, MSW, CGP, Private Practice, Austin, Texas

Many families struggle to talk about sexuality, hate, shame and abandonment. When integrated they become building blocks for healthy relationships. If not they become obstacles. Members can have new experiences of old injuries as we explore the topic with attention to emotional insulation and interpersonal process.
didactic-demonstration-discussion

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Discuss how sexuality, hate, shame, and abandonment are developmentally important for each of us to experience and integrate.
2. Identify leader’s fears related to the discussion of sexuality, hate, shame, and abandonment in group.
3. Demonstrate how to express feelings that emerge around topic while tolerating impulses.
4. Identify potential countertransference experience of topic.
5. Demonstrate how to organize and integrate historical and immediate experiences of these topics.
6. Demonstrate new interventions for working with topic.

Course References:
1. Black, A. E. (2017). On Attacking and Being Attacked in Group Psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(3), 291-313. doi:10.1080/00207284.2016.1260459
2. Geltner, P. (2013). Emotional communication: Countertransference analysis and the use of feeling in psychoanalytic technique. London: Routledge.
3. Levine, R. (2014). Progressing while Regressing in Relationships. The One and the Many,112-127. doi:10.4324/9781315765112-8
4. Nitsun, M. (2006). The group as an object of desire: Exploring sexuality in group therapy. London: Routledge.
5. Segalla, R. (2001). Hatred in Group Therapy: A rewarding challenge. Group, 25(1-2), 121-132.
6. Zeisel, E. (2011). Meeting Maturational Needs in Modern Group Analysis: A Schema for Personality Integration and Interpersonal Effectiveness. The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Group Psychotherapy,217-229. doi:10.1002/9781119950882.ch11

Workshop 2a
The Tree of Life – A Journey Towards Self-Discovery, Renewal and Growth

Chairs:
Marcia Honig, PsyD, Psychotherapist and Art Therapist, Tel Aviv, Israel; Chair of the Transcultural Section, International Association of Group Psychotherapy
Morris Nitsun, PhD, Consultant Clinical Psychologist in Group Psychotherapy, Camden and Islington NHS Mental Health Trust, London, United Kingdom

The Tree of Life is an ancient symbol of growth, with personal, social and spiritual dimensions.  The workshop invites a creative exercise through drawing a personal tree as well as a group tree.  Themes are explored individually, in pairs and the overall group. This is part of a symbolic journey towards both personal growth and collective belonging. Art therapy and group analytic techniques are used to further workshop aims.
Experiential/ Demonstration/ Didactic/ Sharing of Work Experiences

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Demonstrate the drawing of a personal Tree of Life.
2. Describe the metaphorical use of the Tree of Life.
3. Evaluate personal adjustment through the tree as symbol of development.
4. Identify personal aspirations and hopes – and obstacles towards growth.
5. Evaluate the group Tree of Life as a symbol of group identity and belonging.
6. Assess the integration of art therapy and group analysis.

Course References:
1. Denborough, D. (2014). Retelling the stories of our lives. New York: W.W. North.
2. Lock, S. (2016). The Tree of Life: A review of the collective narrative approach. Educational Psychology Research and Practice, 2, 1, 2–20.
3. Hughes, G. (2014). Finding a voice through ‘The Tree of Life” - A strength based approach to mental health. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 19, 1, 139-153.
4. Nitsun, M. (2015). Group analysis and performance art, in Beyond the Anti-group. London: Routledge.
5. Schweitzer, R D, Vromans L, Ranke, G, & Griffin, J. (2014). Narratives of healing:  Case study of a young Liberian refugee Settled in Australia. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 41 (1), 98–106.

Workshop 3a
Enhancing Empathy and Attachment Using Mindfulness and Psychodramatic Techniques in Process Group

Chairs:
Sue Barnum, MA, TEP, Private Practice, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Jana Rosenbaum, LCSW, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, Houston, Texas

The workshop will present why psychodrama works, an overview of interpersonal neurobiology, attachment theory and mindfulness. We will explore the psychodramatic techniques used in process groups (doubling, role-taking, role reversal, concretization and hardback), practice them in the morning, then move into process group in the afternoon.
Experiential/ Didactic/ Demonstration/ Sharing of Work Experiences

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Review and discuss the scientific bases of psychodrama (attachment theory, mindfulness and interpersonal neurobiology):  why psychodrama works.
2. Demonstrate and practice each of the psychodramatic techniques used in process group (doubling, role-taking, role reversal, concretization and hardback).
3. Discuss appropriate use of psychodramatic techniques in process groups, including contra-indications.
4. Utilize a mindfulness exercise to begin process group.
5. Integrate one or more off the psychodramatic techniques into their own process group(s).
6. Discuss the efficacy of the use of psychodramatic techniques in process group.

Course References:
1. Hug, E., & Fleury, H. (2008). Moreno's co-unconscious:  contributions from Neuroscience important for individual and group psychology. Psychodrama Classico, 10 (1-2), 7-20.
2. Hug, E. (2007). A Neuroscience perspective on psychodrama. Advancing theories in psychodrama. London: Brunner/Routledge.
3. Gantt, S.P., & Badenoch, B. (2013). The interpersonal neurobiology of group psychotherapy and group process. Karnac.
4. Lotze, E., & Barnum, S. (2013). The therapist's creativity handbook: Introducing action and play into process groups. Self-published.
5. Siegel, D.J. (2008). The neurobiology of "we":  How relationships, the mind and the brain interact to shape who we are. Sounds True Audio Learning Course.

Workshop 4a 

Groups as Cultures of Resilience: A Psychodynamically Oriented Treatment Approach for Addiction and Trauma

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Addiction & Recovery SIG and the Groups in Private Practice SIG

Chairs:
Marcia Nickow, PsyD, CADC, CGP, Private Practice, Chicago, Illinois
Deborah Schwartz, MD, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, Vancouver, British Columbia

People with addictions--alcohol, drugs, food, sex, love, internet, technology, work, money--transform by "attaching" to a culture of recovery. Building on attachment, group relations and family systems theory and integrating 12-step principles, this institute targets healing from addictive disorders, underlying developmental wounds and intergenerational trauma and addiction. Themes of betrayal, fear, terror, rage, loneliness , hopelessness and self-abandonment will be explored. A group supervision model will  also be illuminated.
Demonstration/ Experiential/ Didactic/ Sharing of Work Experiences

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe addiction as a dynamic disease with multiple manifestations such as substance abuse, eating disorders and process addictions (e.g., gambling, sex and relationships, internet, work, compulsive spending) 
2. Define "cultures of resilience" in the context of addiction and recovery.
3. Explain how our Group Relations-Informed Addiction Treatment model detailed in the July 2015 issue of  IJGP, emphasizes  "progressive recovery," promotes long-term healing, and interrupts chronic relapse patterns.
4. Specify how treatment models that downplay histories of abuse, neglect, and exposure to conflict and rage contribute to high relapse rates.
5. Explain how clinicians' personal and family histories may enhance treatment effectiveness when countertransference reactions are worked through in clinical supervision groups.
6. Cite examples of common themes relevant to the conscious and unconscious transmission of trauma and addiction.

Course References:
1. Briere, J. (2019). Treating risky and compulsive behavior in trauma survivors. New York: Guilford.
2. Flores, P. J. (2007). Group psychotherapy with addicted populations. 3rd ed. Binghamton, NY: Haworth.
3. Herman, J. L., & Kallivayalil, D. (2019). Group Trauma Treatment in Early Recovery. New York: Guilford.
4. Khantzian, E. J., & Albanese, M. J. (2008). Understanding addiction as self medication: Finding hope behind the pain. Lanham, MD: Roman & Littlefield.
5. Korshak, S. J., Nickow, M. S., & Straus, B. (2014). A group therapist's guide to process addictions. New York: American Group Psychotherapy Association.
6. Nickow, M. S. (2005). From the backstreets to the high road: A portrait of black survival and resilience. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
7. Schwartz, D. C., Nickow, M. S., et al. (2015). A substance called food: Long-term psychodynamic group treatment for compulsive overeating. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 65 (3).

Session 301
Changing Our Minds: The Leader’s Evolving Psychology and its Impact on the Group

Chair:
Tzachi Slonim, PhD, ABPP, CGP, Private Practice, New York, New York

Presenters:
Richard Billow, PhD, ABPP, CGP, Private Practice, Great Neck, New York
Bonnie Buchele, PhD, ABPP, CGP, DFAGPA, Psychoanalyst and Psychologist, Private Practice, Kansas City, Missouri
GIla Ofer, PhD, Group Analyst, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Private Practice, Tel-Aviv, Israel

Billow has suggested that regardless of the developmental state of the group, the leader’s psychology, with its ability to change and grow, continue to assert impact on the group’s functioning. This Open Session will explore ways in which leader’s ability and willingness to change their mind stimulates group members’ growth.

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe examples of leaders' growth and its impact on their groups.
2. Contrast leaders' approaches to learning from their groups.
3. Name obstacles to learning and changes of mind in group.

Course References:
1. Aron, L. (1991). The patient's experience of the analyst's subjectivity. Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 1, 29-51.
2. Billow, R. M. (2012). It's all about "Me" (Behold the leader). International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 62(4), 531-556.
3. Buchele, B. J., & Rutan, J. S. (2017). An object relations theory perspective. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67, 36-43.
4. Ofer, G. (2017). The Personal, group and social aspects of dreaming. In R. Friedman and Y. Doron, Group Analysis in the Land of Milk and Honey. London: Karnac.
5. Slonim, T. (2017). Notes on Billow’s Relational Approach to Group Leadership. Group Analysis, pp. 332-338.

Session 302   
Women and Aggression:  History, Healing, and Power

Co-Chairs:
Jeanne Bunker, LCSW, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, Austin, Texas
Jan Morris, PhD, ABPP, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, Austin, Texas

Presenters:
Rita Drapkin, PhD, CGP, Private Practice, Indiana, Pennsylvania
Elizabeth Driscoll, LCSW, Private Practice, Define Your Duende, Boulder, Colorado
Chera Finnis, PsyD, CGP, FAGPA, Experiential Group Psychotherapist, National Institute for Psychotherapies, New York, New York

Women group leaders are underrepresented in the literature on how women experience and work effectively with their own and their group members' aggression.  This open session will present three papers exploring the unique strengths and challenges for women group leaders, including stories that underlie subjective and objective countertransference and resistance.

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Distinguish types of direct and indirect aggressive expression common in women group leaders.
2. Identify and describe at least three factors affecting subjective countertransference in women group leaders as they work with aggression in themselves and in their groups.
3. Describe how subjective countertransference can lead to countertransference resistance in women group leaders.
4. Describe the factors that help women become better able to use their aggression effectively in group treatment.

Course References:
1. Cohen, P., & Wright, E. (2006).  Bridging the gender gap: Men and women in group. Group, 30:3.
2. Goldberg, J. (1979). Aggression and the female therapist. Modern Psychoanalysis, 4: 209-222.
3. Holmes, L. (2011). Gender dynamics in group therapy. Group, 35:3, Fall.
4. Kelly, N. (2014). Women therapists and resistance to erotic countertransference. Modern Psychoanalysis, 39:2.
5. McWilliams, N. (1991). Mothering and fathering processes in the psychoanalytic art. The Psychoanalytic Review, 78:4.
6. Morris, J. (2014). Resistance and my favorite patient. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 64:3.
7. Moshtagh, N. (2015). Looking for the bad mother in psychoanalysis. Modern Psychoanalysis, 40:2.
8. Rosenthal, L. (1987). Resolving resistance in group psychotherapy. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson.

Session 303   
Rehumanization of Military Veterans Through Shakespeare: A Performance and Discussion

Chair:
Craig Haen, PhD, LCAT, CGP, FAGPA, Adjunct Faculty, New York University, New York, New York

Presenters:
Alisha Ali, PhD, Associate Faculty, New York University, New York, New York
Nina Thomas, PhD, ABPP, CGP, Assistant Professor, NYU Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, New York, New York
Stephan Wolfert, MFA, Founder, DE-CRUIT Veterans Program, New York, New York

Soldiers are trained to ensure “combat readiness.”  But there’s no “off switch.” This workshop offers a performance of Cry Havoc!, showing the difficulties veterans and families face. It then describes the DE-CRUIT program, a veteran-informed, strengths-based group intervention that integrates trauma treatment, Shakespeare, and elements from classical actor training.
 

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. List two ways that military indoctrination contributes to dehumanization and post-traumatic stress.
2. Describe three difficulties faced by American military veterans and their families.
3. Identify two ways that the performance of Shakespeare by veterans can support trauma processing and reintegration into life after war.

Course References:
1. Ali, A., & Haen, C. (Eds.). (2019). Creative arts therapies and the military [Special issue]. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 62.
2. Ali, A., & Wolfert, S. (2016). Theatre as a treatment for posttraumatic stress in military veterans: Exploring the psychotherapeutic potential of mimetic induction. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 50, 58-65. doi: 10.1016/j.aip.2016.06.004
3. Haen, C. (2019). What soldiers can teach therapists who work with trauma: A qualitative examination of contemporary American war writing. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 62. doi: 10.1016/j.aip.2018.12.005
4. Smyth, J., & Nobel, J. (2018). Creative expression is effective in treating PTSD. In B. Krasner (Ed.), Returning soldiers and PTSD (pp. 228-247). New York, NY: Greenhaven Publishing. (Original work published 2015)
5. Thomas, N. K. (2015). There's always a villain to punish: Group processes contributing to violence and its remediation. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 65(1), 89-107. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2015.65.1.88

---

Chair:
Dominick Grundy, PhD, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, New York, New York

Therapists often make quick decisions at work without time to process them till later. They may assume group members expect a leader to know what to do without pausing. Our clinical identity suggests a model of how to lead, and this model may make procedural choices for us so that we not see alternatives. The workshop goal is to examine how the leader’s task of facilitating the rapid flow of group communication affects clinical decisions.
Experiential/ Sharing of Work Experiences/ Didactic/ Demonstration

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:   
1. Tease apart factors influencing leaders’ spontaneous decision-making when there is no time to reflect while leading a group.
2. Distinguish in practice the roles of theory and intuition (rational vs. emotional) in clinical decision-making during the communicative flow of group therapy.
3. Evaluate whether/how non-verbal reactions to the group population, setting, emotional climate, etc., influence leaders to favor one intervention over another.

Course References:
1. Flores, P., & Porges, S. (2017). Group psychotherapy as a neural exercise: Bridging polyvagal theory and attachment theory. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(2), 202-222.
2. Grundy, D. (2018). Choice, the invisible element in our work. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68(2), 237-245.
3. Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking fast and slow. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
4. Lenoff, L. (2016). Epilogue: Pragmatics of clinical decision-making. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 36(7), 589-590.
5. Shay, J. (Ed.). (2017). Special issue for the 75th anniversary of the American Group Psychotherapy Association. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(supp. 1). 1-254 online only.

Workshop 7
The Nuts and Bolts of Creating and Maintaining Groups that Thrive

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Group Training and Supervision SIG and the Groups in Private Practice SIG

Chair:
Ann Steiner, PhD, MFT, CGP, FAGPA, Faculty Consultant, The Psychotherapy Institute, Berkeley, California

This primarily didactic workshop presents a comprehensive overview of the different types of group work, ways to evaluate participant's preferred leadership style, how to design, set up and maintain healthy psychotherapy groups. Common challenges, the importance of screening, preparation, group and termination agreements, and the issues raised when blending private practice clients into one’s therapy groups will be discussed as they apply to participant's needs.
Didactic/ Sharing of Work Experiences

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe and understand the major differences between the different types of "group work."
2. Describe the different roles and tasks undertaken by leaders/ teachers of different types of groups.
3. Describe and Identify two common countertransference issues and warning signs.
4. List the essential ingredients for a healthy group.
5. Describe the advantages of written group agreements, termination agreements and the issues raised when blending private practice clients into one’s therapy groups.

Course References:
1. Brown, N. (2018). Conducting Effective and Productive Psychoeducational and Therapy Groups. New York, NY: Routledge.
2. Gans, J., & Counselman, E. (2010). Patient Selection for Psychodynamic Group Psychotherapy: Practical and Dynamic Considerations. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 60(2), 19-22.
3. Knauss, L.K. (2006). Ethical issues in record keeping in group psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 56(4), 415-430.
4. Ormont, L. (1990). The Craft of Bridging. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 40(1), 3-17.
5. Rutan, J.S., Stone, W.N., & Shay J.J. (2014). Psychodynamic Group Psychotherapy, 5th Ed. New York: Guilford.
6. Schmidt, C. (2018). Anatomy of Racial Micro-Aggressions. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68:4, 585-607.
7. Steiner, A. (2020). How to Create and Sustain Groups that Thrive: Therapist's Workbook and Planning Guide, 2nd Ed. Berkeley, CA: Routledge Books.

Workshop 8
Racism: “…And No One Dared Disrupt the Sound of Silence….”

Chairs:
April Harvin, LCSW, Private Practice, Anti-Racism Consultant, Coach, New York, New York
Christine Schmidt, LCSW, CGP, Private Practice, Brooklyn, New York

How members attend to their own devils of internalized racial biases impacts group development. In this interactive workshop participants and leaders will be challenged to determine whether silence is collusion or support, and examine the destructive nature of care-taking and sympathy. We will consider the impact of acting from our individual and diverse group identities.
Experiential/ Sharing of Work Experiences/ Demonstration/ Didactic

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Define their own internal conflicts when demonstrating empathy towards group members.
2. Effectively state manifestations of implicit bias in the group.
3. Effectively diagnose co-leaders’ implicit bias.
4. Name the impact of implicit bias on group cohesion.
5. Demonstrate action by calling in and speaking out15 min, Obinternali.

Course References:
1. Abrams, Larua S., & Moio, Jene A. (n.d.). Critical Race Theory and the Cultural Copletence Dilemma in Social Work Education. Journal of Social Work Education, 45(2), 245–261.
2. Carter, R. T. (1995). The influence of race and racial identity in psychotherapy: Toward a racially inclusive model. New York: Wiley.
3. Dalal, F. (2002). Race, colour and the process of racialization: New perspectives from group analysis, psychoanalysis, and sociology. Hove, [England] ; New York: Brunner-Routledge.
4. Schmidt, C. (2018). Anatomy of Racial Micro-Aggressions. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2017.1421469
5. Schmidt, Christine. (2018). Decentering Whiteness by Group. Group, 42(4), 311–330.

Workshop 9
Out of the Chair: Integrating Team-Building Activities with Group Therapy

Chair:
Barney Straus, MSW, MA, CGP, FAGPA, Part Time Faculty, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

This workshop will explore the impact of using interactive games and problem-solving challenges with therapy groups. Through a combination of direct experience, lecture, and discussion, participants will be able to explore how using active methods can augment their therapeutic work with groups.
Experiential / Demonstration / Didactic/ Sharing of Work Experiences

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:  
1. Explain how to effectively incorporate novel activities into process-oriented groups.
2. Describe how to use metaphoric transfer of learning to heighten therapeutic impact of the group.
3. Select specific activities based on the stage of development and primary purpose of a particular group.

Course References:
1. Brown, S. (2009). Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul. London, UK: Penguin Books.
2. Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education. New York: Simon and Schuster.
3. Gass, M., Gillis, H.L., Russell, K. (2012). Adventure Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice. New York, NY: Routledge.
4. Straus, B. (2018). Healing in Action: Adventure-Based Counseling with Therapy Groups. New York, NY: Rowman and Littlefield.
5. Yalom, Y., & Leszcz, M. (2005). The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy, 5th Ed. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Workshop 10
Close Reading and Reflective Writing: How Storytelling Facilitates Group Process

Chairs:
Ann Burack-Weiss, PhD, LCSW, Associate Faculty, Columbia University, New York, New York
Lynn Lawrence, MS, Private Practice, New York, New York
Lynne Mijangos, MS, MFA, MSW, Practicum Coordinator, Columbia University, New York, New York

This workshop introduces the narrative practice of “close reading” and “reflective writing “ and demonstrates how these methods can be used in the formation and maintenance  of groups. Three faculty members will  facilitate three small groups with a focus on a discussion of a text and writing to a carefully crafted prompt. A consideration of various kinds of groups  and the stages in which these narrative methods offer the possibility of enhancing clinical work will be discussed.
Demonstration/ Experiential/ Didactic/ Sharing of Work Experiences

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
 1. Define “writing as discovery”.
2. Describe how discussing  multiple points of view in a text contributes to the development of intersubjectivity in groups.
3. Identify at least one group in which close reading and reflective writing might be incorporated to aid group process.
4. Select a text and craft a prompt to be used with a new or ongoing group.
5. Reflect on discoveries you made in writing to any of the prompts.
 
Course References:
1. Burack-Weiss, A., Lawrence, L.S.,  Mijangos, L.B. (Eds.) (2017). Narrative in Social Work Practice: The Power and Possibility of Story. New York, NY : Columbia University Press.
2. Charon, R. (2006). Narrative Medicine: Honoring the Stories of Illness. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
3. Charon, R.,  DasGupta, S., Hermann, N., Irvine, C.,  Marcus, E.R., Colón, E.R., Spencer, D., Spiegel,M., (2017). The Principles and Practice of Narrative Medicine. New York, NY : Oxford University Press.
4. Gitterman, A., Shulman,L. (Eds.) (2005). Mutual Aid Groups, Vulnerable & Resilient Populations, and the Life Cycle. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
5. Hermann, N. (2017). Creativity : What, Why, and Where?. In Charon,R. et al. (Eds.), The Principles and Practice of Narrative Medicine (pp.211-232). New York, NY : Oxford University Press.
6. Kandel, E.R., (2012). The Age of Insight: The Quest to Understand the Unconscious in Art, Mind and Brain. New York, NY: Random House.
7. Schulman, L. (2009). The Skills of Helping Families, Groups, & Communities (6th ed.). Belmont, California: Brooks/Cole.
8. Schwartz, W. (1971). The Practice of Group Work. New York, NY: Columbia University Press
9. Tuckman, B., Jensen, M.A.C. (2010). Stages of Small Group Development Revisited. https://www.staff.science.uu.nl/~daeme101/Stages%20of%20Small-Group%20Development%20Revisted.pdf
10. Yalom, I. (2005). The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Workshop 11
Who, What, When, Where, Why, and I:  The Group Leader Role and Running Process Groups for Training Experiences (AGPA Leadership Track)

Open to participants with less than four years of group psychotherapy experience

Chair:
Karen Eberwein, PsyD, CGP, Private Practice, Washington, DC

This workshop will explore the similarities and differences between conducting a process group for a training experience and leading a psychotherapy group.  In addition to didactic information, there will three demonstration process groups lead by workshop participant volunteers.
Didactic/ Experiential/ Sharing of Work Experiences/ Demonstration

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1.  Discuss the reasons it is important to have training specific to process group experiences.
2.  Distinguish major differences between a process group experience and a psychotherapy group.
3.  Identify important choice points for the leader during a process group experience.
4.  Enumerate personal and professional leadership challenges that arise when leading a process group experience.
5.  List important considerations relevant to a process group experience leader.

Course References:
1. Alonso, A., & Swiller, H.I. (Eds). (1993). Group therapy in clinical practice (pp. 533-545). Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Press.
2. Gans, J. S. (2002). The demonstration group:  A tool for observing group process and leadership style. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 52, 233-252.
3. Kobos, J., & Leszcz, M. (2007). Practice Guidelines for group psychotherapy. New York: American Group Psychotherapy Association.
4. Rutan, J. S. (2014). Things I have learned: 45+ years of group psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 64, 555-566.
5. Sunderji, M. D., Marlat, M. D., & Leszcz, M. D. (2013). Group Day: Experiential learning about group psychotherapy for psychiatry residents at University of Toronto. Academic Psychiatry, 37, 352-354.

Workshop 12
Expressive Movement to Explore Life Transitions: Group Process and the Rhythm of Change

Chair:
Suzanne Cohen, EdD, CGP, FAGPA,Private Practice, Newton, Massachusetts

The body is a resource that  helps us to navigate through life transitions.  We will focus on the body through The Nia Technique, expressive movement to music that leads to Body/Mind/ Emotions awareness and insight.  We will observe the body's response to the rhythm of change (awakening, increasing, containing and completing).  Group Process will be used to integrate the experiences.
Experiential / Demonstration / Sharing of work experiences / Didactic

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1.  Compare implicit and explicit ways of knowing.
2.  Name 4 stages of change of STrozzi-Heckler.
3.  Define sensation.
4.  Develop Vocabulary of Sensory Experience.
3. Specify role of music in expressive movement.

Course References:
1.  Cohen, S. L. (2011). Coming to our senses: The application of somatic psychology to group psychotherapy.  International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 61(3), pp 397-413
2.  Rosas, D., & Rosas, C. (2004). The Nia Technique. New York: Broadway Books.
3.  STrozzi-Heckler, R. (1984, 1993). The Anatomy of Change. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books
4.  Gene-Cos, N., Fisher, J., Ogden, P., & Cantrel, A. (2016). Sensorimotor psychotherapy group therapy in the treatment of complex PTSD. Annals of Psychiatry and Mental Health, 11, September, 2016.
5.  Payne, H. (2017). The psychoneurology of embodiment with examples from authentic movement and Laban movement analysis. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 39(2), pp 163-178.

Workshop 13
Psychodrama: The Magic of Growth and Change

Chair:
Shelley Firestone, MD, CGP, FAGPA, Medical Director & Psychotherapist, Chicago Psychotherapy and Psychiatry, Chicago, Illinois

Psychodrama is a powerful and effective tool for creating growth and change. This largely workshop presents the history, theory and technique of psychodrama, and the use of action techniques in individual, family, couple, and group psychotherapy.  The participants of this workshop will have the opportunity to experience the magic of growth and change, while gaining training and expertise in basic psychodrama techniques.
Experiential/ Demonstration/ Didactic/ Sharing of Work Experiences

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe basic psychodrama practice.
2. Distinguish between the use of the therapy session for a report of events vs. creating experiences in the “here and now” of the session.
3. Appreciate the power and effectiveness of psychodrama action concepts and techniques, and explain Interviewing, Soliloquy, Doubling, Role Taking and Role Reversal.
4. Use selective psychodrama techniques for effective problem solving, even with resistant patients, in individual, couple, family and group psychotherapy.
5. Use selective psychodrama techniques for building connection and cohesion in families, couples and groups.

Course References:
1. Blatner, A. (2000). Foundations of Psychodrama: History, Theory and Practice, 4th Ed. New York: Springer Publishing Company.
2. Carnabucci, K. (2014). Show and tell psychodrama. Self-published by Author.
3. Dayton, T. (2014). Emotional and developmental repair through psychodrama. The Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy, 62(1), 9-27.
4. Korshak, S. (2015). Modified Sociometric Technique Facilitating Group Psychotherapy: Using a Sociogram with Sharing and Reverse Sharing in a Process Group Psychotherapy Session. Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry, and Group Psychotherapy, 63(1), pp. 79-81.
5. Moreno, J.L. (1934). Who Shall Survive? A New Approach to the Problem of Interrelations. Washington, D.C.: Nervous and Mental Disease Publishing.

Workshop 14
A Journey into the Mind: Bringing Mentalizing Alive in Group

Open to participants with more than four years of group psychotherapy experience

Chairs:
Valorie George, LCSW, CGP, Private Practice, Petoskey Center, Houston, Texas
Jennifer Markey, PhD, CGP, Private Practice, Petoskey Center, Houston, Texas

Through a series of experiential exercises, we will demystify the concept of mentalizing and give participants some ideas for integrating mentalizing into group practice. Specifically, we will describe mentalizing in patient-friendly terms and demonstrate how mentalizing can be used to deepen patients’ understanding of themselves and their relationships.
Experiential/ Demonstration/ Didactic/ Sharing of Work Experiences

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe mentalizing in patient-friendly terms.
2. List and describe three mentalizing activities to use in group settings with a variety of client populations.
3. Describe 3 pre-mentalizing states (pretend mode, teleological stance, psychic equivalence).

Course References:
1. Bateman, A., & Fonagy, P. (2016). Mentalization-based treatment for personality disorder. Oxford-UK: Oxford Press.
2. Bo, S., Sharp, C., Beck, E., Pedersen, J., Gondan, M., & Simonsen, E. (2017). First Empirical Evaluation of Outcomes for Mentalization-based Group Therapy for Adolescents With Borderline Personality Disorders. Theory, Research, and Treatment, 8(4). 396-401.
3. Edel, M.A., Raaff, V., Dimaggio, G., Buchheim, A., & Brüne, M. (2017). Exploring the effectiveness of combined mentalization based group therapy and dialectical behavior therapy for inpatients with borderline personality disorder - A pilot study. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 56(1), 1-15.
4. Fonagy, P., Campbell, C., & Bateman, A. (2017). Mentalizing, Attachment, and Epistemic Trust in Group Therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 62(2), 176-201.
5. Kalleklev, J., & Ktilarterud, S. (2018). A comparative study of a mentalization-based versus a psychodynamic group therapy session. Group Analysis, 51(1), 44-60.

Workshop 15
Decoding Body Language in Group Psychotherapy: Accessing the Core Blueprints for Immediacy

Chairs:
Chap Attwell, MD, MPH, Clinical Director, Medical Student Mental Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York
Liz Stewart, BCSI, Private Practice, Boulder, Colorado

Paying keen attention to overtly visible body language in group work can provide a bridge to decode non-verbal, unconscious communication between members in real time. Strengthening attachment bonds and/or heightening the group’s sense of immediacy strengthen our attempts to construct new avenues for interpersonal connection.
Experiential/ Demonstration/ Didactic/ Sharing of Work Experiences

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:  
1. Demonstrate the utility of working with the superficial layer of the group connective tissue via the creation of a mutually agreed-upon framework for the workshop.
2. Identify the core ingredients of working with body language in the group setting.
3. Define the two working models--the neurobiology of body language and the anatomy of connective tissue--which we propose integrating in direct application to decoding body language in group work. 
4. Model finding verbal language that might accompany bodily communications in the anatomical layer known as superficial fascia within the larger inter-personal group process.
5. Correlate directly observable body language in others to matching body language correlations in ourselves.
6. Illustrate the didactic model of our group process to create a model of the mind and its take-away applications for our participants’ personal and professional lives.

Course References:
1. Berger, M.M. (1958). Nonverbal Communication in Group Psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 8, 161-178.
2. Matsumoto, D., Frank, M., & Hwang, H.S. (2013). Non-verbal Communication: Science and Applications. New York: Sage Publications.
3. Navarro, J.  (2008). What Every Body Is Saying:  An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed Reading People. New York: William Morrow Paperbacks.
4. Rolf, I. (1991). Rolfing and Physical Reality. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.
5. Lesondak, D. (2017). Fascia: What It Is and Why it Matters. East Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom: Handspring Publishing Limited.
6. Guimberteau, J.C. (2015 ). Architecture of Human Living Fascia: the Extracellular Matrix and Cells Revealed through Endoscopy. East Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom: Handspring Publishing Limited.
7.  Larkam, E. (2017). Fascia in Motion: Fascia-focused Movement for Pilates. East Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom: Handspring Publishing Limited.
8. Kearns, L. (2017). Somatics in Action: A Mindful and Physical Conditioning Tool for Movers. East Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom: Handspring Publishing Limited.

Workshop 16
The Secret Agent Society^TM - A Multi-Media, Evidence-Based Group Social Skills Program for Children

Chairs:
Renae Beaumont, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
Jo Hariton, PhD, LCSW, CGP, Assistant Professor of Social Work in Psychiatry, Weill Cornell, White Plains, New York
Meghan McKenzie, PhD, Child Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow, New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division, White Plains, New York

Participants will learn how to deliver social skills training to children in an effective, fun and efficient manner that encourages generalization of skills via the Secret Agent Society Program (SAS). SAS is multi-media evidence-based program which focuses on emotion regulation and social skills for children 8-12 years of age. Originally designed for children with ASD, it has currently been utilized and holds promise for other pediatric psychiatric conditions including Anxiety Disorders and ADHD.
Demonstration/ Experiential/ Didactic/ Sharing of Work Experiences

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:  
1. Understand and apply creative, evidence-based tools for teaching emotion regulation and social skills to children.
2. Name and practice techniques for promoting children's social-emotional skill generalization to daily life.
3. Apply strategies to help parents and teachers support children's social-emotional skill application at home and school.
4. Develop skills and confidence in trouble shooting common process issues  when delivering social skills training to children.

Course References:
1. Beaumont, R. (2015). The Secret Agent Society Social-Emotional Skills Training Program for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The Australian Clinical Psychologist, 1(2), 27-29.
2. Beaumont, R., Rotolone, C., & Sofronoff, K. (2015). The Secret Agent Society social skills program for children with a high­ functioning autism spectrum disorders: A comparison of two brief versions for schools. Psychology in the Schools, 52(4), 290-402, DOI: 10.1002/pits.21831
3. Einfeld, S., Beaumont, R., Clark, T., Clarke, K., Costley, D., Gray, K.M., Horstead, S.K., AntoinetteRedoblado Hodge, M., Roberts, J., Sofronoff, K., Taffe, J.R., & Howlin, P. (2017). School-based Social Skills Training for Young People with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 43(1), 29-39.
4. Sofronoff, K., Silva, J., & Beaumont, R. (2015). Parent delivery of the Secret Agent Society social-emotional skills training program for children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 1-16, DOI: 10.1177/1088357615583467
5. Weiss, I.A., Thomson, K., Burnham Rosa, P., Albaum. C., Chan, V., Maughan, A., Tabion, P., & Black, K. (2018). A randomized wait-list controlled trial of cognitive behavior therapy to improve emotion regulation in children with autism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, doi:10.11111cpp.12915

Workshop 17
Expanding Diversity Dialogues: Treating Clients with Health Conditions and Disabilities

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Health and Medical Issues SIG and the College Counseling and Other Educational Settings SIG

Chairs:
Wendy Freedman, PhD, CGP, Director of Psychological Services, Vassar College Counseling Service, Poughkeepsie, New York
Leslie Klein, PhD, Private Practice, Washington, DC
Katheryne Kopp Miller, PsyD, HSPP, Clinical Psychologist, Under the Umbrella, Bloomington, Indiana

Individuals with disabilities and health conditions comprise the largest and most diverse minority group in the United States.  All groups likely have a facilitator or member(s) with these experiences. In this workshop, we frame disability through a multicultural lens and demonstrate affirming group work with this population. Attendees will explore the role of health issues and disability in their professional and personal lives.
Experiential/ Didactic/ Demonstration/ Sharing of Work Experiences

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:  
1. Explain how to conceptualize disability and health status as multicultural experiences
2. List common psychological struggles of individuals with disabilities or health conditions.
3. Identify common microaggressions directed toward people with disabilities and health conditions.
4. Name culturally-affirmative accommodations to make when working with clients with disabilities and health conditions.
5. Describe how to develop effective protocols for running therapy groups for clients with disabilities and health conditions.

Course References:
1. American Psychological Association. (2012). Guidelines for assessment of and intervention with persons with disabilities. American Psychologist, 67, 43-62.
2. Dunn, D.S., & Andrews, E.E. (2015). Person-first and identity-first language: Developing psychologists’ cultural competence using disability language.  American Psychologist, 70, 255-264.
3. Keller, R.M., & Galgay, C.E. (2010).  Microaggressive experiences of people with disabilities. In D.W. Sue (Ed.), Microaggressions and marginality: manifestation, dynamics, and impact (pp. 241-267). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
4. Nettles, R. & Balter, R.(2012). Multiple minority identities. New York, NY. Springer Publishing Company.
5. Olkin, R. (2017). Disability-affirmative therapy: A case formulation template for clients with disabilities. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Workshop 18
Queering Clinical Practice with Awareness and Responsiveness

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Identities SIG

Chairs:
Sorin Thomas, MA, LPC, LAC, Founder & Executive Director, Queer Asterisk Therapeutic Services, Boulder, Colorado

What do we as therapists need to know in order to better serve our queer and transgender clients? How can we as group leaders create a safer space for all of our group members to explore gender and sexuality? In this workshop, participants will broaden their awareness of these issues and deepen their capacity to respond accordingly. Together, we will look beyond normative clinical care models and discuss the implications of queering our clinical practice.
Didactic/ Experiential/ Sharing of Work Experiences/ Demonstration

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:  
1. Deconstruct the dominant narrative and conceptualize with a "queer" lens.
2. Identify clinical themes that arise when working consciously with intersecting identities.
3. Develop better practice guidelines for working with intersectionality i.e. queering therapy.

Course References:
1. Conant, E., & Hammond, R. (2017). In Their Words: How Children Are Affected by Gender Issues. National Geographic.
2. Steinmetz, K. (2014). The Transgender Tipping Point. Time Magazine.
3. Benson, K. (2013). Seeking Support: Transgender Client Experiences with Mental Health Services. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 25, 17-40.
4. Cole, G., & Drescher, J. (2006). Do Tell: Queer Perspectives on Therapist Self-Disclosure. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Psychotherapy, 10, 1-6.
5. American Counseling Association. (2010). American Counseling Association competencies for counseling with transgender clients. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 4, 135–159. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/ 15538605.2010.524839
6. American Psychological Association. (2015). Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People. American Psychologist, 70(9), 832–864. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0039906

Workshop 19
Why is This Happening NOW in My Groups?  Applying a Transgenerational Perspective to Current and Past Collective Trauma

Chairs:
Lorraine Wodiska, PhD, ABPP, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, Arlington, Virginia
Barbara Wood, PhD, Private Practice, Bethesda, Maryland

Group provides an ideal venue for the activation and healing of unprocessed, transgenerationally transmitted trauma associated with immigration.  The US is a nation of refugees and descendants of refugees who are recapitulating unprocessed trauma in their important relationships.  We will describe tools and strategies for addressing this problem in group.
Didactic / Experiential / Sharing of Work Experiences / Demonstration

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:  
1. Cite one reason why a Transgenerational perspective is important in American psychotherapy.
2. Identify at least two “ways of knowing”, about trauma. 
3. Define the Unthought Known. 
4. Create a basic Traumagram describing their past two generations. 
5. Describe how the current political climate exacerbates existing personal and intergenerational trauma in group therapy.   
6. Describe two basic strategies to address the convergence of current political and past collective trauma.

Course References:
1. Bollas, C. (1987). The shawow of the object: Psychoanalysis of the unthought known. New York: Columbia University Press.
2. Danieli, Y. (1998). International Handbook of Multigenerational Legacies of Trauma. New York: Plenum Press.
3. Grinberg, L. G. (1989). Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Migration and Exile. New Haven & London: Yale University Press.
4. Hardy, K., & Laszloffy, T. (1995). The Cultural Genogram: Key to Training Culturally Competent Family Therapists. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 21, 227-237.
5. Rasbridge, C. K. (2004). Refugee and immigrant health: a handbook for health professionals. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

---

Lunch-Time Open Session
1:00 – 2:15 P.M.

LG-1: The Large Group 

Presented in cooperation with the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute

Facilitators: 
Susan P. Gantt, PhD, ABPP, CGP, DFAGPA
Claudia Byram, PhD, CGP
Frances Carter, MSS, LSW
Ray Haddock, MBChB, MMedSc, FRCPsych

Consultant: 
Robi Friedman, PhD

Using systems-centered’s (SCT) method of functional subgrouping, this large group will explore the emergent system dynamics and conflicts we have as members, subgroups and as a large group-as-a-whole in each phase of system development. Functional subgrouping supports discriminating and integrating differences as the process by which all living human systems survive, develop and transform. Thinking systems facilitates us discovering how our large group functioning is isomorphic with the larger social contexts in which we are nested.

This session is also being held on Friday (1:00-2:15 pm) and Saturday (2:00-4:30 pm)
Attendance at all sessions is encouraged.
 
Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Apply functional subgrouping in a large group context.
2. Identify how functional subgrouping enables groups to develop by integrating differences rather than splitting and polarizing.
3. Describe the similarities and differences between the inner-person where we feel like ourselves, the inter-person where we are related with others toward a common goal, and the whole-system context and its norms.
4. Differentiate between what the large group is open to in each phase and what it is closed to.
5. Discuss how the large group is nested in the context of the AGPA conference which is nested in the context of AGPA and how the large group functions is isomorphic with its larger context both within AGPA and at all system levels.
6. Differentiate between explaining which reiterates the known and exploring which takes us to the unknown and opens to emergence.
 
Course References:
1. Agazarian, Y.M., & Carter, F. (1993). The large group and systems-centered theory. GROUP: The Journal of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, 17(4), 210-234.
2. Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2011). Highlights from ten years of a systems-centered large group: Work in progress. Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy, 47(1), 40-50.
3. Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768
4. Gantt, S.P. (2018). Developing groups that change our minds and transform our brains: Systems-centered’s functional subgrouping, its impact on our neurobiology, and its role in each phase of group development. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: Today’s Bridge Between Psychoanalysis and the Group World [Special Issue]. 38(4), 270-284.
5. O’Neill, R.M., & Mogle, J. (2015). Systems-centered functional subgrouping and large group outcome. GROUP: The Journal of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, 39 (4), 303-317. doi: 10.13186/group.39.4.0303
6. Whitcomb, K.E., O’Neill, R.M., Burlingame, G.M., Mogle, J., Gantt, S.P., Cannon, J.A.N., & Roney, T. (2018). Measuring how systems-centered® members connect with group dynamics: FSQ-2 construct validity. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68(2), 163-183. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2017.1381024
 

---

Presenters:
Dennis Foley, PsyD, Private Practice, Austin, Texas
Anna Graybeal, PhD, CGP,Private Practice, Austin, Texas
Britt Raphling, LCPC, CGP, Private Practice, Austin, Texas

Three members of the AGPA and Modern Analytic communities, will deliver a twenty minute account of an issue they are contending with in their personal and practice life. The issues touched on reflect their development and ongoing work as people engaged in psychodynamic treatment.

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. The importance of on-going supervisions and training in the life of the group leader will be emphasized.
2. Resistance in treatment will be seen as an opportunity for understanding patients.
3. The role of countertransference will be highlighted in crafting interventions.

Course References:
1. Furgeri, L. (Ed.) (2003). The Technique of Group Treatment: The Collected Papers of Louis R. Ormont, Ph.D.  International Universities Press.
2. Zeisel, E.M. (2009). Modern Group Theory and Practice in the Wit and Wisdom of Louis Ormont. Group, 33.2.
3. Zeisel, E.M. (2009). Affect Education and the Development of the Interpersonal Ego in Modern Group Analysis. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 59 (3).
4. Zeisel, E.M. (2012). The Leader’s Use of Self: A Modern Analytic Approach to Working in the Intra-psychic and Interpersonal Realm. Modern Psychoanalysis, 37 (2).
5. Zeisel, E.M. (2012). Meeting Maturational Needs in Modern Group Analysis: A Schema for Personality Integration and Interpersonal Effectiveness. In J.L. Kleinberg (Ed.), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Group Psychotherapy. A. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Chapter pp. 217 - 229.

Session 305 
Working with Trans and Gender Nonconforming Youth and Young Adults: Clinical, Medical, and Life Support Needs

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Child and Adolescent SIG and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Identities SIG

Chair:
Thomas Hurster, MSS, LCSW, CGP, FAGPA, Adjunct Professor of Clinical Social Work, Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

Presenters:
Mark Beauregard, LCAT, Private Practice, New York Creative Arts Therapists, New York, New York
Melissa Goates-Jones, PhD, Assistant Professor, Psychology, Brigham Young Univeristy Adjunct Faculty, Provo, Utah
Elizabeth McAdam, MA, RDT, LCAT, New York University, Drama Therapy Department, New York, New York
Caroline Salas-Humara, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York

In light of the increased presentation of trans and gender nonconforming youth for group treatment, this panel discussion will focus on clinical, familial, medical, psycho-social, and housing needs of trans and gender nonconforming youth. Topics include gender dysphoria, group therapy with youth in a conservative religious community, coming out, working with housing unstable youth, medical support, dating, bullying and school support, support groups for families and youth, and inclusive group therapy with gender conforming youth.

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the dimensions of gender dysphoria as it presents in adolescence and young adulthood.
2. State the obstacles that occur when working with trans youth in group therapy in conservative religious communities.
3. Identify the  important components of gender affirming medical care for trans and gender nonconforming youth.
4. Compare the options available for unstably housed gender nonconforming youth.
5. Describe how creative arts techniques can enhance group treatment with trans and gender nonconforming youth.
6. Discuss the pros and cons of homogeneous vs. heterogeneous groups with trans, gender nonconforming youth, and gender conforming youth.

Course References:
1.  American Psychological Association. (2015). Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People. American Psychologist, 70 (9), 832-864. doi: 10.1037/a0039906
2.  Kaltiala-Heino, R., Bergman, H., Työläjärvi, M., & Frisén, L. (2018). Gender dysphoria in adolescence: current perspectives. Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics, 9, 31–41. doi:10.2147/AHMT.S135432
3.  Shelton, J., DeChants, J., Bender, K., Hsu, H., Maria, D., Petering, R., . . . Barman-Adhikari, A. (2018). Homelessness and Housing Experiences among LGBTQ Young Adults in Seven U.S. Cities. Cityscape, 20(3), 9-34. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/26524870
4.  Heck, N.C., Croot, L.C., & Robohm, J.S. (2013). Piloting a psychotherapy group for transgender clients:  Description and practice. Advance online publication. Doi: 10.1037/a0033134
5.  Rofofsky, M., Kalyanam, A., Benwald, A., & Krishnakumar, A. (2017). LGBTQ adolescents.  In Haen, C., and Aronson, S. (Ed.), Handbook of Child and Adolescent Group Therapy- A practitioner’s reference. New York; Routledge. 
6.  Beauregard, M., & Long, K. (2019, in press). Attuning to the needs of LGBTQ youth. In MacWilliam, B., Harris B., Trottier D.G., & Long, K. (Ed.), Creative arts therapies and the LGBTQ community: Theory and practice (pp. 119-138). London: Jessica Kingsley.

Session 306 
Stories We Carry: An Exploration of the Impact of Trauma Stories on the Clinician and the Group

Chair:
Mary Krueger, MSEd, LCPC, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, Cary, Illinois

Presenters:
Catherine Brennan, MD, Private Practice, Davis, California
Paige LaCava, MA, LCPC, CGP, Private Practice, Evanston, Illinois
Shira Marin, PhD, Private Practice, San Rafael, California

This Open Session is an exploration of the impact that working with traumatic material has on the group and the clinician, both individually and as a whole. Through the use of clinical examples, theoretical perspectives, and lived experiences, we will examine how listening to sensitive material can impact all participants on many levels. Issues around containment, countertransference, clinical interventions, and the use of experiential techniques will be addressed.

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Define primary traumatization, secondary traumatization and vicarious traumatization.
2. Identify two major challenges potentially faced by clinicians who work with trauma.
3. Identify at least two skills that the Group Therapist may utilize to attenuate the impact of exposure to traumatic material.

Course References:
1. Beck, R., & Buchele, B. (2005). In the Belly of the Beast: Traumatic Countertransference. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 55:1, 31-44.
2. Foy D., Unger, W., & Wattenberg, M. (2004). Group Interventions for Treatment of Psychological Trauma; Module 4: An overview of Evidence-Based Group Approaches to Trauma with Adults. New York, NY: American Group Psychotherapy Association.
3. Gans, J. (2017). The Leader’s Illumination of Group Phenomena Hidden in Plain Sight: Why Is No One Talking About the Elephant in the Room?. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67:3, 337-359.
4. Guzmán-Vélez, E., Feinstein, J. S., & Tranel, D. (2014). Feelings without memory in Alzheimer disease. Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology: Official Journal of the Society for Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology, 27(3), 117-29.
5. Okada, A., & Matsuo, J. (2012). Emotional memory in patients with Alzheimer's disease: A report of two cases. Case reports in Psychiatry, 2012, 313906.
6. Ormont, L. (2015). Developing Emotional Insulation. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 44:3, 361-375.
7. Phillips, S. (2015). The Dangerous Role of Silence in the Relationship Between Trauma and Violence: A Group Response. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 65:1, 64-87.
8. Saakvitne, K.W. (2005). Holding Hope and Humanity in the Face of Trauma’s Legacy: The Daunting Challenge for Group Therapists. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 55:1, 137-149.
9. Schermer, V.L. (2005). Introduction. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 55:1, 1-29.
10. Spinazola, L.P.  (2018). Narrative (Re)Righting: Recovering and Rebuilding a Life Rocked by Trauma. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 23:4, 335-346.
11. Okada, A., & Matsuo, J. (2012). Emotional memory in patients with Alzheimer's disease: a report of two cases. Case Reports in Psychiatry, 2012, 313906.

Phenomena occur in groups that do not typically happen in individual psychotherapy. Groups provide multiple intervention possibilities associated with the complexity of interactions between members not usuallly available in individual treatment. Employing experiential examples, interventions that broaden the therapist's ability to fully exploit the group's potential will be demonstrated.
Didactic/ Demonstration/ Experiential/ Sharing of Work Experiences

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. List at least five unique properties of groups that differ markedly from individual psychotherapy. 
2. Describe and explain strategic intervention(as contrasted with tactical), approaches associated with each unique property of groups. 
3. Describe at least threel interventions that reflect strategic expressions for each of the identified unique properties of groups listed in #1.
4. Explain the difference between implicit and explicit processes.
5. Employ interventions which promote interaction  between members  by demonstrating capacity to cite actual wording of at least three interventions.
6. Be able to describe the difference between group-as-a-whole interventions and those at other levels with at least two examples that are pertinent to the unique properties of groups.

Course References:
1. Horwitz, L. (1977). A group centered approach to group psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 27, 423-439.
2. Foulkes, S. H. (1964). Therapeutic group analysis. (Reprinted 1984). London: Karnac Books.
3. MacKenzie, R. & Bernard H. (1994). Basics of Time Limited Group Psychotherapy. New York: Guildford Press.
4. Rutan, S., Stone, W., & Shay, J., (2007). Psychodynamic Group Psychotherapy (4th ed.), New York: Guildford Press.
5. Yalom, I and Leszcz, M. (2005). The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy (5th edition). New York: Basic Books.

 

Workshop 21
Am I My Brother's Keeper? Exploring the Influence of Sibling Dynamics

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA College Counseling and Other Educational Settings SIG and the Racial and Ethnic Diversity SIG

Chairs:
Brett Kociol, PsyD, Staff Psychologist, Two Chairs, Redwood City, California
Yair Kramer, PsyD, Process Group Leader, Icahn School of Medicine at St. Luke's & West Psychiatry Residency, New York, New York
Benjamin Mueller, PsyD, Assistant Professor, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York

Siblings are one of the few people in the world who know what it is like to grow up in our family. And yet, our siblings’ experiences frequently differ from our own. This workshop will explore this unique affiliation, the intense feelings of love, rivalry, connection, envy, and loss that arise in these formative bonds and how they establish a template for future relationships.
Demonstration/ Experiential/ Sharing of Work Experiences/ Didactic

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to: 
1. Describe how their personal sibling dynamics have impacted their sense of self and their choice of roles as members of groups.
2. Name how their personal sibling dynamics have impacted their work as individual and/or group clinicians.
3. Classify different types of sibling dynamics through participation in the here-and-now of the experiential process group.

Course References:
1. Caffaro, J.V., Conn-Caffaro, A. (2003). Sibling Dynamics and Group Psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 53 (2), pp. 135-154.
2. Rabin, H.M. (2011). Peers and Siblings: Their Neglect in Analytic Group Psychotherapy. Group, 35 (4), pp. 279-288.
3. Rutan, J. S., Stone, W. N., & Shay, J. J. (2014). Psychodynamic group psychotherapy (5th ed.). New York, NY, US: Guilford Press.
4 Shapiro, E.L., Ginzberg, R. (2001). The Persistently Neglected Sibling Relationship and Its Applicability to Group Therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 51, (3), pp. 327-341.
5. Yalom, I. D., & Leszcz, M. (2005). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books.

Workshop 22
Battling the Epidemic of Loneliness in Ourselves and in Our Groups

Presented in cooperation with the Institute of Group Analysis (Athens)

Chairs:
Jeffrey Kleinberg, PhD, MPH, CGP, DFAGPA, Clinical Assistant Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, New York
Zoe Voyatzaki, MA, Private Practice, Athens, Greece

Have you ever been lonely? You’re not alone. Public health experts have called the increasing number of people suffering from loneliness an epidemic. Research shows that feeling lonely is as detrimental to one’s well-being as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. Therapists, too, are subject to loneliness. Through an experiential group we will consider how to protect our patients and ourselves from becoming painfully lonely. Cultural, and life stage differences will be explored.
Experiential/ Didactic/ Demonstration/ Sharing of Work Experiences

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Contrast loneliness from being alone.
2. Identify the risk factors for loneliness, across the life-span, with a specific focus on the increasing vulnerability due to aging.
3. Evaluate whether group is inevitably a mirror of societal issues (the digital age, social justice, economic divide, immigration) that promote loneliness.
4. Describe unique ways that expose therapists to the negative effects of social isolation.
5. Identify group interventions that can prevent or minimize the risks of loneliness.
 
Course References:
1. Howden, L.M. & Meyer, J.A. (2010). Loneliness among older adults: A national survey of adults 45+. Retrieved (September, 2010) from https://doi.org/110.26419/res.000064.002.
2. Latson, J. (March-April, 2018). The cure for disconnection. Psychology Today, 44-50, 81.
3. Payne, K. T., & Marcus, D. K. (2008). The efficacy of group psychotherapy for older adult clients: A meta-analysis. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 12(4), 268-278. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0013519
4. Rook, K.S. & Charles, S.T. (2017) Close social ties and health in later life: Strengths and Vulnerabilities. American Psychologist, 72 (6), 367-372.
5. Turkle, S. (2011). Alone Together. New York: Basic Books.

Workshop 23
Humanizing the Oppressor (Humanizing Ourselves)

Chair:
Susan Mah, BA, MSW, MFA, Therapist, San Jose, California 
Marc Schramm, PsyD, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, Hilliard, Ohio

I have the germ of all possible crimes, or nearly all, within me.       
         --Simone Weil
How best to repair those potentialities (or actualities) within ourselves and others?  We will look at modeling the better angels of our nature, drawing on the feminine moral theory of Carol Gilligan, non-complementarity, mentalizing, Terror-Management Theory, therapeutic use of self, and maintenance of a therapeutic attitude in Group-Therapy. Along the way we’ll explore both clinical and in-vivo examples of humanization.
Sharing of work experiences/ Didactic/ Experiential/ Demonstration

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe the basics of Carol Gilligan's theory of moral development;
2. Describe the basics of Terror Management Theory;
3. Name and describe the importance of non-complementary response and other factors in maintaining a therapeutic attitude;
4. Recognize the shared humanity of the group leader and all the members.

Course References:
1. Cikara, M., Bruneau, E. G., & Saxe, R. R. (2011). Us and them: Intergroup failures of empathy. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(3), 149-153.
2. Hopwood, Christopher J. (2016).  Don't do what I do: How getting out of sync can help relationships. Shots. Retrieved 7 April, 2019 from https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/07/16/485721853/dont-do-what-i-do-how-getting-out-of-sync-can-help-relationships
3. Jorgensen, G. (2006). Kohlberg and Gilligan: duet or duel?. Journal of Moral Education, 35, 179-196.
4. Kesebir, P., & Pyszczynski, T. (2011). A moral‐existential account of the psychological factors fostering
intergroup conflict. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5(11), 878-890.
5. Malcus L. (1995). Indirect scapegoating via projective identification and the mother group.  International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 75 (1) :55-71.
6. McGregor, I., Haji, R., & Kang, S. J. (2008). Can ingroup affirmation relieve outgroup derogation?. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 44, 1395-1401.
7. Rutan, J. Scott  (2014). A Psychodynamic approach: Commentary on “Consciousness-raising in a gender conflict group”. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 64.(10, pp. 71-75.
8. Schermer, Victor L. (2015). Violence, threat, and emotional “malnourishment”: An interview with Dr. Dan Gottlieb.  International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 65 (1), pp. 31-39.
9. Winnicott, D. W. (1949) Hate in the counter-transference. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 30, 69-74.

Workshop 24
Indecent Exposure?: The Pitfalls and Potential of Group Therapist Self-Disclosure

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Affiliate Societies Assembly

Chair:
Jonathan Stillerman, PhD, CGP, Private Practice, Washington, DC
 
We’ve come a long way from the abstinent, anonymous therapist as an ideal. Yet, therapist self-disclosure remains controversial. This workshop will expand that debate to group treatment by exploring the complexity of using and revealing ourselves in our groups and evaluating the impact of doing so.
Sharing of work experiences/ Didactic/ Experiential/ Demonstration

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Differentiate between classical and modern views of countertransference and therapist self-disclosure.
2. Identify differences between therapist self-disclosure in group vs. individual therapy.
3. Describe three different types of group therapist self-disclosure.
4. Discuss potential risks and benefits of group therapist self-disclosure.
5. Clarify one’s own boundaries as a group therapist with regard to self-disclosure.
6. Evaluate the impact of therapist self-disclosure on a therapy group.

Course References:
1. Livingston, M. (2013). Impasses, the Use of Self, and Self-Disclosure: A Self Psychological View. Group, 37:1, 19-30.
2. Maroda, K.J. (2009). Less is More: An Argument for the Judicious Use of Self-Disclosure. In A. Bloomgarden & R.G. Menutti (Eds.), Psychotherapist Revealed (pp. 17-30). New York, NY: Routledge.
3. Rabin, H.M. (2014). Therapist Self-Disclosure in Individual and Group Psychotherapy. Group, 38:2, 115-125.
4. Sternbach, J. (2003). Self-Disclosure With All-Male Groups. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 53:1, 61-81.
5. Wright, F. (2000). The Use of the Self in Group Leadership: A Relational Perspective. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 50:2, 181-198.
6. Zeisel, E. (2012). The Leader’s Use of Self: A Modern Analytic Approach to Working in the Intra-psychic and Interpersonal Realm, The Louis Ormont Lecture, American Group Psychotherapy Association Annual Meeting, New York, NY.

Workshop 25
Bearing the Unbearable: Vicarious Traumatization in Group

Open to participants with more than four years of group psychotherapy experience

Chair:
Martha Gilmore, PhD, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, Davis and Sacramento, California

Leading groups that include traumatized members involves unique transference/countertransference dynamics which can become an intolerable burden to the group therapist.  This workshop aims to help participants manage their reactions to this work and increase their therapeutic effectiveness and well-being. Techniques to reduce vicarious traumatization will be demonstrated experientially.
Sharing of work experiences/ Didactic/ Experiential/ Demonstration

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Identify and manage transference phenomena unique to groups for trauma survivors.
2. Define specific vicarious traumatization and countertransference reactions in trauma groups, decreasing the risk of creating adverse group dynamics.
3. Utilize methods of preventing vicarious traumatization so participants can continue to work with this population.

Course References:
1. Buchele, B.  (2000). Life’s many pieces: The identity of the group psychotherapist. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 50, 419-436.
2. Dalenberg, C. J., (2000). Countertransference and the treatment of trauma. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
3. Pearlman, Laurie Anne; McKay, Lisa (2009). Understanding and addressing vicarious trauma (PDF). Pasadena, CA: Headington Institute.
4. Pearlman, L. A., &  Caringi, J. (2009). Living and working self-reflectively to address vicarious trauma. In Courtois, Christine; Ford (eds.), Treating complex traumatic stress disorders: an evidence-based guide. New York: Guilford Press. pp. 202–224. ISBN 978-1-60623-039-8.
5. Philipson, I. (2018). "I Should Like to Point Out that There is an Air-Raid Going on Outside!”:  Psychoanalysis and the Denial of the Analyst’s Trauma. Psychoanalytic Perspectives, 15, 38-47.
6. Saakvitne, K.W., Pearlman, L.A. ,& the staff of the Traumatic Stress Institute (1996). Transforming the Pain: A Workbook on Vicarious Traumatization. New York:  W.W. Norton & Company.

Workshop 26
Greeting Google: Navigating Groups in a Digital World

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Internet, Social Media, and Technology SIG

Chairs:
Lindsey Randol, PsychD, Assistant Professor, Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado
David Songco, MA, PsyD, CGP, Assistant Professor, Wisconsin School of Professional Psychology, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Facebook. Instagram. Twitter. Social media offers ways to connect with others, yet research suggests an increase in loneliness among users of these platforms. Participants will navigate a fishbowl experience of meeting first “online” and then in person. Group dynamics, digital and in-person identities, projections, and clinical implications will be discussed.
Experiential/ Demonstration/ Sharing of Work Experiences/ Didactic

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe the concepts and implications of online/digital bias and projections in the process of forming relationships.
2. Analyze their digital identities.
3. Describe social media effects on connection, loneliness, and relationships.
4. Describe processes of digital representation and self-formation.

Course References:
1. Caplan, S. E. (2006). Relations among loneliness, social anxiety, and problematic Internet use. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 10(2), 234-242.
2. Kolmes, K. (2012). Social media in the future of professional psychology. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 43, 606–612. doi: 10.1037/a0028678
3. Lemma, A. (2017). The digital age on the couch: Psychoanalytic practice and new media. London: Routledge.
4. Pittman, M., & Reich, B. (2016). Social media and loneliness: Why an Instagram picture may be worth more than a thousand Twitter words. Computers in Human Behavior, 62, 155-167. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.03.084
5. Shaw, L. H., & Gant, L. M. (2002). In defense of the Internet: The Relationship between Internet communication and depression, loneliness, self-esteem, and perceived social support. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 5(2), 157-171. doi:10.1089/109493102753770552
6. Weinberg, H. (2014). The paradox of Internet groups: Alone in the presence of virtual others. London: Karnac.

Workshop 27
What Will the Neighbors Think? How to Develop Positive Relationships in Shared Spaces

Open to participants with less than four years of group psychotherapy experience

Chair:
Leah Slivko, LICSW, PsychA, Psychoanalyst, New York, New York

We are all born within a family system that nurtures us to connect with others. We play, we interact, we fight, we resolve and we grow. How do we learn to balance our need for safety and our need to challenge our boundaries to move forward? This workshop, through  the lens of attachment theory, will encourage members to discover the balance of attachment and separation, needed for optimal growth.
Experiential/ Didactic/ Sharing of Work Experiences/ Demonstration

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Identify stages of attachment.
2. Create a group culture that allows for openness and sharing.
3. Compare and contrast between group engagement and disengagement.

Course References:
1. Black, A.E.  (2019). Treating Insecure Attachment in Group Therapy: Attachment Theory Meets Modern Psychoanalytic Perspective Technique. International Journal of Group Therapy, 39, 1-28.
2. Flores, P.J. (2010). Group Psychotherapy and Neuroplasticit: An Attachment Theory Perspective. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 60, 546-570.
3. Marmarosh, C., & Tasca, G. (2013). Attachment Anxiety: Using Group Therapy to Promote Change. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69, 1172-1182.
4. Marmarosh, C., Markin, R., & Spiegel, E.B. (2013). Attachment in Group Therapy. Routledge Publishers.
5. Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P.R. (2007).  Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 57, 233-245.

Workshop 28
Group Therapy as an Inner Exploration Through Color, Words, and Motion (Towards a Process of Self-Growth)

Chairs:
Daniella Bassis, PsyD, Private Practice, Hofit, Israel
Orit Even Shoshan-Reshef, MA, Head of Mental Therapy, Modiin Urbanic Association, Modiin, Israel
Idit Tevet-Cytryn, PsyD, Academic College, Beit Berl, Kfar Saba, Israel

Expressive Art Therapy (Visual art, Bibliotherapy and Drama) considers to be an active therapy where participants explore their internal world using creativity and imagination. In this half-day workshop, the participants will explore a "Multi-modal expressive arts therapy", moving from one modality to another (inter-modal transference), enabling participants to move in a multi-level of deeper experience.
Experiential/ Sharing of Work Experiences/ Demonstration/ Didactic

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Differentiate between the various modalities through an inner process.
2. Utilize creative art modality in a group to facilitate the expression and transformation of unprocessed material.
3. Create a personal creation in a group context, as a result of individual process.
4. Communicate through their images and generate a group artistic creation that will represent their group experience.

Course References:
1. Abraham, R. (2005). When words have lost their meaning: Alzheimer's patients communicate through art. Connecticut: Praeger Publishers/Greenwood Publishing Group.
2. Case, C., & Dalley, T. (2014). The handbook of art therapy. London: Routledge.
3. Edwards, D. (2014). Art therapy. London: Sage.
4. Even Shoshan - Reshef, O. (2018). Research, theory and practice of a therapeutic process, centered on 'The Kingdoms Game': A case study of a new therapeutic tool. Dissertation Submitted as Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) PSP - Professional School of Psychology, Sacramento, CA.
5. Even Shoshan - Reshef, O., Kaufman, E. & Kaminsky, I. (2017). The Third Voice of the Social Unconscious - Experience in group bibliotherapy. Mikbatz - The Israel Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 22 (1).
6. Knill, P., Levine, E., & Levine, S. (2005). Principle and practice of expressive therapy. Toward a therapeutic aesthetics. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
7. Kossak, M. (2009). Therapeutic attunement: A transpersonal view of expressive art therapy. The art in psychotherapy, 36, 13-18.
8. Lahad, M. (2005). Transcending into Fantastic Reality: Story Making with Adolescents in Crisis. in C. Schaefer, J. Mccormick, and A. Ohnogi (eds.) International Handbook of Play Therapy: Advances in assessment, theory, research and practice. Lanham: Jason Aronson Publication. pages: 1-13.
9. Levine, S., & Levine, E. (1999). Foundations of Expressive Arts Therapy Theoretical and clinical perspective. London, Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley.
10. Yigael, Y. (2011). Developmental Anatomy of mind description, definition and mapping activities of the mind. Israel: Hakibbutz Hameuchad.
11. McNiff, S. (2009). Integrating the arts in therapy: History, theory, and practice. Springfield: Charles C. Thomas Publisher.
12. Malchiodi, C. A. (Ed.). (2011). Handbook of art therapy. New York: Guilford Press.
13. Schaverien, J. (1999). The revealing image: Analytical art psychotherapy in theory and practice. London & Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
14. Waller, D. (2014). Group interactive art therapy: Its use in training and treatment. London: Routledge.
15. Zoran, R. (2000). The third voice: Curative qualities of literature and the possibility of implementing a bibliotherapoitic dialogue. Jerusalem: Carmel.

Workshop 29
Seeing and Being Seen in Group Psychotherapy: A Polyvagal Theory Perspective

Presented in cooperation with the International Board for Certification of Group Psychotherapists

Chair:
Phillip Flores, PhD, ABPP, CGP, LFAGPA, Private Practice, Atlanta, Georgia

Polyvagal Theory (PVT) has crack the facial code and deepened our understanding of the relationship between our nervous system and emotional states, providing an alternative interpretation of evidence based treatment by describing how all forms of psychotherapy are dependent upon the neural platforms, biophysical mechanisms and “neuro-circuits” described in PVT.
Didactic/ Demonstration/ Experiential/ Sharing of Work Experiences

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe the foundation of the Polyvagal Theory.
2. Describe how the Polyvagal Theory may demystify several features related to psychiatric disorders and behavioral problems.
3. Describe how deficits in the regulation of the Social Engagement System are expressed as core features of several psychiatric disorders.
4. Describe how group psychotherapy, conducted and guided by the principles of Polyvagal Theory, can promote the biobehavioral adjustments necessary for the recruitment of well-defined neural circuits that function as a “neural platform” essential for both attachment and affect regulation.
5. Explain how the neural process, neuroception, evaluates risk in the environment and triggers adaptive neural circuits, which promote either social interactions or defensive behaviors.

Course References:
1. Flores, P.J. & Porges, S.W. (2017). Group psychotherapy as a neural exercise: Bridging polyvagal theory and attachment theory. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67 (2), 202-222.
2. Porges, S.W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology). New York: WW Norton & Company.
3. Porges, S.W. (2017). The pocket guide to the polyvagal theory. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. NY, NY.
4. Kok, B.E., Coffey, K.A., Cohn, M.A., Catalino, L.I., Vacharkulksemsuk, T., Algoe, S.B., Brantley, M., & Fredrickson, B.L. (2013). How Positive Emotions Build Physical Health: Perceived Positive Social Connections Account for the Upward Spiral Between Positive Emotions and Vagal Tone. Psychological Science, published online 6 May 2013 DOI: 10.1177/0956797612470827
5. Kok, B.E., & Fredrickson, B.L. (2010). Upward spirals of the heart: Autonomic flexibility, as indexed by vagal tone, reciprocally and prospectively predicts positive emotions and social connectedness. Biological Psychology, 85 (3) (2010) 432–436].
6. Geisler, F., Kubiak, T., Stewert, K., & Weber, H. (2013). Cardiac vagal tone is associated with social engagement and self regulation. Biological Psychology, 93(2), 279-282.

Workshop 30
The Body as Primary Access to the Self

Chair:
Nanine Ewing, PhD, BC-DMT, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, Houston, Texas

In this non-verbal experience using dance movement and therapy as the medium, you will have the opportunity to experience the personal and collective unconscious in a group experience. Participants will be invited into a relationship with the body unconscious through the use of ritual and movement.
experiential-didactic-demonstration-sharing of work experiences

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1.  Appraise the affects that come from universal group stages.
2.  Identify movement that has interest and draws intention versus movements that take us into past or future.
3.  To contrast movement of spontaneity and authenticity versus performance.
 
Course References:
1. Bloom, K. (2006). The Embodied Self: Movement As Psychoanalysis. London & New York: Karnac.
2. Chodrow, J. (1991). Dance Therapy An Depth Psychology: The Moving Imagination. New York Press: Routledge.
3. Dosamantes-Beandry, I. (2007). American Journal of Dance Therapy, 29 (2), 73-91.
4. Rochester, J. A. (2002). Offering From The Conscious Body. The Discipline Of Authentic Movement. VT: Inner Traditions.
5. Schmais, C. (1999). Groups: A Door To Awareness. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 21, 5-18.

Workshop 31
Incorporating Spirituality, Religion, Seeking Meaning, and Growth into Group Therapy

Chairs:
Rosalind Forti, LICSW, MSW, PhD, Private Practice, Ludlow, Massachusetts
Lorraine Mangione, PhD, Professor, Antioch University of New England, Keene, New Hampshire

Concerns around spirituality, religion, meaning-of-life, and existential issues are central to many people and can become increasingly important as they enter the second half of life and identities and values shift.  Yet these can be complicated and unspoken issues for both group therapists and group members.  We offer an opportunity to explore such issues through the training, clinical, and research literature; personal reflection, discussion, and brief meditation; and considering possibilities for working constructively in groups.
Experiential/ Didactic/ Sharing of Work Experiences/ Demonstration

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. State several changes seen in people's lives after mid-life, especially in the realms of spirituality, religion, and finding meaning.
2. State at least two frameworks for learning about and incorporating spirituality and religion in one's clinical work
3. Identify some of their own areas of discomfort or challenge around addressing spirituality, religion, and existential issues. 
4. List some specific ways in which spirituality, religion, existential issues, and growth in these realms can be addressed in groups.
 
Course References:
1. Hammer, D. (2018). Cultivating soulfulness in psychotherapy. Spirituality in Clinical Practice. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/scp0000173
2. Jacques, J.R. (1998). Working with Spiritual and Religious Themes in Group Therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 48:1, 69-83, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.1998.11491522
3. Mangione, L., & Forti, R. (2018).  Beyond midlife and before retirement: A short-term women’s group. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68(3), 314-336.
4. Overholser, J. C. (2005).  Group psychotherapy and existential concerns: An interview with Irvin Yalom. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 35(2), 185-197.
5. Pearce, M. J., Pargament, K. I., Oxhandler, H. K., Vieten, C., & Wong, S. (2019). A novel training program for mental health providers in religious and spiritual competencies. Spirituality in Clinical Practice. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/scp0000195

Workshop 32
Rethinking Sex Addiction--Sexual Health Group Psychotherapy for Men

Chairs:
Douglas Braun-Harvey, MFT, Co-Founder, The Harvey Institute, San Diego, California
Michael Vigorito, LMFT, CST, CGP, Private Practice, Washington, DC

Group treatment is an effective modality to improve self-regulation, attachment patterns, and erotic identity development for men with out of control sexual behavior. Participants will learn various group leadership skills to enhance client motivation for sexual health behavior change including treatment frame interventions and sexual health conversation skills.
Demonstration/ Experiential/ Sharing of Work Experiences/ Didactic

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Apply sexual health principles to the assessment and treatment of sexual behavior problems and out of control sexual behavior (OCSB)
2. Apply a non-pathological conceptualization of OCSB in treatment planning.
3. Apply here-and-now interventions to illustrate sexual health conversation skills in treating OCSB.
4. Utilize group treatment frame to illustrate the use of accountability in OCSB treatment.
 
Course References:
1. Braun-Harvey, D., & Vigorito, M. (2016). Treating out of control sexual behavior: Rethinking sex addiction. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
2. Coleman, E., Dickenson, J. A., Girard, A., Rider, G. N., Candelario-Pérez, L. E., Becker-Warner, R., ... & Munns, R. (2018). An integrative biopsychosocial and sex positive model of understanding and treatment of Impulsive/Compulsive Sexual Behavior. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 25(2-3), 1-28.
3. Grubbs, J. B., Perry, S. L., Wilt, J. A., & Reid, R. C. (2018). Pornography problems due to moral incongruence: An integrative model with a systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-018-1248-x
4. Ley, D. J. (In press). Treating those who struggle with sexual desires. In K. M. Hertlein, G. R. Weeks, & N. Gambescia (Eds.), Systemic sex therapy. New York, NY: Routledge.
5. Walton, M. T., Cantor, J. M., Bhullar, N., & Lykins, A. D. (2017). Hypersexuality: A critical review and introduction to the “sexhavior cycle”. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 46(8), 2231-2251.

Master Workshop 33
Coping with Aging in Ourselves and Our Clients: The Challenges to Continuing to be Effective, Resilient and Engaged Group Therapists

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Issues of Aging SIG and the Health and Medical Issues SIG

Chairs:
George Saiger, MD, CGP, LFAGPA, Psychiatrist, Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, Rockville, Maryland
Kenneth Schwartz, MD, FRCPC, Psychiatrist, Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, Ontario

Open to participants with ten or more years of group psychotherapy experience

In reflecting and sharing personal feelings and  behavioral patterns regarding issues of aging and illness in both ourselves and our clients, therapists understand how we are impacted in our personal life and clinical practice becoming better able to cope with the obstacles to personal and professional growth. Therapists become better able to meet the challenge of remaining effective, resilient and engaged rather than falling prey to the perils of ageism and denial.
Demonstration/ Experiential/ Sharing of Work Experiences/ Didactic

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Identify importance of both hope and action in coping with health issues.
2. Appraise one's own feelings with respect to issues of aging and medical illness and its impact on working with this population.
3. Apply a series of questions emphasizing the value of understanding of how one's own aging affects us in out clinical work with an aging population.
4. Identify the  later stage of life as also a time filled with potential for creativity based on one's previous life experience.
5. Learn various practices and techniques that facilitate the emotional and psychological coping in older adults with medical challenges and illness.
 
Course References:
1. Sandmaier, M. (2018).  Occupational  Wisdom: What Therapists Can Teach Us bout Growing Old Gracefully. https://www.psychotherapynetworker.org/magazine/article. March/April.
 2. Chast, R. (2014). Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?. New York, N.Y: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
 3. Miller, W.L., Cohen, G.D., & Barker, T.H. (2016). Sky Above Clouds: Finding Our Way through Creativity, Aging and illness. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
4. Agronin, M.E. (2018). The End of Old Age. New York, NY: Da Capo Press.
5. Agronin, M.E. (2013). From Cicero to Cohen: Developmental Theories of Aging from Antiquity to the Present. The Gerontologist, 54(1), 30-39.

Workshop 34
Queer and Transgender Clinicians on Therapist Self-Disclosure

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Identities SIG

Chairs:
Sarah Tyerman, MA, Private Practice, London, United Kingdom
Joseph Wise, MD, CGP, Private Practice, New York, New York

In this workshop, queer and transgender clinicians will discuss, whether and if so how, to self-disclose their gender identity or sexual orientation to clients and how much this question depends on clinical context eg whether the client is GLBTQ or non-GLTBQ, whether in homogeneous or heterogeneous groups. The presenters will provide an overview of differing theoretical approaches and societal context (UK and USA).
Experiential/ Sharing of Work Experiences/ Didactic/ Demonstration

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. Compare risks and therapeutic benefits associated with therapist self-disclosure of gender identity and sexual orientation, when working with LGBTQ and non-LGLBTQ clients.
2. Identify the role of the group leader in developing group norms that achieve equity for marginalised groups and individuals.
3. Understand and use the language that enables social justice (eg non-normative pronouns).
4. Identify resources for increasing their competence as gender-affirming therapists.
 
Course References:
1. Nitsun, M. (2006). The Group as an Object of Desire: Exploring Sexuality in Group Therapy. New York: Routledge
2. Moon, L. (2007). Feeling Queer or Queer Feelings? Radical Approaches to Counselling Sex, Sexualities and Genders. London: Routledge.
3. Cole & Drescher, J. (2006). Do Tell: Queer Perspectives on Therapist Self-Disclosure. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Psychotherapy, 10, 1-6.
4. Benson, K. (2013). Seeking Support: Transgender Client Experiences with Mental Health Services. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 25, 17-40.
5. Coleman, E., Bockting, W., Botzer, M., Cohen-Kettenis, P., DeCuypere, G., Feldman, J., . . . Zucker, K. (2012). Standards of care for the health of transsexual, transgender, and gender-nonconforming people, version 7. International Journal of Transgenderism, 13(4), 165-232. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15532739.2011.700873
6. Ritchie EC, Wise JE, Pyle B, editors. (2018). Gay Mental Healthcare: Providers and Patients in the Military.  Springer.

Workshop 35
LEGO® Group Therapy, for All Ages in Psychiatric Inpatient Settings

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Psychiatry SIG

Chairs:
Kasra Khorasani, MD, Staff Psychiatrist, St. Joseph's Health Centre, Toronto, Ontario

Two and half hour workshop will allow for an experiential (participants will experience a complete hour and 15 min group) and neuroscientific (Polyvagal theory, Interpersonal neurobiology, Affective neural systems and Large scale brain networks) exploration of this innovative group therapy approach, used with mixed diagnosis inpatients. Supportive therapeutic factors in group in addition to Play, Creativity and Empathic connection is utilized to nudge the participants towards their “Window of Tolerance” to enhance personal sense of safety and group cohesion.
Experiential/ Demonstration/ Didactic/ Sharing of Work Experiences

Learning Objectives:
The attendee will be able to:
1. List the core four steps in “LEGO® Group Therapy."
2. Describe the three exercises utilized in the 75 min Group Session.
3. Describe the Neuroscience, Psychotherapy and Group Theories that “LEGO® Group Therapy” is based on.
 
Course References:
1. Yalom, I. D., & Leszcz, M. (2005). The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy. New York: Basic Books.
2. Kristiansen, P., & Rasmussen, R. (2014). Building a better business using the serious play method. New York: Wiley.
3. Panksepp, J. (2011). The Basic Emotional Circuits of Mammalian Brains: Do Animals have Affective Lives? Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 35(9), 1791-1804. Doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.08.003
4. Davis, K.L., & Panksepp, J. (2018). The Emotional Foundations of Human Personality. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
5. Brown, S., & Vaughan, C. (2009). Play: How It Shapes The Brain, Opens The Imagination, And Invigorates The Soul. New York : Avery.

---