67th Annual Conference

Saturday, February 27

Morning Workshops

9:00 - 11:30 A.M.

Workshop 83

“Meaning Makers Make It:” Co-Creating Meaningful Structures in Group Psychotherapy

Chairs:

Robin Gayle, Ph.D., MFT, Associate Professor of Psychology, Dominican University of California, San Rafael, California
Victor L. Schermer, M.A., LPC, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Developing meaningful understanding of personal and intersubjective experience is the essence of group psychotherapy. In this workshop, we will explore how therapists and group members can together develop structures and processes that facilitate insight, symptomatic relief, growth, and empowerment utilizing “the hermeneutical spiral” and the science of interpretation.

didactic-demonstration-experiential-sharing of work experiences

Learning Objectives:
Participants will learn to
-Lead groups flexibly but safely through the co-creating of meaningful shared experiences between leader and group and among the members.
-Transform group structure and dynamics into immediate felt experience within the group moment
-Understand and apply Strasser’s concept of the hermeneutical spiral in creating experience, expression, and understanding in the group here-and-now
- Enable leadership intentions that are flexible and resilient in response to the meanings generated in the group.

Course References:
Frey, L. (2004). The symbolic-interpretive perspective on group dynamics. Small Group Research, 35, 277-306.

Gayle, R. (2009, in press). Co-creating Meaningful Structures within Long-Term Psychotherapy Group Culture. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 59, 311-333

Strasser, S. (1985). Understanding and explanation. Pittsburg, PA: Duquesne University Press.