63rd Annual Conference

Friday, February 24

Afternoon Workshops

2:45-6:00 P.M.

Workshop 56

The Courage of the Group Therapist

Chair:         

Jerome Gans, M.D., CGP, FAGPA, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School. Boston, Massachusetts

Courage is centrally involved in the psychotherapeutic process.  Hope, an

assistant to courage, and pride, a by-product of actualized courage, serve to counter the shameful moments that inevitably attend group leadership.  This workshop, a venture into somewhat uncharted territory, will provide an opportunity to further understand and develop this elusive mental act.

Sharing of work experiences-didactic-experiential-demonstration

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:

1. Discuss five categories of leader courage.

2. Identify what constitutes courageous leadership decisions for them.

3. Identify leadership decisions that appear to be courageous but are not.

4. Discuss how and why one group leader's courageous decision may constitute another

group therapist's comfort zone.

Course References:

1. Frankel, B. (2002). Existential Issues in Group Psychotherapy. International

Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 52, 215-231.

2. Gans, J. (2005). A Plea for Greater Recognition and Appreciation of Our Group

Members' Courage. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, (to appear Oct)

3. Groopman, J. (2004). The Anatomy of Hope. New York: Random House.