64th Annual Conference

Saturday, March 10

Morning Workshop

8:45 A.M.- 12:00 noon

Workshop 77

The Therapist's Professional Will: A Practice Necessity?

Chair:    

Ann E. Steiner, Ph.D., MFT, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, Lafayette, California

Illnesses and other sudden emergencies happen to us all. Now is the time to think through and design a plan for minor or serious illness, retirement, relocation and death, including who will contact your group members if you cannot. This hands-on workshop helps minimize the impact on your clients, your colleagues and yourself. Laptops welcome.

sharing of work experiences, didactic, experiential, demonstration

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe the power and impact on group members when the leader cancels or is ill.

2. Analyze when and whether it is appropriate to be self-disclosing regarding the therapist's health, reasons for cancellation of sessions and termination.

3. List the essential ingredients of a comprehensive Therapists’ Professional Will.

4. Describe the ways that they plan to minimize the trauma caused by canceling, transferring or terminating with their groups.

Course References:

1. Fieldsteel, N. When the Therapist Says Goodbye. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy. 55(2), 245-279.

2. Rauch, E. (1998). A One Session Memorial Group Following the Death of a Therapist. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy. 48(1), 99-104.

3. Steiner, A. (2004). The Therapist Protection Plan: Preparing for expected and unexpected absences from practice. The California Therapist. July/September.

4. Weiner, M. (1978). Therapist Disclosure: The use of self in psychotherapy. London: Butterworths.