63rd Annual Conference

Saturday, February 25

Early Bird Open Sessions

7:30-8:30 A.M.

Session 224

Psychotherapy Groups in the Home Office Setting-Relevant Issues

Presenter: 

Robert Pepper, CSW, Ph.D., CGP, Director of Training, Long Island Institute for Mental Health, New York, New York

Group leaders who have home offices may be disclosing more about their personal life than they consciously intend. While the home office may be convenient and financially advantageous for the leader, this disclosure can be problematic for both leader and members. The leakage in the home office is inevitable. There are at least three pitfalls: 1. over stimulation 2. gas lighting 3. The Emperor's New Clothes Effect. The benefits and liabilities of the home office vs. the professional office will be addressed.

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:

1. Identify the benefits and liabilities of the home office.

2. Describe the inevitable leakage of unintended information about the leader in the home office setting.

3. Analyze the three pitfalls.

Course References:

1. Pepper, R. (2003). Be It Ever So Humble. The Controversial Issue of  Psychotherapy Groups in the Home Office Setting. Group, 27(1), 41-52.

2. Maroda, K. (2000). Controversial Discussion: Use of the home office. Psychologist Psychoanalyst. XX(2), 20-1.

3. Mitchell, S.(1988). Relational Concepts in Psychoanalysis. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.