Friday, February 24

Morning Workshops

10:00 A.M.-1:15 P.M.

Workshop 44

Individual Stories Seeking Meaning in a Group Theme: A Systemic Group Therapy Model Using Drawings

Chair:         

George Gournas, M.D., CGP, Senior Trainer, Therapist, Supervisor, The Athenian Institute of Anthropos, Athens, Greece

Mina Polemi-Todoulou, Ph.D., CGP, Senior Trainer, Therapist, Supervisor, The Athenian Institute of Anthropos, Athens, Greece

Participants will experience an illustration of a systemic group therapy session that uses A.I.A.’s Synallactic Collective Image Technique. The focus is on handling differences by working through the intersection of members’ personal differentiation process with that of the group’s. The acquired attitudes/skills encourage the constructive use of differences within family and other important contexts.

Experiential-demonstration-didactic-sharing of work experiences

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:

1. Begin tracing the connections among the different individual stories as they pertain and relate to the group theme.

2. Recognize aspects of the wider social and cultural context in the developing group theme.

3. Identify aspects of the group leader's role that help him/her utilize the group process therapeutically.

Course References:

1. Vassiliou, G. & V., (1981). Outlining the Synallactic Collective Image Technique as Used Within a Systemic Dialectic Approach.  In Durkin, J. (Ed.) Living Groups, New York: Brunner/Mazel.

2. Polemi-Todoulou, M., Vassiliou, V., Vassiliou, G., (1998). The Grouping Process Across Cultural Change. In Group, Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, (22)2, 105-119.