64th Annual Conference

Friday, March 9
Afternoon Workshops
2:45– 6:00 P.M.

Workshop 57

Saying the Unspeakable: Working with Countertransference and Counter-resistance in Involuntary Groups

Chairs:

Steven Henne, M.A., LPC, LAC, Adjunct Professor, Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado

Jeffrey Price, M.A., LPC, LAC, CGP, Adjunct Professor, Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado

Group leaders experience a variety of powerful, distressing and primal feelings leading involuntary groups.  This workshop will help leaders develop increased awareness, curiosity and insight into these feelings and how to use them to help resolve resistances.  Participants will also explore how counterresistance manifests and how this affects the group.

experiential, demonstration, didactic, sharing of work experiences

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to: 

1.  Explain the relationship between the contract, resistance, countertransference and counterresistance. 

2.  Discuss the role of awareness, curiosity and insight in identifying countertransference and then using that information to resolve resistances in the group. 

3.  Identify common manifestations of counterresistance in involuntary groups.

Course References:

1. Nitsun, M.  (1996). The Anti-Group. New York: Routledge.
2. Ormont, L.  (1992). The Group Therapy Experience. New York: St. Martin's Press.
3. Rosenthal, L.  (1987). Resolving Resistance in Group Psychotherapy. New Jersey: Jason Aronson.