66th Annual Conference

Friday, February 20

Afternoon Workshops

2:30 - 5:00 P.M.

Workshop 64

Your Professional Will: Preparing for Unexpected and Inevitable Absences, Law and Ethics

Chair:                

Ann Steiner, Ph.D., MFT, CGP, FAGPA, Associate Clinical Professor, University of California Medical School, Lafayette, California

Illnesses and other sudden emergencies happen to us all. Now is the time to 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 build community while minimizing the impact on your clients, colleagues and yourself. Law and ethics credit available.

didactic-sharing of work experiences-demonstration-experiential

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:

1. List common effects 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 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. (2004) 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) p 99-104.

3. Steiner, A. (2004) “The Therapist Protection Plan: Preparing for Expected and Unexpected Absences from Practice” The Therapist, July/September.