64th Annual Conference

Thursday, March 8

Afternoon Workshops

2:45-6:00 P.M.

Master Workshop 22

Therapeutic Ideals and Therapists' Humanity: Secrets, Shame and Guilt

Open to participants with more than ten years of group psychotherapy experience.

Chair:  

Esther G. Stone, M.S.S.W., CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, Corte Madera, California

Therapists' humanity often conflict with their "therapeutic ideal."  Interventions falling short of the ideal may induce shame or guilt and remain secret.  Following a theoretical overview, participants will be asked to share experiences which "fell short" and induced dysphonic states.  We will consider the impact on ourselves, our patients, and the whole group.

sharing of work experiences, didactic, experiential, demonstration

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:

1. Identify which therapist enactments (delinquencies) are exploitive, harmful and/or shameful

2. Which therapeutic enactments are therapist induced and which are patient/induced

3. Identify those enactments which facilitate the therapist's ability to be with the patient and those that are exploitive

4. Identify with their patient's experience with secrets, shame and guilt .

Course References:

1. Psychoanalytic Dialogues: A journal of relational perspectives. 13(4), 451-533.

2. Rutan, J. & Stone, W. (2001). Psychodynamic Group Psychotherapy. (3rd. Ed). The Guilford Press.

3. Simon, R. (1992). Treatment Boundary Violations: Clinical, ethical and legal consideration. Bulletin of Academy of Psychiatry and Law. 20(3), 269-288.