79th Annual Three- Day Conference Sessions and Workshops
Thursday, March 3
COURSES: These courses are designed to cover a variety of topics in-depth. All-Day Courses meet in two sections for one full day. Participants must attend both sessions in order to receive continuing education credits. Course manuals are available for purchase. Continuing Education: One-Day: 5.0 credits/.5 units
HALF-DAY OPEN SESSIONS (300 series): These meetings will be presented in a variety of formats, including panels, papers and demonstrations. Audience participation and exchange with the presenters is encouraged. Open Sessions will be recorded and available to access at your convenience. Continuing Education: 2.5 credits/.25 units
WORKSHOPS (1-100 Series): All-day and half-day meetings provide a context in which participants exchange information among themselves and with the chairperson. These meetings are designed for varying levels of experience including master workshops for senior clinicians and usually include both didactic and experiential learning. Check designations for beginning and master levels (for senior clinicians). Continuing Education: All-day: 5.0 credits/.5 units; Half-day: 2.5 credits/ .25 units
Entrance Requirements: N/L= No Limitations; < 4= Less than four years of group leadership experience; 4+= More than four years of group leadership experience; 10+= More than ten years of group leadership experience (Masters Level)
For more information on the presenter, please click on the presenter name to view their CGP profile.
All-Day Course
(12:00 -2:30 pm & 3:45-6:15 pm EST)
C1. Modern Adolescent Group Psychotherapy: Method, Madness, and the Fun
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Children and Adolescents SIG
Supported by the Albert Riester Memorial Fund’s contributions & the S.R. Slavson Memorial Fund’s contributions to the Group Foundation Education Endowment
Directors:
Seth Aronson, PsyD, CGP, FAGPA, Psychologist, William Alanson White Institute, New York, New York
Robin Dean, PsyD, MSEd, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
Thomas K. Hurster, LCSW, CGP, FAGPA, Adjunct Professor, Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, Lansdowne, Pennsylvania
Andrew P. Pojman, EdD, CGP, FAGPA, Psychologist, Private Practice, Walnut Creek, California
Treating adolescents in a group can be a rewarding yet challenging and often frightening process. This course will help participants who want to start a group, are "stuck" with their current group, or need to be revitalized in their therapeutic work. The course will use didactic presentation, a demonstration group, and sharing of work experiences. Practical techniques and interventions will be highlighted.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Identify at least three features of adolescent development related to the self, peer relationships, and emotions.
2. Demonstrate sensitivity to adolescent cultures especially as it relates to the formation and development of group and the group process.
3. Discuss the impact of transference and countertransference on the adolescent group.
4. Identify how diversity impacts the life of the adolescent both within and outside of the group.
5. Cite three new intervention techniques.
1. Haen, C., & Aronson, S. (Eds.). (2017). Handbook of child and adolescent group psychotherapy: A practitioner’s reference. New York, NY: Routledge
2. Hurster, T. (2017). Ethically informed group practice. In C. Haen & S. Aronson (eds) Handbook of child and adolescent group psychotherapy: A practitioner’s reference (pp.66-79). New York, NY: Routledge.
3. Malekoff, A. (2014). Group work with adolescents: Principles and practice (3rd ed.) New York, NY: Guilford.
4. Mitchell, Q., Lochman, J.E., Boxmeyer, C., Powell, N., Kassing, F., & Jones, S. (2017). Anger and aggression in children and adolescents. In C. Haen & S. Aronson (eds) Handbook of child and adolescent group psychotherapy: A practitioner’s reference (pp. 255-265). New York, NY: Routledge
5. Pojman, A. (2009). Adolescent Group Psychotherapy: Method, Madness, and the Basics. New York, NY: American Group Psychotherapy Association.
6. Rachman, A., & Ceccoli, V. (1995). Analyst self-disclosure in adolescent groups. In P. Kymissis & Halperin (Eds.), Group Therapy with Children and Adolescents (pp. 155- 167), Washington D.C.: American Psychiatric Press.
7. Shechtman, Z. (2007). Group Counseling and Psychotherapy with Children and Adolescents: Theory, Research, and Practice. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
8. Steen, S., Vannatta, R., Liu, X. (2017). Cultural considerations in group work: Implications for school and clinical mental health settings. In C. Haen & S. Aronson (eds) Handbook of child and adolescent group psychotherapy: A practitioner’s reference (pp. 255-265). New York, NY: Routledge.
9. Stone, D.T., & Thomas, A.C. (2012). A multidisciplinary treatment team model for youth offenders in correctional treatment centers: Applying psychodynamic group concepts. In J. Kleinberg (Ed.), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Group Psychotherapy (pp.645-664).
All-Day Workshops
(12:00-2:30 pm & 3:45-6:15 pm EST)
Workshop 1a. (N/L) Coming Alive: Moving from Stagnation to Vitality in Groups
Instructor:
Angelo Ciliberti, PsyD, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, Boulder, Colorado
In a group pulsing with aliveness, risks are taken, and new meanings emerge as members engage with a wider range of feelings. But what about when this process stalls or stops? How do we make sense of a group retreating into silent withdrawal or defensive chit-chat? This presentation addresses these questions by exploring some of the common places groups get mired and how we as leaders may help the group get unstuck & revitalized.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Identify emotional aliveness as a relational drive that is uncovered rather than artificially engineered.
2. Name 3 common blockages that hinder aliveness in group process.
3. Compare differing obstacles to aliveness between online and in-person groups.
4. Discuss 3 approaches leaders use to promote aliveness in groups.
5. Compare interventional strategies for addressing fear-based and anger-based resistances.
1. Fonagy, P., Campbell, C. & Bateman, A. (2017). Mentalizing, attachment, and epistemic trust in group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(2), 176-201.
2. Black, A. E. (2019). Treating insecure attachment in group psychotherapy: Attachment theory meets modern psychoanalytic technique. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 69 (3), 259-286.
3. Cooney, A. S., & Sopher, R. (2021). Vitalization in psychoanalysis: Perspectives on being and becoming. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
4. Levine, R. (2011). Progressing while regressing in relationships. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 61(4).
5. Billow R.M. (2002). Passion in group: thinking about loving, hating, and knowing. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 52(3).
Workshop 2a. (<4) Centering Marginalized Voices: Dismantling White Supremacy and Oppressive Norms in Group Therapy
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Racial and Ethnic Diversity SIG
Instructors:
Daniela Recabarren, PhD, University of North Carolina, Charlotte Counseling and Psychological Services, Charlotte, North Carolina
Renita Sengupta, PsyD, HSPP, University of North Carolina at Charlotte Counseling & Psychological Services, Charlotte, North Carolina
We will discuss how societal dynamics of oppression and privilege play out in the group microcosm, and the impact on group members with minoritized identities. Participants will explore cultural norms embedded in traditional group therapy, including the role of white supremacy and sexist, cis-heteronormative expectations. We will identify expanded norms that are not just inclusive but are socially just and empowering. We will discuss how to address social justice concerns when they arise in group.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Define concepts of privilege, systemic oppression, microaggressions, white supremacy, sexism, cisnormativity, and heteronormativity.
2. Identify implicit cultural norms embedded in traditional group therapy models.
3. Evaluate how cultural norms and systemic factors impact group process and safety for members of marginalized groups.
4. Describe how group facilitators’ own identities impact navigation of oppressive norms and expectations.
5. Describe group strategies that allow individuals with various cultural identities and backgrounds to engage in group in equitable ways.
6. Identify ways to navigate discussions related to multicultural identities and social justice in therapy groups.
1. Arczynski, A. V. (2017). Multicultural social justice group psychotherapy training: Curriculum development and pilot. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 11(4), 227–234. https://doi.org/10.1037/tep0000161.supp (Supplemental)
2. Chang-Caffaro, S., & Caffaro, J. (2018). Differences that make a difference: Diversity and the group process leader. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68(3), 1-13.
3. Cone-Uemura, K., & Bentley, E. S. (2018). Multicultural/diversity issues in groups. In M. D. Ribeiro, J. M. Gross, & M. M. Turner (Eds.), The college counselor’s guide to group psychotherapy (p. 21–35). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
4. Gitterman, P. (2019). Social Identities, Power, and Privilege: The Importance of Difference in Establishing Early Group Cohesion. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 69(1), 99-125, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.2018.1484665
5. Ribeiro, M. D., & Turner, M. M. (2018). Racial and social justice implications on the practice of group psychotherapy. In M. D. Ribeiro, J. M. Gross, & M. M. Turner (Eds.), The college counselor’s guide to group psychotherapy. (pp. 36–55). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
Workshop 3a. (N/L) Introduction to Modern Group Process
Instructors:
Alice Brown, PsyD, CGP, Center for Group Studies, Private Practice, New York, New York
Chris Dolin, LCSW, Private Practice; Center for Group Studies, Yonkers, New York
This workshop will introduce the concepts and techniques that distinguish modern analytic group treatment as it is taught, through experiential and didactic learning, at the Center for Group Studies. Participants will be exposed to unique perspectives on developing emotional communication, working with resistance, induced feelings and aggression, and enhancing immediacy. Integrating the modern group concepts with developing cultural competence and working effectively while diversity and equity will be emphasized.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Explain the use of the contract in the formation and the ongoing process of the group.
2. Define emotional communication and identify its use in the group process.
3. Demonstrate the skills of bridging, immediacy and intimacy in group practice.
4. Identify the many guises aggression takes in the group and specify how to use this for the benefit of the group.
5. Differentiate between self and object feelings.
6. Detect microaggressions in the group process.
1. Chang-Caffaro, S. & Caffaro, J. (2018). Differences that make a difference: Diversity and the process group leader. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68(4), 483- 497.
2. Levine, R. (2011). Progressing while regressing in relationships. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 61(4), 621-643.
3. Ormont, L. (1996). Bringing life into the group experience: The power of immediacy. Group, 20(3), 207-221.
4. Schmidt, C. (2018). Anatomy of racial microaggressions. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68(4), 585-607.
5. Zaharopoulus, M. & Chen, E. (2018). Racial-cultural events in group therapy as perceived by group therapists. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68(4), 629-253.
Workshop 4a. (N/L) Leadership Development: Utilizing Group Therapy Skills in Corporate Culture
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Organizational Consulting SIG
Instructor:
Rick Tivers, LCSW, CGP, Social Work, Private Practice, Chicago/Evanston, Illinois
Leadership Development: Utilizing Group Therapy Skills in Corporate Culture will be an experiential Executive Leadership Training. The workshop will focus on issues of authority, power, and control and will assist participants to work through their leadership resistance. Members will learn to transfer their group therapy skills into organizations for agencies, business, and industry. Defenses, parallel process, and business interventions will be highlighted during the training. This feedback focused workshop will help re-frame what therapeutic stance means in the business world.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Experience components of an Executive Leadership Training.
2. Diagnose defenses in self and that of the culture they are consulting.
3. Design appropriate interventions using a group development model.
4. Differentiate between traditional group therapy, group development, and team building.
5. Work through internal fears of authority and leadership.
6. Choose best practices in goal development and attainment.
7. Identify fee structures appropriate for the industry and trainer experience.
1. Noe, R, (2012). Employee Training and Development. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
2. Morrison, T., & Conway W. (2006). Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands. Avon, MA: Adams Media.
3. Craig R. (1996) The ATC Training and Development Handbook. New York: McGraw HIll
4. Hughes, M, Patterson, L.B. & Terrell, J.B. (2005) Emotional Intelligence in Action, San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer
5. Phillips & Stone. (2000). How to Measure Training Results. New York: McGraw Hill
12:00 - 2:30 PM EST - 2 ½ Hour Open Sessions
301. When the Individual Therapist is Also the Group Leader: The Challenges and Benefits of Combined Treatment
Instructors:
Maryetta Andrews-Sachs, LICSW, CGP, FAGPA, National Group Psychotherapy Institute, Washington School of Psychiatry, Washington, DC
Aaron E. Black, PhD, CGP, FAGPA, Clinical Psychologist, Private Practice, Pittsford, New York
Justin Hecht, PhD, CGP, FAGPA, Clinical Faculty, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Kenji Kuramitsu, M.Div, LCSW, Groups Coordinator at Howard Brown Health, Counseling Center, Chicago, Illinois
Annie Weiss, LICSW, CGP, FAGPA, Faculty, Mclean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts
Ellen Wright, PhD, Private Practice, Faculty Center for Group Studies, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
When a therapist refers an individual client to a group the therapist leads, the expansion of modalities creates therapeutic advantages and challenges. This Open Session will explore the complexities and opportunities of combined individual and group therapy with the same therapist. The discussants will present a variety of perspectives on ethics, clinical advantages and risks, transference-countertransference challenges, frame and boundary issues, and the business elements of treatment. In addition to the discussant presentations, large group discussion will be encouraged.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe the clinical advantages of combined treatment.
2. Describe the risks of combined treatment.
3. Distinguish between clients who do and do not benefit from combined treatment.
4. Identify how treatment in multiple settings can complicate the process of enactment.
5. Identify common counter-transference reactions that can occur in combined treatment.
6. Identify strategies to address client resistance to joining groups.
7. Learn how to start groups in private practice by working with your clients in individual therapy.
1. Alonso, A. and Rutan, J.S. (1990). Common dilemmas in combined individual and group treatment. Group, 14:1, 5-12.
2. Brabender, Virginia M. & Fallon, April (2009) Ethical Hot Spots of Combined Individual and Group Therapy: Applying Four Ethical Systems. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 59:1, 127-147.
3. Ormont & Strean (1978). Limitations and contraindications of conjoint treatment. The practice of conjoint therapy (pp. 69–85). New York: Human Sciences Press.
4. Raps, Charles S., (2009). The Necessity of Combined Therapy in the Treatment of Shame: A Case Report, International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 59:1, 67-84.
5. Roth, Bennett E. (2009). Some Problems with Treatment: Destructive Enactments in Combined Therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 59:1, 47-66.
6. Turk, D. (2019). Combined and parallel individual and group therapy - still a red rag? Group Analysis, 52(3), 315-329.
302. Rupture and Repair: Is Healing Possible in Groups, Organizations and Society?
Supported by Patricia & Merle Barth’s contributions to the Group Foundation Education Endowment
Instructors:
Haim Weinberg, PhD, CGP, FAGPA, Chair, Director, Sacramento Center for Psychotherapy, Sacramento, California
Kavita Avula, PsyD, CGP, Implicit Bias Institute, Consulting Firm, Seattle, Washington
Marcus Hummings, PsyD, CGP, Howard University, University Counseling Service, Washington DC
Cheri L. Marmarosh, PhD, FAGPA, FAPA, The George Washington University, Divine Mercy University, McLean Hospital, Clinical Psychology, Washington DC
Rosemary Segalla, PhD, ABPP, CGP, FAGPA, Washington School of Psychiatry, Washington, DC
In group psychotherapy there will inevitably be empathic ruptures with individual members or the whole group. Therapists need to be aware of breaks/challenges/barriers to in the therapeutic alliance, in particular those caused by the therapist. Ruptures also occur in organizations, and in the absence of repair, they may cause polarization and divisiveness. This open session will discuss the topic theoretically and applied to two cases: 1. a clinical vignette 2. an organizational event, from different theoretical points of view.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe the different types of ruptures in group therapy including microaggressions
2. State the impact of rupture on the group members and group process/climate.
3. Explain the need for repair by group therapists.
4. Apply different theories to understanding rupture and repair in groups.
5. Identify ways to apply restorative justice concepts in situations of social rupture.
1. Eubanks CF, Warren JT, Muran JC. (2021). Identifying Ruptures and Repairs in Alliance-Focused Training Group Supervision. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 71:2, 275-309, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.2020.1805618
2. Gantt, S (2021). Systems-Centered Theory (SCT) into Group Therapy: Beyond Surviving Ruptures to Repairing and Thriving. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 71:2, 224-252, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.2020.1772073
3. Marmarosh, C (2021). Ruptures and Repairs in Group Psychotherapy: From Theory to Practice. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 71:2, 205-223, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.2020.1855893
4. Rutan, J. Scott (2021). Rupture and Repair: Using Leader Errors in Psychodynamic Group Psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 71:2, 310-331, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.2020.1808471
5. Segalla, R. (2021). Self Psychological Approaches to Ruptures and Repairs in Group Psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 71:2, 253-274, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.2020.1805616
303. Contemporary Group Psychotherapy Research
Instructors:
Joseph Miles, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
Zipora Shechtman, PhD, DFAGPA, Professor Emerita, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
Rainer Weber, PhD, Senior Lecturer, Clinic for Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Germany
This is the Research SIG's annual paper session presenting current research in group psychotherapy. In this paper session panelists present new, clinically-relevant research findings, with time for discussion and questions from the audience.
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.
Presentation 1 Title: Group Therapy for Pain: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Isabel Ellertson, Cameron Alldredge, Rachel Arnold, Gary Burlingame
Abstract: Chronic noncancer pain is common and frequently interferes with people’s regular functioning and reduces quality of life. Though pharmacological approaches are used most frequently to treat pain-related issues, the side effects of these medications often lead to other problems. Group therapy has been used and studied for decades in treating pain though it’s general efficacy in this is not clear. Objectives: to determine group therapy’s efficacy for patients with pain-related issues and whether the effects are moderated by study, patient, leader, or group characteristics. Method: potential articles were selected from searches completed via PsycINFO, MEDLINE (Ovid), Web of Science, and CENTRAL. Studies were eligible for inclusion of if they (a) are a randomized clinical trial (RCT) published in 1990 or later, (b) involve individuals diagnosed with or treated for fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and/or specific pain, (c) investigate group treatment’s efficacy in treating symptoms associated with a pain-related issues, (d) include at least one comparison condition of waitlist control (WLC), treatment-as-usual (TAU), unspecific treatment control, and/or medication. A random effects meta-analysis will be conducted and potential moderators will be analyzed. Results: results and conclusions are forthcoming.
Presentation 2 Title: Working with Parents in Group: Validation of the Intervention
Author: Zipora Shechtman, PhD
Haifa University, Israel
Abstract: The purpose of this talk is to present a unique group intervention for parents, and provide the evidence-base for it. Many types of parent interventions are published in the literature, most are psychoeducational and CBT oriented. The suggested intervention is unique as it is geared to develop intimate parent-child relationship and is emotion-focused oriented. Intimacy in relationship involves love, a sense of closeness, trust, loyalty, and mutual interests. Such type of relationship may prevent problems and smoothen difficulties when evolved. However, to develop intimate relationships people need to be able to use a language of feelings, to be willing to share emotions and experiences, to understand one’s own feelings and those of others, to be able to trust others and be loyal. All these can best be developed in group because the group process is based on intimate behavior. The support provided in the group, the emotional closeness developed among members, the empathic listening required in the group, all help people become more intimate. Such skills may be transferred to relationship between parents and children. Five large-scale studies investigated this intervention with parents. The first, studied the impact of the intervention compared to no treatment; the second study, compared group intervention with individual one using the same model; the third, measured outcomes compared to a psychoeducational one; the forth, studied the outcomes compared with child treatment; the last one investigated the impact on mothers from a different culture. Outcomes supported change in parent level of stress, perception of the child, change in parental response to the child difficulties, and perception of social support. For children the outcomes pointed to improvement in behavior and other socioemotional variables. These five studies established the evidence-base of the suggested intervention.
Presentation 3 Title: The Reciprocal Relationship between Group Therapeutic Relationships and Group Member Symptom Improvement: An Archival Analysis
Author: Washburn
Abstract:
Background: The effect of therapeutic relationships on client outcome has been an ongoing topic of interest. Researchers and clinicians have long recognized that therapeutic relationships play a fundamental role in client symptom change during treatment. At the same time, it has been proposed that improvement in client symptoms are associated with improvement in therapeutic relationships. The question of whether change in therapeutic relationships results in changed client symptoms or whether change in client symptoms results in changed therapeutic relationships is an important one to consider. To date very few studies have looked into this reciprocal relationship. Furthermore, group therapy adds to the complexity of the question presented because of the multi-person environment and the multiple constructs. One therapeutic relationship measure that captures both is the Group Questionnaire GQ that assesses three relationship constructs (positive bond, positive work, and negative relationship; Burlingame et al., 2017) across three relationship structures (member-member, member-leader & member-group). In summary, the question that arises is whether each aspect of group therapeutic relationships impact client symptom change and/or vice versa. Method: To answer the question presented, we will conduct an archival analysis of Group Questionnaire (GQ) data from subjects attending three university counseling centers involved in group therapy. Change in client symptoms will be assessed using Outcome Questionnaire (OQ) that measures general psychiatric distress. The reciprocal relationship between OQ symptoms will be examined with each subscale in the GQ which measures group therapeutic relationships (i.e. positive bonding relationship, positive working relationship, and negative relationship). Reciprocal relationship will be assessed on a session by session basis.
12:00 - 2:30 PM EST - 2 ½ Hour Workshops
Workshop 5. (N/L) I’d Rather Go Out for Tacos: Our Emotional Resistance to Climate Change
Instructor:
Anna Graybeal, PhD, CGP, SEP, Psychologist, Private Practice, Austin, Texas
Climate change is here and threatens just about everything we hold dear. Let that sink in. Are you feeling uncomfortable emotions such as anxiety, helplessness, anger or despair? Naturally, we resist having such feelings, but this resistance may be our undoing if it keeps us isolated and passive. In this workshop, we will work on our resistance to climate change and, in so doing, position ourselves to more effectively help others do the same.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Define the concept of resistance from a modern analytic perspective.
2. Describe the basic science of climate change, including impacts to humans.
3. Identify and analyze resistance to thoughts and feelings about climate change.
4. Predict how working with emotional resistance may help us move our communities towards addressing climate change.
1. Hoggett, P. (2019). Climate psychology: On indifference to disaster. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan.
2. Masson-Delmotte, V., et al. (2018). Global Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty. Retrieved from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) website: http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/publications_and_data_reports.shtml.
3. Ormont, Louis R. (2001). The technique of group treatment: The collected papers of Louis R. Ormont. Edited by Lena Blanco Furgeri. Madison, CT: Psychosocial Press.
4. Spotnitz, H. (2004). Modern psychoanalysis of the schizophrenic patient: Theory of the technique. New York, NY: YBK Publishers, Inc.
5. Stoknes, P. E. (2015). What we think about when we try not to think about global warming: Toward a new psychology of climate action. Hartford, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing.
Workshop 6. (N/L) Your Professional Will: The Ethical Care of Your Practice and Yourself
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Groups in Private Practice SIG, Health and Medical Issues SIG, Issues of Aging SIG, and the Group Training and Supervision SIG
Instructor:
Ann Steiner, PhD, MFT, CGP, FAGPA, Faculty Consultant, The Psychotherapy Institute, Berkeley, California
COVID has been a wakeup call and reminder that we all, regardless of age, health and socio-cultural location, need to have backup systems in place. Illnesses, retirement, relocation and sudden emergencies happen. Plus, the Ethics Codes for every discipline require that you have a Professional Will. This workshop helps you plan who will contact group members if you cannot, and ways to minimize the impact of your absence on your patients, colleagues, and community. All levels of experience welcome!
1. List the essential ingredients of a comprehensive Professional Will.
2. Analyze when and whether it is appropriate to be self-disclosing regarding the leader's health, reasons for canceling sessions and termination, factoring in differences in social-economic, power, privilege, racial, cultural differences, as well as cultural differences in beliefs and attitudes toward death and dying that exist in their clinical practice.
3. List three common problems and complications created for group members when the leader cancels or is ill.
4. Describe your plan for minimizing the trauma caused to groups and group members when you need to cancel, transfer or terminate group earlier than expected.
5. List your countertransference challenges/concerns re cancelling sessions.
1. Counselman, F., & Alonso, A. (1993). The Ill Therapist: Therapist's Reactions to Personal Illness and Its Impact on Psychotherapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 47(4), 591-602.
2. Fieldsteel, N. (2006). When the Therapist Says Goodbye. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 55(2), 245-279.
3. Koocher, G. (2003). Ethical and Legal Issues in Professional Practice Transitions. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 34(4), 383-387.
4. Kooperman, D. (2013). When the Therapist is in Crisis: Personal and Professional Implications for Small Community Psychotherapy Practices. American Journal of Psychotherapy, Vol. 67, No. 4, 385-403.
5. Rauch, E. (1998). A One Session Memorial Group Following the Death of a Therapist. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 48 (1), 99-104.
6. Steiner, A. (2011). The Therapist's Professional Will: A Back-Up Plan Every Clinician Needs. GROUP, 35(1), 33-39.
7. Sue, D. W., & Sue, D. (2019). Counseling the culturally different: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). New York: Wiley
8. Tsai, M., Plummer, M.D., Kanter, J.W. et al,. (2010). Therapist Grief and Functional Analytic Psychotherapy: Strategic Self-Disclosure of Personal Loss. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 40, 1–10. Online: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-009-9116-6
9. Ulman, K. (2001). Unwitting Exposure of the Therapist: Transferential and Countertransferential Dilemmas. Journal of Psychotherapy Practice Research, 10(1), 14-22.
Workshop 7. (N/L) Understanding and Connecting Through Bodily and Verbal Languages
Instructor:
Bojun Hu, PhD, United Family Hospital, Shanghai, China
Lizhu Zhao, MA, Private Practice, Beijing, China
Using somatic and movement mindfulness practices, participants will explore free association of bodily experiences with verbal expressions. Physical and verbal patterns will be explored along the dimension of Laban’s effort theory, that of weight, space, time, and flow. Learn to experience a more supported, conscious, and integrated use of the body, mind, and speech to connect with other people.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Identify the ways in which the participant utilizes or avoids the support of other members’ words and bodies for support and connection.
2. Describe the way that Laban’s effort theory can be applied to one’s bodily movement and verbal/sound expressions.
3. Experiment and practice supported ways of integrating bodily expression/movement and verbal expression.
4. Identify clinical applications and cultural variations in the use of one’s body and one’s words.
1. Bloom, K. (2018). The embodied self: Movement and psychoanalysis. Routledge.
2. Cohen, S. L. (2011). Coming to our senses: The application of somatic psychology to group psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 61(3), 396-413.
3. Jerak, T., Vidrih, A., & Zvelc, G. (2018) The experience of attunement and misattunement in dance movement therapy workshops. Arts in Psychotherapy, 60, 55-62.
4. Taylor, P. J., & Saint-Laurent, R. (2017). Group psychotherapy informed by the principles of somatic experiencing: moving beyond trauma to embodied relationship. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(1), S171-S181.
5. Westland, G. (2009). Considerations of verbal and non-verbal communication in body psychotherapy. Body, Movement, and Dance in Psychotherapy, 4(2), 121-134.
Workshop 8. (N/L) Exploring Group Therapy Process Through Individual Art, Movement and Written Words Experience
Supported by the Etta Martin and Perry Roth Memorial Fund’s contributions to the Group Foundation Education Endowment
Instructors:
Daniella Bassis, PsyD, Art Therapy Association, Private, Hofit, Israel
Orit Even Shoshan Reshef, PsyD, Bibliotherapy, Private, Modiin, Israel
Idit Tevet-Cytryn, PsyD, Art Therapy, Faculty of Arts Beit Berl Academic College, Modiin, Israel
Expressive Art Therapy (Visual art, Bibliotherapy and Movement) consider to be an active therapy where participants are exploring themselves and their inner world using creativity, playfulness, and spontaneity. In this half day workshop, the participants will explore a "Multi model expressive arts therapy," moving from one modality to another (inter-model transference), enabling participants to move in a multi-level of deeper experience as well as making connection within group. The workshop will be based on our model for conjoint therapy.
The attendee will be able to:
1. The participants will explore the various modalities through self-process and group process.
2. Utilize creative art modality in a group to facilitate the expression and transformation of unprocessed material.
3. The participants will create a personal creation in a group context, as a result of individual process.
4. The group will communicate through their images and generate a group artistic creation that will represent their group experience.
1. Abraham, R. (2005). When words have lost their meaning: Alzheimer's patients communicate through art. Praeger Publishers/Greenwood Publishing Group.
2. Case, C., & Dalley, T. (2014). The Handbook of Art Therapy (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315779799.
3. Edwards, D. (2014). Art therapy. Sage: India.
4. Even Shoshan -Reshef, O. (2021). The Kingdoms Game therapeutic tool in Authentic Bibliotherapy. Resling: Tel-Aviv.
5. Even Shoshan- Reshef, O., Kaufman, E. & Kaminsky, I (2017). The Third Voice of the Social Unconscious - Experience in group bibliotherapy. Mikbatz. 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. Malchiodi, C. A. (Ed.). (2011). Handbook of art therapy. Guilford Press: New York.
11. McNiff, S. (2009). Integrating the arts in therapy: History, theory, and practice. Charles C Thomas Publisher: United States.
12. Schaverien, J. (1999). The revealing image: Analytical art psychotherapy in theory and practice. Jessica Kingsley Publishers: London.
13. Waller, D. (1993). Group Interactive Art Therapy: Its use in training and treatment (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203359181
10. Yigael, Y. 2011. Developmental Anatomy of mind description, definition and mapping activities of the mind. Hakibbutz Hameuchad: Israel.
15. Zoran, R. (2000). The third voice: curative qualities of literature and the possibility of implementing a bibliotherapoitic dialogue. Carmel: Jerusalem.
Workshop 9. (N/L) GROUP - A Modern Analytic Video Training Series
Supported by Robert Klein’s contributions to the Group Foundation Education Endowment
Instructors:
John Caffaro, PhD, CGP, FAGPA, Distinguished Professor, California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles, California
Elliot Zeisel, PhD, CGP, DFAGPA, Center for Group Studies, CGS, New York, New York
This workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to view portions of the series GROUP and engage in a discussion of effective clinical practice with John Caffaro, PhD and Elliot Zeisel, PhD. Additionally, we will focus on how the series can be used to enhance university and group therapy training programs and its potential to increase public awareness of the value and effectiveness of group psychotherapy.
The attendee will be able to:
1. List core treatment principles and interventions in psychodynamic group process.
2. Compare key elements of the Modern Analytic and Interpersonal/Relational approach to group psychotherapy.
3. Identify the power of the here and now in process groups to catalyze understanding and increase the connections between member to member and member to leader.
1. Black, A. (2019). Treating insecure attachment in group therapy: Attachment theory meets modern psychoanalytic technique. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 69:3, 259-286, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.2019.1588073
2. Caffaro, J.V. (2015). Interpersonal integrative group therapy. In Encyclopedia of Theory in Counseling and Psychotherapy. Neukrug, E. (Ed.). SAGE. http://sk.sagepub.com/reference/the-sage-encyclopedia-of-theory-in-counseling-and-psychotherapy/i7505.xml?term=interpersonal%20integrative
3. Chang-Caffaro, S. & Caffaro, J. (2018). Differences that make a difference: Diversity and the process group leader. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68(4), 483-497, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.2018.1469958
4. Levine, R. (2017). A modern psychoanalytic perspective on group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67:sup1, S109-S120, DOI:10.1080/00207284.2016.1218769
5. Zeisel, E. (2009). Affect education and the development of the interpersonal ego in modern group psychoanalysis. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 59 (3), 421-432, DOI: 10.1521/ijgp.2009.59.3.421
Workshop 10. (N/L) Soul Siblings and Black Women Magic: The Need and Power of Black Women Groups at Predominantly White Institutions
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Racial and Ethnic Diversity SIG
Instructors:
Kimberly Burdine, PhD, Associate Clinical Professor, Texas Woman's University, Denton, Texas
Analesa Clarke, PhD, CGP, University of Florida, Counseling and Wellness Center, Gainesville, Florida
Presenters will discuss rationale, impact and implications for offering Black women’s groups at predominantly white institutions. This includes distinct mental health concerns Black women may experience, including the impact of “invincible Black women” and “strong Black women” schema. The presenters use their experiences and group feedback to illustrate cultural considerations when developing, recruiting and engaging members. Participants are invited to work through experiential exercises and engage in discussion with facilitators and other participants.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Identify three culturally distinct mental health concerns experienced by Black women in the US.
2. State how the "invincible Black women" syndrome and "strong Black woman" schema may impact mental health and help seeking behaviors of Black women.
3. Differentiate the application of interpersonal process and soft skills-based group interventions for Black women.
4. Describe the impact of cultural identity-based group therapy for Black women.
5. Discuss cultural considerations and implications for Black women’s support groups.
1. Awosan, C. I., Sandberg, J. G., & Hall, C. A. (2011). Understanding the experience of Black clients in marriage and family therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 37(2), 153-168.
2. Brondolo, E., Ng, W., Pierre, K. J., & Lane, R. (in press). Racism and mental health: Examining the link between racism and depression from a social cognitive perspective. In. A. N. Alvarez, C. T. H. Liang, & H. A. Neville (Eds.), Contextualizing the cost of for people of color: Theory, research, and practice. Washington DC: American Psychological Association.
3. Bryant-Davis, T., & Ocampo, C. (2006). Theoretical perspectives: A therapeutic approach to the treatment of racist-incident-based trauma. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 6(4), 1-23.
4. Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43(1241), 1241-1299.
5. Elliot, E. E., Bjelajac, P., Fallot, R. D., Markoff, L.S., & Reed, B.C.. (2005). Trauma-informed or trauma-denied: Principles and implementation of trauma-informed services for women. Journal of Community Psychology, 33(4), 461-477.
6. Lee, D. L., & Ahn, S. (2013). The relation of racial identity, ethnic identity, and racial socialization to discrimination-distress: A meta-analysis of Black Americans. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 60, 1–14.
7. Martinque K. J., & Pritchett-Johnson, B. (2018). “Invincible Black Women”: Group Therapy for Black College Women. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, DOI: 10.1080/01933922.2018.1484536
8. Schmitt, M. T., Branscombe, N. R., Postmes, T., & Garcia, A. (2014). The consequences of perceived discrimination for psychological well-being: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 140(4), 921–948. doi:10.1037/a0035754
9. Williams, D. R., & Mohammed, S. A. (2009). Discrimination and racial disparities in health: Evidence and needed research. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 32, 2-47. doi:10.1007/s10865-008-9185-0
Workshop 11. (N/L) Embracing Today: Present Centered Group Therapy for Survivors of Trauma
Instructors:
Daniel Gross, LICSW, AGPA, Veteran's Administration Hospital, Seattle, Washington
Barbara L. Niles, PhD, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts
William Unger, PhD, Providence VAMC/Brown University, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island
Melissa Wattenberg, PhD, AGPA, ISTSS, APA, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts
Workshop will provide an overview, definition and experiential opportunity to understand and provide present centered group techniques. Topics covered will include definition of PTSD and associated challenges common to survivors of trauma, how PCGT differs from traditionally trauma focused treatments. Experientially, participants will have opportunities to better understand and implement PCGT techniques, anticipate challenges common in group therapy with PTSD, and practice facilitation of PCGT techniques.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Guide participants to identify trauma related-themes, PTSD symptoms, and distinguish trauma focused and non-trauma focused treatment approaches.
2. Encourage participation in experiential opportunities for applying and practicing present centered group therapy (PCGT) techniques.
3. Assist with developing comprehensive understanding of PCGT protocol, including stages of treatment, common challenges, and exclusion criteria for group selection.
4. Provide debriefing opportunity for integrating and administering PCGT in clinical settings.
1. Beck, G., Clapp, J., Unger, W., Wattenberg, M., & Sloan, D. (2021). Moderators of PTSD symptom change in group cognitive behavioral therapy and group present centered therapy. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 80 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2021.102386
2. Belsher, J.I., Berliner, L, CLoitre, M., Forbes, D., Jensen, T.K., Lewis, C., Shapiro, F. (2019, Aug). Present-centered therapy (PCT) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019, (11). DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012898.pub2.
3. Frost, N.D., Laska, K.M. & Wampold, B.E. (2014). The evidence for present centered group therapy as a treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 27(1), 1-8.
4. Kitchner, N.J., Lewis, C., Roberts,N.P., & Bisson, J.I. (2019). Active duty and ex-serving military personnel with post-traumatic stress disorder treated with psychological therapies: Systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 10(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2019.1684226
5. Steenkamp, M. M., Litz, B.T., & Marmar, C.R. (2020). First-line psychotherapies for military-related PTSD. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2019.20825
6. Wattenberg, M., Gross, D.L., Nile, B., Unger, W., Shea, T.S. (2021). Present Centered Group Therapy for PTSD: Embracing Today. New York, NY, Routledge.
Workshop 12. (N/L) Interpersonal Neurobiology, Courage and High-Performing Teams
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Organization Consulting SIG
Instructors:
Rachel Stephens, PsyD, LCP, Regent University Psychological Services Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Carolyn Waterfall, MS, LPC, CGP, Counselor, Consultant, Trainer Private Practice, Portland, Oregon
This workshop will help you adapt your group therapy skills to develop high-performing teams. We will explore the important connection between our willingness to be brave and vulnerable and our ability to solve problems, be creative, manage conflict, engage others and work together effectively. This experiential and entertaining course will present a variety of evidence-based techniques you can use right away to increase your personal and team effectiveness to help create high-performing teams.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe the similarities and differences between group therapy and consulting with individuals, groups, and organizations.
2. Apply specific knowledge and techniques to adapt their clinical skills to consult with individuals, groups and organizations.
3. Discuss how interpersonal neurobiology sets the stage for high performing teams.
4. Identify how self-awareness and effective self-regulation builds trust in organizations.
5. Demonstrate and describe a variety of self-regulations skills.
6. Discuss how self-regulation supports vulnerability and courage - two qualities critical to trust-building in organizations.
7. Implement communication skill building techniques in groups.
8. Apply these lessons to a situation in your organization (family, relationship) to enhance team performance.
1. Brown, B. (2020). Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. Random House, New York, NY.
2. Chen, M., & Rybak, C. (2018). Group Leadership Skills: Interpersonal Process in Group Counseling and Therapy. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.
3. Kogan, N. (2018) Happier now: How to stop chasing perfections and embrace everyday moments. Sounds True.
4. Lauritsen, J. (2018) Unlocking high performance. Martin P. Hill.
5. Okun, T. (ND). White Supremacy Culture. DR Works, www.dismantlingracism.org
6. Ross H. (2018). Our search for belonging: How our need to connect is tearing us apart. Berrett-Koehler.
7. Siegel, D. (2011). Mindsight: The new science of personal transformation. Bantam Books.
3:45 - 6:15 PM EST - 2 ½ Hour Open Sessions
304. Rupture and Repair in Group Psychotherapy: Intersecting Multiple Identities
Instructors:
John Caffaro, PhD, CGP, FAGPA, Distinguished Professor, California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles, California
Sophia Chang-Caffaro, PsyD, CGP, UC San Diego Health, Counseling and Psychological Services, San Diego, California
Elizabeth Olson, PsyD, LCSW, CGP, APA, Collective for Psychological Wellness, Longmont, Colorado
This Open Session presentation focuses on the processes of group therapy that address co-created efforts between group coleaders and members to maximize the group’s ability to effectively manage the rupture and repair process. Our interpersonal process will be utilized to Identify and support the group’s capacity to address multiple intersecting identities including differences in power, gender, race, age, and culture through the lens of attachment and interpersonal theory. Open Session will include a demonstration group facilitated by coleaders Drs. Chang-Caffaro & Caffaro, followed by discussion led by Dr. Olson.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Evaluate how intersecting identities and attachment styles of group members and coleaders affect the group psychotherapy process.
2. Identify characteristics of the group coleader alliance that contribute to fostering a climate that facilitates an exploration of multiple identities and empowers challenging conversations to occur.
3. Demonstrate the power of the here and now in process groups to catalyze understanding and explore the connections between member to member and member to leader interactions.
1. Chang-Caffaro, S. & Caffaro, J.V. (2021). When coleaders differ: Rupture and repair in group psychotherapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy, NY: American Psychiatric Association. DOI:10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20200035 )
2. Chang-Caffaro, S. & Caffaro, J.V. (2018). Differences that make a difference: Diversity and the process group leader. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, NY: Routledge. DOI: 10.1080/00207284.2018.1469958
3. Caffaro, J.V. (2015). Interpersonal Integrative Group Therapy. In Encyclopedia of Theory in Counseling and Psychotherapy. Neukrug, E. (Ed.). SAGE. http://sk.sagepub.com/reference/the-sage-encyclopedia-of-theory-in-counseling-and-psychotherapy/i7505.xml?term=interpersonal%20integrative
4. Okech, R. (2008). Reflective practice in group co-leadership. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 33, (3), New York: Routledge. doi.org/10.1080/01933920802196138
5. Yalom, I. & Leszcz, M. (2020). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy. 6th Edition. New York: Basic Books.
305. Using Group Process for Diverse Contexts
Presented under the auspices of the College Counseling and Other Educational Settings SIG
Instructors:
Michele Ribeiro, EdD, ABPP, CGP, FAGPA, Licensed Psychologist, Counseling and Psychological Services, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
Joana Kyei, PsyD, Psychologist, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, Accra, Ghana
Anne McEneaney, PhD, ABPP, CGP, FAGPA, New York University, Private Practice, New York, New York
Henry Nsubuga Msc. IPHC, MA Counselling, Manager, Counselling and Guidance Centre
Matthew Tomatz, MA, LPC, LAC, CGP, University of Colorado Boulder Counseling and Psychiatric Services, Boulder, Colorado
College Counseling Center Staff are finding new avenues to provide services that utilize group theory and practice. This open session will highlight the ways college counselors are meeting the needs of students and/or staff by providing opportunities to expand on the typical ways group has been utilized. Presenters will highlight teaching group internationally, within a business setting in Ghana, offering groups in Uganda, within a music school setting, and leading an anti-racist stamina group for White undergraduate students.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Identify at least two distinct differences with how group is taught and/or practiced within and outside the U.S.
2. Define what language privilege means in the global context.
3. Identify three ways the clinical frame can be expanded from traditional therapy groups offered in college counseling settings.
1. Bilican, I. F., & McEneaney, A. (2016). Effects of a Group Psychotherapy Principles Training on Psychotherapists' Group Process Awareness. International Journal of Psychology, 51, 274.
2. Griner, D., & Smith, T. B. (2006). Culturally adapted mental health intervention: A meta-analytic review. Psychotherapy: Theory, research, practice, training, 43(4), 531.
3. Morris, J. (2003). A metamodel of theories of psychotherapy: A guide to their analysis, comparison, integration and use. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 10, 1-18.
4. Ribeiro, M. D. (2020). Intersectionality, social identities, and groups examined in M. D. Ribeiro (Ed). Examining Social Identities and Diversity Issues in Group Therapy: Knocking at the Boundaries. New York: Routledge Press.
5. Wachtel, P. L. (2018). Pathways to progress for integrative psychotherapy: Perspectives on practice and research. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 28(2), 202–212. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/int0000089
3:45 - 6:15 PM EST - 2 ½ Hour Workshops
Workshop 13. (N/L) Microaggressions Under the Microscope: Identifying, Unmasking, and Exploring Implicit Bias in Group Psychotherapy
Presented under the auspices of the Racial and Ethnic Diversity SIG and the Group Training and Supervision SIG
Instructors:
Shemika M. Brooks, PsyD, CGP, Meek Mind, LLC., JHU Counseling Center, Ellicott, City, Maryland
Nathasha Hahn, PhD, CGP, FIU, Counseling and Psychological Services, Miami, Florida
Shelby Weltz, PsyD, New York University, Hospital, New York, New York
Barriers to group facilitators responding to microaggressions include a pervasive fear of “messing up” and having insufficient sensitivity to identify microaggressive statements, actions, and inactions. Rather than to focus on ways to intervene, this workshop will provide explicit opportunities to identify microaggressions that may arise in group counseling spaces. Participants will practice identifying microaggressions and unmasking the impact of their harmfulness, through examination and discussion of different cultural perspectives.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Explain the actual or potential negative impact of microaggressions.
2. List five examples of microaggressions (statements, actions, and/or inactions) in the context of group counseling spaces.
3. Identify the role that increased awareness plays in reducing microaggressive behavior.
4. Describe the ways in which the impact of microaggressions, rather than the intent, result in interpersonal harm.
5. Discuss the ways in which the intersection of member identity and group composition impact the felt experience of microaggressions.
1. Bemak, F. & Chi-Ying Chung, R. (2019). Race dialogues in group psychotherapy: Key issues in training and practice. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 69(2). 172-191. DOI: 10.1080/00207284.2018.1498743
2. Cone-Uemura, K., & Bentley, E.S. (2018). Multicultural/diversity issues in groups. In M. D. Ribeiro, J. M. Gross, & M. M. Turner (Eds.), The college counselor’s guide to group psychotherapy (pp. 21-35). Routledge.
3. Kaklauskas, F. J. & Nettles, R. (2020). Towards multicultural and diversity proficiency as a group psychotherapist. In F. J. Kaklauskas & L. R. Greene (Eds.), Core principles of group psychotherapy: An integrated theory, research, and practice training manual (pp. 25-45). Routledge.
4. Lefforge, N. L., Mclaughlin, S., Goates-Jones, M., & Mejia, C. (2020). A training model for addressing microaggressions in group psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 70(1), 1-28. DOI: 10.1080/00207284.2019.1680989
5. Owen, J., Drinane, J. M., Tao, K. W., DasGupta, D.R., Zhang, Y., & Adelson, J. (2018). An experimental test of microaggression detection in psychotherapy: Therapist multicultural orientation. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 49(1), 9-21. DOI: 10.1037/pro0000152
6. Smith, L. C., & Shin, R. Q. (2008). Social privilege, social justice, and group counseling: An inquiry. Journal For Specialists In Group Work, 33(4), 351-366. doi:10.1080/01933920802424415
7. Stevens, F., & Abernethy, A. (2018). Neuroscience and racism: The power of groups for overcoming implicit bias. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68(4), 561-584. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2017.1315583
8. Sue, D. W. (2010). Microaggressions in everyday life: Race, gender, and sexual orientation. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
9. Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C. M., Torino, G. C., Bucceri, J. M., Holder, A. B., Nadal, K. L., & Esquilin, M. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271-286. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.62.4.271
10. Williams, Monnica T. (2020). Psychology cannot afford to ignore the many harms caused by microaggressions. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 15(1), 38-43. DOI: 10.1177/1745691619893362
Workshop 14. (4+) Using our Emotions as Leaders to Understand and Guide our Groups
Instructor:
Dave Kaplowitz, LMFT, CGP, Austin, Texas
Our emotions are the most important tool we have as group leaders. They help us understand our groups and can guide us towards effective group leadership. This workshop will help leaders improve their ability to recognize emotions in the moment and to use them to formulate effective interventions.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Identify common reasons for countertransference resistance.
2. Name the four core emotions.
3. Explain the difference between emotions inside and those toward others.
4. Describe three ways group leaders can use their emotions in the moment to formulate interventions.
1. Black, A. (2017). On Attacking and Being Attacked in Group Psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67: 291-313.
2. Levine, R. (2017). A Modern Psychoanalytic Perspective on Group Psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67: 109-120.
3. Ormont, L. (1992). What the therapist feels. In The group therapy experience. (pp. 51-82). New York: St. Martin’s Press.
4. Racker, H. (1968). The meaning of and uses of countertransference. In Transference and countertransference. (pp. 127-173). London: H. Karnac Ltd.
5. Epstein, L. (1979). Countertransference with borderline patients. In Countertransference. (pp. 375-406). New York: Jason Aaronson.
6. Berg, S. S. (2019). Hall of Broken Mirrors”—Enactment in an Analytic Group of “Difficult Patients”. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 69: 1-29.
Workshop 15. (N/L) Using Team-Building Activities to Advance the Goals of Group Therapy
Instructor:
Barney Straus, MSW, MA, CGP, FAGPA, Adventure Forward Therapy, Evanston, Illinois
This workshop will explore the impact of using team-building activities with therapy groups. Through an alternating sequence of process sessions and team-building activities, the impact of a group’s attempting physical challenges will become evident. A discussion at the conclusion will focus on application other group settings.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Summarize ways in which using physical games and challenges can advance the goals of group therapy.
2. Apply programming that is appropriate to the needs of specific groups.
3. Identify that facilitating therapeutic activities is a learned skill.
1. Brown, S. (2009). Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul. London, UK: Penguin Books.
2. Gass, M., Gillis, H.L., Russell, K. (2012). Adventure Therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice. New York, NY: Routledge.
3. LeFevre, D. (2002). Best New Games. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
4. Straus, B. (2018). Healing in Action: Adventure-Based Counseling with Therapy Groups. New York, NY: Rowman and Littlefield.
5. Yalom, Y., & Leszcz, M. (2020). The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy, 6th Ed. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Workshop 16. (N/L) Writing and Its Multiple Uses in Psychotherapy Settings
Instructor:
Dominick Grundy, PhD, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, New York, New York
Writing is an underused way to open channels of communication with self and others in group and individual psychotherapy. In this workshop we will consider strategies for settings, private or organizational, in which writing may be used to enhance group processes and stimulate creativity. This can apply to different populations, such as the elderly, and social climates of feeling, such as a pandemic. The experience of being creative or making a professional scholarly contribution can support therapeutic gains.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Provide a rationale for the use of writing as a therapeutic tool.
2. Demonstrate flexible methods for incorporation of writing in various settings.
3. In a therapy group, empower group members to create a narrative for themselves, especially under stress.
4. Support professional development through publication.
1. Bolton, G. (2011). Write yourself: Writing and personal development. London UK: Jessica Kingsley
2. Brown, N. (2013). Creative activities for group therapy. NY: Routledge
3. Dean, J., Potts, H.W., Barker, C., (2016). Direction to an internet support group compared with online expressive writing for people with depression and anxiety: A randomized trial. JMIR Mental Health, 3(2): e(12).
4. Grundy, D. (2007) What is a writing group? Dilemmas of the leader. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 57, 133-151
5. Lepore, S.J. & Smyth, J.M., (Eds). (2002). The writing cure. Washington DC: APA
6. Madigan, S. (2019) Narrative Therapy, 2nd ed. Theories of Psychotherapy Series, Washington DC: APA
7. Miller, W. (2014). Interactive journaling as a clinical tool. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 36(1): 31-42.
Workshop 17. (N/L) Improving Your Ability to Activate and Illuminate the Here-and-Now in Your Small Group Dynamics
Instructor:
Nate Page, PhD, LP, CGP, Group Therapy Central, Northfield, Minnesota
Yalom has continually asserted that the core of group therapy is working in the here-and-now. The primary tasks of group leadership is to continually ACTIVATE and ILLUMINATE the here-and-now, yet many group leaders struggle to know how to do this. This workshop will include short didactic instruction, experiential practice, and two handouts that will help you retain specific here-and-now interventions that you can use in your group work.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Explain the components of therapeutic here-and-now activation and illumination.
2. Select group leader interventions to both activate and illuminate the here-and-now.
3. Identify your own subjective experiences and explore those of other participants and the group-as-a-whole experiences.
1. Barlow, S. and Burlingame, G., 2006. Essential Theory, Processes, and Procedures for Successful Group Psychotherapy: Group Cohesion as Exemplar. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 36, 107-112. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02729053
2. Ferencik, M. (1991). A typology of the here-and-now: Issues in Group Therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 41, 169-183. DOI: 10.1080/00207284.1991.11490642
3. Joyce, A.S., Piper, W.E., & Ogrodniczuk, J.S. (2007). Therapeutic alliance and cohesion variables as predictors of outcome in short-term group psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 57(3), 269–96. DOI:10.1521/ijgp.2007.57.3.269. PMID 17661544. S2CID 19200449.
4. Roberta L. Slavin. (1993) The significance of here- and-now disclosure in promoting cohesion in group psychotherapy. Group, 17(3), 143-150.
5. Weinberg, H. & Rolnick, A. (2020). Theory and Practice of Online Therapy: Internet-delivered Interventions for Individuals, Groups, Families, and Organizations (1st Edition). New York, NY: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315545530
6. Yalom, I.D. & Leszcz, M. (2020). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (6th ed.). New York: Basic Books. ISBN-13: 9781541617568
Workshop 18. (N/L) Integrating Psychotherapy and Trauma Groups in a Time of Medical, Racial and Sociopolitical Crisis: Implications for Leaders
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Community Outreach Task Force
Supported by Barbara Squire Ilfeld, Fred Ilfeld, and the Ilfeld Family Fund at Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation’s contributions to the Group Foundation Education Endowment
Instructors:
Robert H. Klein, PhD, ABPP, CGP, DLFAGPA, Yale School of Medicine, Yale, Orange, Connecticut
Suzanne B. Phillips, PsyD, ABPP, CGP, FAGPA, Derner Institute- Supervisor, Adelphi Postdoctoral Programs, Garden City, New York
The profound sociopolitical stresses that have gripped our country for over one year have resulted in cumulative national trauma. Consequently, distinctions between traditional psychotherapy and trauma groups have become blurred. This workshop will examine similarities and differences between these group models in terms of their goals and the implications for the role of the leader. The leader’s capacity to use a more integrated model with social/cultural attunement and competence will be highlighted.
1. Give three examples of treatment goals and leader roles that distinguish between traditional psychodynamic psychotherapy groups and trauma groups.
2. Discuss four features of the current sociopolitical climate that have resulted in ongoing cumulative national trauma that overshadows psychotherapy groups.
3. Exemplify the impact (Disruptive and Facilitative) of national trauma from pandemic to racial violence and political division, etc. on leader, group, individual members and the process shared.
4. Identify at least four behaviors by a leader that reflect cultural competence, and the ability to address overt or subtle racism, bias, minimization of trauma, or political disdain in a psychotherapy group.
5. Identify two recent empirical and theoretical developments that call for a reconceptualization of therapist role.
6. Give three examples of how a leader would optimize and integrate the benefits of the trauma group and psychotherapy group model.
1. Grossmark, R. (2018). The unobtrusive relational analyst: explorations in psychoanalytic companioning. New York: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group.
2. Klein, R.H. (2021). Therapist Role Boundaries During Times of Multiple Crises and Severe Sociopolitical Stress: Is This a Time for Change? Parts 1& 2. Submitted for publication.
3. Miles, J., Anders, C, Kivligham, M., and Bellcher Platt, A. (2021). Cultural Ruptures: Addressing Microaggressions in Group Therapy. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research and Practice, 25,74-88.
4. Norcross, J. C., & Wampold, B. E. (2019). Psychotherapy Relationships that Work: Volume 2: Evidence-Based Therapist Responsiveness (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press
5. Perlitz, D. (2019). The Implicit Analyst: Qualities of Salience. Psychoanalysis, Self and Context, 14(4), 428–444. https://doi.org/10.1080/24720038.2019.1596272
Workshop 19. (10+) Coping with Aging in Ourselves and Our Clients: Balancing Resilience with Acceptance
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Issues of Aging SIG and the Health and Medical Issues SIG
Supported by the Esther and Walter Stone Fund’s contributions to the Group Foundation Education Endowment
Instructors:
Ken Schwartz, MD, FRCPC, Psychiatrist, Baycrest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Shayne Vitemb, MA, LMFT, CGP, Private Practice, El Segundo, California
In reflecting and sharing feelings regarding issues of aging in ourselves and our clients, therapists will come to understand how we are impacted by the aging process, both in our personal lives as well as in our roles as clinicians and group leaders. We will explore the challenge of how to remain empathically connected. We want to be resilient, yet may need to face our limitations. Now that we are older, we may notice that we have changed, as has the world around us. Thoughts and feelings about being in the world now as older adults will be freely explored.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Identify importance of both hope and action in coping with issues of health and aging
2. Appraise one’s personal feelings with respect to issues of aging and medical disability and its impact on working with a population of seniors.
3. Identify three practices/techniques that facilitate the psychological healing process in older adults with medical problems.
4. Define the existential concept of “being in the world” as it applies to the aging group therapist
5. Discuss the challenge associated with both the consideration of retirement and retirement itself.
1. Sacks, O. (2021). Gratitude. New York, Toronto, Alfred A. Knopf.
2. Sandower, M. (2018). Occupational Wisdom: What Therapists Can Teach Us about Getting Old gracefully, https//www.psychotherapynetworker.org/magazine/artcle/March/April
3. Schwartz, K. (2019). Sexuality, Intimacy and Group Psychotherapy with Older Adults. International Journal of Group Therapy, 69(1):126-144. DOI:https//dol.org.1080/002072084.2018.1049150.
4. Silver, M. (2018). Retirement and its Discontents; Why We Won’t Stop Working Even When We can. New York, Coumbia University Press.
5. Vitemb, S. (2018) Talkin' Bout My Generation: Existentialism, Aging, and Newly Emerging Issues in Group Therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Volume 68, 2018-Issue 3, Pages 337-351.
Workshop 20. (N/L) Group Based Approaches to Parental Reactivity and Transformation: The Parent Circle Model
Instructor:
David Flohr, PhD, CGP, AGPA, Circle in the Square, Falls Church, Virginia
Demonstration of methods that facilitate therapist movement from centrality to collaborator/consultant to a phase where the group becomes an autonomous leaderless group that is self-sustaining. Innovative, non-traditional approaches will be presented. Emphasis is given to specific group based clinical methods of decreasing levels of parental reactivity and the related decrease in physical, sexual and emotional boundary violations with children and adolescents.
Demonstration/ Didactic/ Experiential/ Sharing of Work Experiences
The attendee will be able to:
1. Identify three examples of how the Parent Circle group-based approaches can effectively address parental reactivity.
2. Connect one's own experiences, personal and professional, with the concepts and examples discussed.
3. List and describe the key elements of the Parent Circle model.
4. Summarize a demonstrated method for reducing the impact of an individual's core issues on current levels of parental reactivity.
1. Flohr, D. (2012). The Parent Circle: Tapping the Wisdom of True Experts. Psychotherapy Networker, Jan/Feb 2012, 30-37.
2. Fonagy, Gergely, Jurist & Target. (2004). Affect Regulation, Mentalization and the Development of the Self. New York: Other Press.
3. Sanders, M.R. (2018). Handbook of Parenting and Child Development across the Lifespan. New York: Springer.
2. Seigel & Bryson. (2020). The Power of Showing Up. New York: Ballantine
6. Siegel, D.J., & Hartzell, M. (2003). Parenting from the Inside Out. New York: Penguin.
4. White & Epston (1990). Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends. New York: Norton.