79th Annual Three- Day Conference Sessions and Workshops
Saturday, March 5
COURSES: These courses are designed to cover a variety of topics in-depth. All-Day Courses meet in two sections for one full day. Participants must attend both sessions in order to receive continuing education credits. Course manuals are available for purchase. Continuing Education: One-Day: 5.0 credits/.5 units
HALF-DAY OPEN SESSIONS (300 series): These meetings will be presented in a variety of formats, including panels, papers and demonstrations. Audience participation and exchange with the presenters is encouraged. Open Sessions will be recorded and available to access at your convenience. Continuing Education: 2.5 credits/.25 units
WORKSHOPS (1-100 Series): All-day and half-day meetings provide a context in which participants exchange information among themselves and with the chairperson. These meetings are designed for varying levels of experience including master workshops for senior clinicians and usually include both didactic and experiential learning. Check designations for beginning and master levels (for senior clinicians). Continuing Education: All-day: 5.0 credits/.5 units; Half-day: 2.5 credits/ .25 units
Entrance Requirements: N/L= No Limitations; < 4= Less than four years of group leadership experience; 4+= More than four years of group leadership experience; 10+= More than ten years of group leadership experience (Masters Level)
For more information on the presenter, please click on the presenter name to view their CGP profile.
All-Day Course
(12:00 -2:30 pm & 3:45-6:15 pm EST)
C3. Group Psychotherapy Approaches to Addiction and Substance Abuse
Directors:
Philip J. Flores, PhD, CGP, ABPP, FAGPA, Psychologist, Private Practice, Marietta, Georgia
Jeffrey D. Roth, MD, CGP, FAGPA, Lecturer, University of Chicago Medical Director, Working Sobriety Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
The field of addiction and substance abuse treatment is fraught with controversy and conflicting perspectives. Through didactic presentation and group demonstration, participants will engage in learning ways to treat addiction most effectively in a group model. This workshop will describe and demonstrate an interpersonal, psychodynamically oriented model of group therapy that are most adaptable to the specific difficulties that the typical substance abuser, addict and alcoholic brings to treatment.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Review the confounding variables in treatment outcome research and the limitations of evidence-based treatments.
2. Describe the differences and similarities of abstinence-based treatments, harm reduction, and motivational interviewing in the group treatment of addiction.
3. Review integrative approaches to the group treatment of addiction and other co-occurring disorders.
4. Explain the Interpersonal Psychodynamic Group Therapy Model for the treatment of addiction.
5. Discuss the ACE study and the relationship between trauma, dissociation and addiction.
1. Felitti, V. J. et al(1998) The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14 (4) 245-258. ACE Study.
2. Flores, P.J. (2007). Group psychotherapy with addicted populations: An integration of twelve-step and psychodynamic theory (3rd Ed.). Binghampton, NY: Haworth.
3. Flores, P.J. & Brook, MD (2011). Group Psychotherapy Approaches to Addiction and Substance Abuse. AGPA publication, NY, NY.
4. Hampton-Anderson, Joy (2021) Adverse Childhood Experience in African Americans; Special Issue. Adverse Childhood Experiences: Translating Research to Action. American Psychologist Journal of the American Psych. Assoc. February-March 2021. Vol. 76, Number 2.
5. Matsuzaka, S. & Knapp, M. (2019) Anti-racism and substance use treatment: Addiction does not discriminate, but do we? Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse. https//doi.org/1080/15332640.2018.1548323.
All-Day Workshops
(12:00-2:30 pm & 3:45-6:15 pm EST)
Workshop 44a. (N/L) Decentering Whiteness: Use of Mindful Facilitation Skills in Groups
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Racial and Ethnic Diversity SIG
Instructor:
Donna J. Harris, MA, LCSW, CGP, Bryn Mawr College, Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research & Intercultural Counseling, LLC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
This workshop is grounded in principles of cultural humility, critical race theory and mindful facilitation bridges the gap between cultural awareness and cross-cultural dialogue. Participants will gain an understanding of barriers in engaging others in difficult conversations about race, racism. They will then learn how to effectively lead challenging discussions about social location and experiences with oppression.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Discuss strategies for decentering whiteness in groups.
2. Demonstrate Culturally Responsive Listening & Reflection skills
3. Compare the impact and intent of communications.
4. Identify what is missing in sample vignettes.
5. Utilize Mindful Reflections & Inquiries in dyads and groups.
1. Applebaum, B. (2017). Comforting discomfort as Complicity: White Fragility and the Pursuit of Invulnerability. Hapatia, (32), 4, Fall 2017.
2. Lee, M.W. (2011). Let’s Get Real: what people of color can’t say & whites won’t ask about racism. StirFry Seminars & Consulting, Berkeley, CA.
3. Sue, D.W., Rasheed, M.N. & Rasheed J.M. (2016). Microaggressions in Social Work Cultural Styles in Multicultural Intervention Strategies. In: Multicultural Social Work Practice, 2nd ed. (p.241-268).
4. Tatum, B. (2017). Why are all the Black kids sitting together in the cafeteria? And other conversations about race. 2nd Ed. New York, Basic Books.
5. Tummala-Narra, P. (2016). Psychoanalytic Theory and Cultural Competence in Psychotherapy. The American Psychological Association, DOI: 10.1037/14800-009.
Workshop 45a. (N/L) Am I My Sibling's Keeper? An Exploration of Sibling Dynamics and How They Influence the People We Become and the Roles That We Take in Groups
Instructors:
Yair Kramer, PsyD, CGP, Private Practice, New York, New York
Brett Kociol, PsyD, Group Practice, The Wise Mind Institute, Pleasanton, California
Terri Lipkin, PsyD, Psychologist, The Center for Behavioral Health at HMH-JFK University Medical Center, Edison, New Jersey
Benjamin Mueller, PsyD, CGP, Albany Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, Albany, New York
Siblings are one of the few people in the world who know what it is like to grow up in our family. And yet, our siblings’ experiences frequently differ from our own. This workshop will explore this unique affiliation, the intense feelings of love, rivalry, connection, envy, and loss that arise in these formative bonds and how they establish a template for future relationships.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe how their personal sibling dynamics have impacted their sense of self and their choice of roles as members of groups.
2. Name how their personal sibling dynamics have impacted their work as individual and/or group clinicians.
3. Classify different types of sibling dynamics through participation in the here-and-now of the experiential process group.
4. Describe how birth order affects interpersonal relationship templates and the development of social roles.
5. Identify the intersection of their own social identities and the role that this played in their sibling relationships.
1. Ashuach, S. (2019). Enactments of sibling relationships in a group. GASi Contexts, 85. https://groupana lyticsociety.co.uk/contexts/issue-85/article / hope-and-group-analysis/enactments-of- sibling-relationships-in-a-group
2. Papiasvili, E.D. (2011). Sibling Transference Phenomena in Experiential Process Groups. Group, 35(4), 289-303.
3. Parker, V. (2019). A group- analytic exploration of sibling matrix: How siblings shape our lives. Routledge Publishers.
4. Rabin, H.M. (2011). Peers and Siblings: Their Neglect in Analytic Group Psychotherapy. Group, Vol 35, No. 4, pp. 279-288.
5. Shapiro, E.L., Ginzberg, R. (2001). The Persistently Neglected Sibling Relationship and Its Applicability to Group Therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 51: 3, pp. 327-341.
Workshop 46a. (N/L) Intromission and Inspiration
Instructor:
Richard M. Billow, PhD, ABPP, Adelphi University, Derner Institute, Garden City, New York
“Intromission”—the imposition of a message or messages violently inscribed upon the individual’s psyche (or on society) is not a rare occurrence. Laplanche’s formulation applied to infantile trauma, leading to psychotic enclaves and superego formation. I apply the concept to later developmental periods, to the politics of social oppression, and to transference-countertransference dynamics that evolve in interpersonal settings. The group therapist sets a public space for “inspiration” by encouraging the exploration of intromissive messages in ongoing group process.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Detect the concept of "intromission" as it manifests in one's psychology (bodily and mentally).
2. Identity the dynamics of intromission as it occurs in the group setting between individuals, in the demonstration groups, and in the whole group.
3. Appraise "inspiration": how the group leader exposes and addresses intromission.
4. Compare the concept to issues related to power and authority in psychotherapy and other political settings.
5. Utilize the concept in the workshop and workshop and integrate it as part of one's emotional and therapeutic repertoire.
1. Ashtor, G. (2002). Exigent Psychoanalysis. The Interventions of Jean Laplanche. New York: Routledge.
2. Billow, R. M. (2021) Opening Laplanche's window: Transference-countertransference in psychoanalytic group psychotherapy. Psychoanal. Q., 90, 1.
3. Billow, R. M. (2021a). Richard M. Billow’s Selected Papers On Psychoanalysis and Group Process: Changing Our Minds. (T. Slonim, Ed.) London: Routledge.
4. Fletcher, J. (2007) Seduction and the vicissitudes of translation: The work of Jean Laplanche. Psychoanalytic Q., 76.
5. Klein, S. (1980). Autistic phenomena in neurotic patients. Int. J. Psychoanal., 61: 395-401.
6. Laplanche, J. (1999). Essays on Otherness. New York: Routledge.
7. Laplanche, J. (2002-2003). Sublimation and/or inspiration. New Formations: A Journal of Cultural /Theory/Politics, Winter :30-50.
8. Scarfone, D. (2015) Laplanche. An Introduction. New York: The Unconscious in Translation.
Workshop 47a. (N/L) Exploring Your interpersonal Style as a Group Leader: How Focused Brief Group Therapy Methods and Techniques Inform Transference, Counter-Transference and Group Dynamics
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Public Affairs Committee
Instructor:
Martyn Whittingham, PhD, CGP, FAGPA, FAPA, Whittingham Psychological Services, Owner, West Chester, Ohio
This interactive workshop will explore how Focused Brief Group Therapy works in terms of transference, counter-transference and understanding group dynamics. Utilizing the interpersonal circumplex and the ideas of complementary and noncomplementary interactions as a theoretical premise, attendees will be invited to explore how their own interpersonal style explains transference and counter-transference. Self-assessment, break outs in dyads and a group demonstration will afford opportunities for attendees to enhance their therapeutic lens by promoting awareness of self in relation to others.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Explain the interpersonal circumplex and its two main axes.
2. Identify their own interpersonal style.
3. Describe how implicit assumptions about interpersonal style influence potential implicit biases regarding diversity.
4. Explain the impact of their own interpersonal style on group members.
5. Identify group dynamics based on interpersonal style.
6. Identify how transference and counter-transference operate within FBGT.
1. Locke, K. D., Sayegh, L., Penberthy, J. K., Weber, C., Haentjens, K., & Turecki, G. (2017). Interpersonal Circumplex Profiles Of Persistent Depression: Goals, Self-Efficacy, Problems, And Effects Of Group Therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 73(6), 595–611. https://doi-org.tcsedsystem.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/jclp.22343
2. Whittingham, M. (2018). Innovations in group assessment: How focused brief group therapy integrates formal measures to enhance treatment preparation, process, and outcomes. Psychotherapy, 55(2), 186-190.
3. Whittingham, M. (2018). Interpersonal Theory and Group Therapy: Validating the Social Microcosm. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68(1), 93-98.
4. Whittingham, M. (2018). Attachment and interpersonal theory and group therapy: Two sides of the same coin. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67, 276-279.
5. Yalom, I. D., & Leszcz, M. (2021). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (Sixth). Basic Books.
12:00 - 2:30 PM EST - 2 ½ Hour Open Sessions
309. Women and Aggression: History, Healing and Power
Panel Moderators:
Janice M. Morris, PhD, ABPP, CGP, FAGPA, Psychologist, Private Practice, Austin, Texas
Jeanne Bunker, MSSW, LCSW, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, Austin, Texas
Panelists:
Aziza Belcher Platt, PhD, Private Practice, Atlanta, Georgia
Karen Cone-Uemura, PhD, CGP, Licensed Psychologist, Private Practice & University of Utah Counseling Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
Oona Metz, LICSW, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, Brookline, Massachusetts
Women group leaders are underrepresented in the literature on how women experience and work effectively with their own and their group members' aggression. This open session will present three papers exploring the unique strengths and challenges for women from diverse cultural and racial backgrounds and will include stories that underlie subjective and objective countertransference and resistance.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Distinguish types of direct and indirect aggressive expression common in women group leaders.
2. Identify and describe at least three factors affecting subjective countertransference in women group leaders as they work with aggression in themselves and in their groups.
3. Describe how racial and cultural backgrounds impact subjective countertransference and can lead to countertransference resistance in women group leaders.
4. Distinguish between the traditional definition of "aggression" and the use of the term as it applies to women group leaders in this open session.
1. Ashley, W. (2014). The angry black woman: The impact of pejorative stereotypes on psychotherapy with black women. Social Work in Public Health, 29(1), 27-34.
2. Brand, D. (1996). In another place, not here. New York: Grove Press.
3. Cohen, P. & Wright, E. (2006). Bridging the gender gap: Men and women in group. Group, 30:3.
4. Daly, K.D. and Mallinckrodt, B. (2009) Experienced therapists’ approach to psychotherapy for adults with attachment avoidance or attachment anxiety. Journal of Counselling Psychology, 56(4): 549-63.
5. Doharty, N. (2020). The ‘angry black woman’ as intellectual bondage: Being strategically emotional on the academic plantation. Race Ethnicity and Education, 23(4), 548-562.
6. Flores, P.J. (2017). Attachment theory and group psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67:sup1, S50-S59.
7. Goldberg, J. (1979). Aggression and the female therapist. Modern Psychoanalysis, 4: 209-222.
8. Holmes, L. (2011). Gender dynamics in group therapy. Group, 35(3), Fall.
9. Johnson, S, M. (2019). Attachment theory in practice: Emotionally focused therapy with individuals, couples, and families. New York: The Guilford Press.
10. Jones, T., & Norwood, K. J. (2016). Aggressive encounters & white fragility: Deconstructing the trope of the angry black woman. Iowa Law Review, 102, 2017.
11. Leszcz, M. (2017). How understanding attachment enhances group therapist effectiveness. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(2), 280-287.
12. Lorde, A. (2017). Sister outsider: Essays and speeches. Crossing Press.
13. Lorde, A. (2000). Uses of the erotic: The erotic as power. Kore Press.
14. Marmarosh, C., Markin, R.D., & Spiegel, E.B. (2013 ). Attachment in group psychotherapy. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
15. McWilliams, N. (1991). Mothering and fathering processes in the psychoanalytic art. The Psychoanalytic Review, 78:4.
16. Munoz, J. (2009). Cruising utopia: The then and there of queer of queer futurity. NYU Press. 2009.
17. Rankine, C. (2004). Don’t let me be lonely: An American lyric. Minneapolis, MN: Graywolf Press.
18. Rosenthal, L. (1987). Resolving resistance in group psychotherapy. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson.
19. Wallin, D.J. (2007). Attachment in psychotherapy. New York: Guilford Press.
20. Whittingham, M. (2017) Attachment and interpersonal theory and group therapy: Two sides of the same coin. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(2), 276-279.
22. Young, R. (2001). Postcolonialism: An historical introduction. Hoboken, NJ: Blackwell Publishing.
310. Louis Ormont Lecture: The Elusive Technique of No-Technique in Group Psychotherapy
Supported by the Louis R. Ormont Lecture Fund’s contributions to the Group Foundation Education Endowment
Instructor:
Robert A. Unger, MSW, PhD, CGP, FAGPA
Panelists:
Paul Bialek, MA, LPC
Paul Gitterman, LICSW, MSc, CGP
Francis Kaklauskas, PsyD, CGP, FAGPA
Elizabeth Olson, PsyD, LCSW, CGP
Jeffrey M. Price, MA, LPC, LAC, CGP, FAGPA
Lindsey Randol, PsychD, LPC
Elizabeth Stahl, MA, LPC
Many of us have grown up in the group therapy culture trained or wedded to a specific theory, paradigm, or technique, and to some degree, this has accompanied us for much of our professional lives. Over time, and through professional and life experience however, do we develop common elements that tend to underpin the various, sometimes competing approaches to group work? This lecture/presentation/discussion will elucidate some of the common themes and inspiration of leading groups which many of us might share.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Distinguish between techniques of group treatment and the art of group treatment.
2. Cite three major influences NOT from the psychotherapy culture that have influenced your work.
3. Describe some of the natural ways group therapists might use their life experience to formulate interventions.
1. Becvar, J., & Becvar, D. (1994). The Ecosystemic Story: A Story about Stories. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 16(1), 22-32.
2. Dow, M., Kaklauskas, F., & Olson, E., (2015). The Buddha, the Bike, The Couch and the Circle: A Festschrift for Dr. Robert Unger. Colorado Springs, CO: University professors Press.
3. Magid, B. (2003). Equally Useless–Buddhism and Psychoanalysis. In Jeremy D. Safran (Ed.) Psychoanalysis and Buddhism: An Unfolding Dialogue. Boston, MA: Wisdom Publications. 2003.
4. Ormont, L. (1996). Bringing life into the group experience: The power of immediacy. Group, 20, 207-221.
5. Slife, B., & Lanyon, J. (1991). Accounting for the power of the here and now: A theoretical revolution. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 41(2), 145-167.
6. Unger, R. (2008). Psychoanalysis and Buddhism–Paths of Disappointment. In F. Kaklauskas, S. Nimmanheminda, L. Hoffman, M. Jack, & J. Perlstein (Eds.), Brilliant Sanity–Buddhist Approaches to Psychotherapy and Counseling, (Vol.3, pp. 398-404). Colorado Springs, CO: University Professors Press.
12:00 - 2:30 PM EST - 2 ½ Hour Workshops
Workshop 48. (N/L) Do I Belong Here? Hate, Safety, and Being Asian American
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Racial and Ethnic Diversity SIG and the Internet and Social Media SIG
Instructors:
Robert Hsiung, MD, Dr. Bob LLC, Private Practice, Chicago, Illinois
Teresa Lee, MD, Private Practice, Teresa Lee, MD, PLLC, New York, New York
Anti-Asian hate erupted in 2020, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, and intensified in 2021 with the Atlanta massacre of Asian women and elder targeted beatings. We started three Zoom groups specifically for Asian American therapists to create safety in Asian-only spaces. But is it racist to exclude others based on their ethnicity? In this workshop, we discuss affinity groups and Asian Americans, explore through group experience hate, safety, and belonging, and conclude with a sure-to-be-lively discussion. All therapists, including non-Asians, are welcome.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe three ways affinity groups can help members.
2. Identify three potential pitfalls of affinity groups.
3. Describe the complexities of identifying as Asian American.
1. Blackwell, K. (2017). Expanding Awareness: How Patterns of Interaction Support White Supremacy. The Arrow. Comments 10.
2. Chang-Caffaro, S., & Caffaro, J. (2018) Differences that Make a Difference: Diversity and the Process Group Leader. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68:4, 483-497, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.2018.1469958.
3. Chen, E. C., Kakkad, D., & Balzano, J. (2008). Multicultural competence and evidence-based practice in group therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session, 64, 1261–1278. doi: 10.1002/jclp.20533.
4. Eng, D. L., & Han S. (2000) A Dialogue on Racial Melancholia. Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 10:4, 667-700, DOI: 10.1080/10481881009348576.
5. Yalom, I.D., & Leszcz, M. (2020). The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy, 6th ed. New York: Hachette Books.
6. Zaharopoulos, M., & Chen, E.xz C. (2018) Racial-Cultural Events in Group Therapy as Perceived by Group Therapists. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68:4, 629-653, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.2018.1470899.
Workshop 49. (N/L) Fear of Falling Apart: Therapist Reactions to Group Member Terminations
Instructor:
Ali Kimmell, LCSW, CGP, Private Practice, Oakland, California
This workshop will explore the following questions: How do we feel as a leader when a group member leaves or contemplates leaving? How does our family history and social cultural identities impact the way we experience changes in group composition? How might our countertransference reactions to terminations be a goldmine of information about dynamics in our group? Through group process and guided exercises, we will explore the therapist experience of different types of group terminations: graduations, sudden departures, deaths etc.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Analyze how family/personal/social history of the group therapist plays a role in group dynamics and experiences of termination.
2. Critically evaluate proposed differences between objective and subjective countertransference.
3. Identify how power dynamics and sociocultural identities may color therapist experiences of and group member communications about termination.
4. Discuss the varied impact of termination on therapists and ways in which therapists’ relationship to endings may interfere with their ability to help their group have "good goodbyes".
1. Cancelmo, J. A. (2019) Unconscious Communication in the Intersubjective Analytic Field at Times of Separation, Loss, and Termination. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 39:198-212.
2. Kantrowitz, J.L. (2014). Myths of Termination: What patients can teach psychoanalysts about endings (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315761534
3. Liegner, E. (2003). The Question of Termination in Modern Psychoanalysis. Mod. Psychoanal., 28(1):119-131
4. Ormont, L. (1992). What the therapist feels. In The group therapy experience (pp. 51-82). New York:St. Martin’s Press.
5. Rosenthal, L. (2005). Castouts and Dropouts: Premature Termination in Group Analysis. Mod. Psychoanal., 30B(2):40-53
Workshop 50. (N/L) Managing Client Suicide Risk for Group Therapists
Instructor:
Tony L. Sheppard, Psy.D., CGP, FAGPA, Founder & Director Groupworks Psychological Services, Louisville, Kentucky
Suicide is a leading health risk in the United States and worldwide. Many group clients experience varying degrees of suicidality on an ongoing basis. Group therapists have clinical, ethical and legal responsibilities to monitor suicide risk in their clients. This workshop will provide the group therapist with knowledge, tools and interventions that permit them to manage these risks in the context of their groups.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Develop an awareness of suicide risk factors in clients.
2. Identify tools that can assist in assessing and managing suicide risk.
3. Apply evidence-based interventions to suicide prevention in the group setting.
4. Discuss clinician attitudes toward the topic of suicide.
1. Pompili, M., & Tatarelli, R. (2011). Evidence-based practice in suicidology: A source book. Ashland, OH: Hogrefe.
2. Stanley, B., & Brown, G. K. (2012). Safety Planning Intervention: A Brief Intervention to Mitigate Suicide Risk. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 19(2), 256-264. doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2011.01.001
3. Suicide Prevention Lifeline. (n.d.). Retrieved August 8, 2021, from http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
4. Suicide Prevention Resource Center. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2021, from http://www.sprc.org/
5. The Lighthouse Project The Columbia Lighthouse Project. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2021, from https://cssrs.columbia.edu/
Workshop 51. (N/L) Encountering the Traumatogenic Object in the Leader and the Group
Instructor:
Andrew Eig, PhD, ABPP, Adelphi University, Garden City, New York
The traumatogenic object is an entity in group (either the group-as-a-whole, a subgroup, or individual) which evokes an intense and urgent transference reaction in a participant. Interrogating this object relationship deepens the clinical experience for the group. This workshop explores methods for working with the traumatogenic object to transform the leader and the group. Implications for intergenerational trauma and sociocultural theory will also be explored.
The attendee will be able to:
1. List the different characteristics of the traumatogenic object.
2. Compare the different etiological sources for traumatogenic objects.
3. Identify methods for locating the traumatogenic object within the leader and the group members.
1. Apprey, M. (2019). “Scripting” inhabitations of unwelcome guests, hosts, and ghosts: Unpacking elements that constitute transgenerational haunting. Journal of Transactional Psychoanalysis, 49 (4), 1-13.
2. Barrett, B. (2019). Beyond Psychotherapy: On becoming a (radical) psychoanalyst. New York, NY: Routledge.
3. Billow, R.M. (2021). Opening Laplanche’s window: Transference- Countertransference in psychoanalytic group psychotherapy. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 90:2, 267-298.
4. Buchele, B. & Rutan, S. (2017). “An Object Relations Theory Perspective”. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67 (2) ,52-62.
5. Gentile, K. (2021). Kittens in the clinical space: Expanding subjectivity through dense temporalities of interspecies transcorporeal becoming. Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 31 (2) 133-142.
6. Volkan, V. (2020). Large group psychology: Racism, social division, narcissistic leaders and who we are now. London, U.K., Phoenix Publishing House.
Workshop 52. (<4) Is It Me or Is It You? Countertransference, Projective Identification and Reverie in Group Psychotherapy
Instructor:
Larry K. Mortazavi, MD, CGP, Private Practice, Insightful Attachment, Denver, Colorado
In this workshop, we will revisit three fundamental psychoanalytical concepts and their utilities in process groups. We will discuss diverse types of countertransference, projective identification, and reverie using handouts and slides in an accessible language. Several clinical examples would be provided to illustrate the applications of these concepts in facilitating groups. The theoretical background of this workshop is object relations theory, emphasizing the contributions of Klein and Bion.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Identify four types of countertransference and their significance in group therapy.
2. Describe projective identification from a contemporary object relation theory and its connection to countertransference.
3. State the definition of reverie from a Bionian perspective and differentiate it from countertransference.
4. Apply different utilities of countertransference, projective identification, and reverie in group psychotherapy.
1. Ernest G. Masler (1969) The Interpretation of Projective Identification in Group Psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 19:4, 441-447, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.1969.11507813
2. Hayes J.A, Nelson, D. & Fauth, J. (2015). Countertransference in successful and unsuccessful cases of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy; 52,127-33. DOI: 10.1037/a0038827.
3. Jeffrey A. Hayes (1995) Countertransference in Group Psychotherapy: Waking a Sleeping Dog. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 45:4, 521-535, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.1995.11491301
4. Kaklauskas, F.J., & Greene, L.R. (Eds.). (2019). Core Principles of Group Psychotherapy: An Integrated Theory, Research, and Practice Training Manual (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429260803
5. Leonard Horwitz (1983) Projective Identification in Dyads and Groups. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 33:3, 259-279, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.1983.11490877
6. S. R. Slavson (1953) Sources of Countertransference and Group-Induced Anxiety. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 3:4, 373-388, DOI: 10.1080/00207284.1953.11507963
7. Tansey, M. J., & Burke, W. F. (1995). Understanding Countertransference: From Projective Identification to Empathy (1st ed.). Routledge.
Workshop 53. (N/L) Identifying and Responding to Modern "Isms" and Internalized Oppression Behaviors in an Interpersonal Process Group
Instructor:
Sejal Patel, PsyD, CGP, Staff Psychologist, MIT Student Mental Health & Counseling, Cambridge, Massachusetts
In this interactive workshop, I will present guidelines for effective cross-cultural dialogue, historically included and historically excluded group identities, and teach a theory of "modern oppression" developed by Valerie Batt, PhD and co-founder of VISIONS Inc. This workshop will invite participants to identify modern "ism" and internalized oppression behaviors that emerge in an interpersonal process group amongst members and leaders. The presenter will share examples of "modern isms" and internalized oppression behaviors from an interpersonal process group.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Identity five specific behaviors tied to modern “isms” and internalized oppression and will be able to name examples of each behavior.
2. Name specific historically included and excluded identities tied to modern isms and internalized oppression behaviors.
3. List alternative behaviors to modern "isms" and internalized oppression behaviors and options for responding to these behaviors in a group context using the guidelines for effective cross-cultural communication.
1. Batt, V. (2017). Is Reconciliation Possible? Lessons from Combating “Modern Racism”
https://sph.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/112/2013/07/ditf_is_reconciliation_possible.pdf
2. Bemak, F. & Chung, R. (2019). Race Dialogues in Group Psychotherapy: Key Issues in Training and Practice. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 69(2), 172-191
3. Lefforge, N., Mclaughlin, S., Goates-Jones, M., & Mejia, C. (2019). A Training Model for Addressing Microaggressions in Group Psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 70(1), 1-28
4. Miles, J. R., Anders, C., Kivlighan, D. M. III, & Belcher Platt, A. A. (2021). Cultural ruptures: Addressing microaggressions in group therapy. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 25(1), 74–88
5. Ribeiro, M. D., & Turner, M. M. (2018). Racial and social justice implications on the practice of group psychotherapy. In M. D. Ribeiro, J. M. Gross, & M. M. Turner (Eds.), The college counselor’s guide to group psychotherapy (p. 36–55). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
Workshop 54. (10+) Providing Caregiver and Leadership Support to Frontline Multidisciplinary Teams Working With Complex Trauma: Applying Group Work in Organizational Systems
Supported by the Cindy Knight Endowment Fund’s contribution to the Group Foundation Education Endowment
Instructor:
Ashley Powell, PhD, CGP, Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma, San Diego, California
This workshop will focus on group work in large organizational systems with frontline multidisciplinary teams with limited or no mental health training and are exposed to vicarious and secondary trauma. Didactics, case examples, and group dialogue, including a discussion of shared work experiences, will be utilized. The presenter will focus on her experiences of providing training, leadership education, and support groups within the juvenile justice system and immigration/refugee legal service agencies. Guiding principles for facilitating the groups will be discussed.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Identify effects of vicarious and secondary trauma on frontline caregivers.
2. Differentiate vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout.
3. Summarize relational patterns among teams and within the organizational system that emerge over time due to trauma exposure.
4. Identify the challenges of facilitating groups in work settings in regard to trust and cohesion.
5. Highlight the benefit of leadership support in the group format for improving organizations exposed to secondary trauma.
5. Highlight leadership education in working in organizational systems exposed to secondary trauma.
6. List effective group work measures and guiding principles for responding and providing resources to non-mental health providers.
1. Figley, C. R., & Ludick, M. (2017). Secondary traumatization and compassion fatigue. In S. N. Gold (Ed.), APA handbook of trauma psychology: Foundations in knowledge (pp. 573–593). American Psychological Association.
2. Figley, C. R., & Figley, K. R. (2017). Compassion fatigue resilience. In Seppala, E. M., Simon-Thomas, E., Brown, S. L., Worline, M. C., Cameron, D., & Doty, J. R. (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science (pp. 386-401). Oxford University Press.
3. Hannah C. C., Harris, L. M., Montecinos, L. M. & Rahman, A. (2020). Vicarious Trauma and Ethical Obligations for Attorneys Representing Immigrant Clients: A Call to Build Resilience Among the Immigration Bar. American Immigration Lawyers Association Law Journal, 23.
4. Maguire, G., & Byrne, M. K. (2016). The Law is not as Blind as it Seems. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 24(2), 233-243.
5. Phillips, S. B. & Klein, R. (2012). Group interventions following trauma and disaster. In J. L. Kleinberg (Ed.), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Group Psychotherapy (First Edition). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
6. Stone, D. T. & Thomas, A. C. (2012). A multidisciplinary team model for youth offenders in correctional treatment centers: Applying psychodynamic group concepts. In J. L. Kleinberg (Ed.), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Group Psychotherapy (First Edition). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Workshop 55. (N/L) Balint Groups: A Facilitated Group Experience to Enhance Clinician Empathy and Explore Patient-Provider Relationships in Medical Settings
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Health and Medical Issues SIG
Instructors:
Donald E. Nease Jr. MD, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
Deborah J. Seymour, PsyD, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, CUSOM, Denver, Colorado
Kathleen Ulman, PhD, CGP, DLFAGPA, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts
Alan Witkower, EdD, CGP, Mass General Brigham, Massachusetts
This workshop will provide an introduction to Balint groups as applied to medical and behavioral health clinicians. After an introduction to the theory and practice of the Balint Method, attendees will then participate in two demonstration groups. Each group will have a debriefing review of the experience. At the conclusion of the demonstration groups, there will be a discussion of the application of Balint groups to a variety of settings including the use of on-line groups.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe the benefits of Balint group participation for reducing provider burnout and compassion fatigue.
2. Illustrate the distinct elements/stages of a Balint group process.
3. Distinguish the differences between group psychotherapy and Balint group work.
4. Describe how to focus the groups attention on the provider's dilemma, the patient's dilemma, and the provider-patient relationship.
1. Broc, C. and Salinsky, J. (1993). Empathy: An essential skill for understanding the physician patient relationship in clinical process. Family Medicine, Vol 25, 245-8.
2. Johnson, A.H., Brock, C. D., Zacarias, A. (2014). The Legacy of Michael Balint. Int'l J. Psychiatry in Medicine, Vol 47(3), 175-192.
3. Lichtenstein, A. & Lustig, M. (2006). Integrating intuition and reasoning: How Balint groups can help medical decision making. Australian Family Physician, Vol. 35, 987-989.
4. Milberg, L. & Knowlton, K. (2019). "Restoring the core of clinical practice: What is a Balint group and how does it help?"
5. Ornstein, P. (1977). The family physician as a "therapeutic instrument." The Journal of Family Practice, Vol 4, 659-61.
3:45 - 6:15 PM EST - 2 ½ Hour Open Sessions
311. The Bridge I Must Be: Identity and Difference in Group Life
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Identities SIG and the Racial and Ethnic Diversity SIG
Supported by Ruth Hochberg, Phyllis Hochberg Siegel, and The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation’s contributions to the Group Foundation Education Endowment
Instructors:
Francis Kaklauskas, PsyD, CGP, FAGPA, Psychologist Collective for Psychological Wellness, Longmont, Colorado
Sophia Aguirre, PhD, CGP, FAGPA, Aguirre Center for Inclusive Psychotherapy, Atlanta, Georgia
Alexis D. Abernethy, PhD, CGP, FAGPA, School of Psychology & Marriage and Family, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California
Stef Gentuso, LPCC, Private Practice, Denver, Colorado
Farooq Mohyuddin, MD, CGP, FAGPA, FAPA, Saint Elizabeths Hospital, Department of Behavioral Health, Alexandria, Virginia
The panel of AGPA members in leadership discuss the impact of their complex identities on their lives, professional careers, and their clinical work as group therapists. By combining personal stories with scholarship, the presenters share perspectives on navigating identity, intersectionality, power, and oppression. Following the panelists’ presentations, there will be time for discussion where attendees can ask questions and offer comments towards building cultural competence and inclusivity in group psychotherapy.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Define and utilize an understanding of intersectionality for themselves and clients.
2. Contrast contemporary group theories related to multicultural counseling.
3. Summarize how the topics of power, privilege, and marginalization relate to group work.
1. Adames, H., Chavez-Dueñas, N., Sharma, S., & La Roche, M. (2018). Intersectionality in psychotherapy: The experiences of an AfroLatinx queer immigrant. Psychotherapy, 55(1), 73.
2. Eriksson, C., & Abernethy, A. (2014). Integration in multicultural competence and diversity training: Engaging difference and grace. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 42(2), 174-187.
3. Greene, B. (2010). Intersectionality and the complexity of identities: How the personal shapes the professional psychotherapist. Women & Therapy, 33(3-4), 452-471.
4. Ribeiro, M. (Ed.) (2020). Examining social identities and diversity issues in group: Knocking at the boundaries. New York: Routledge Press.
5. Rosenthal, L. (2016). Incorporating intersectionality into psychology: An opportunity to promote social justice and equity. American Psychologist, 71(6), 474–485.
312. A Tale of Two Cities: Chaos, Despair, Burnout, Fall-Out…and Hope - Pandemic Response Narratives from New York and Chicago
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Mental Health Agency and Institutional Settings SIG, Organization Consulting SIG, and the Health and Medical Issues SIG
Instructors:
Marcia Nickow, PsyD, CADC, CGP, Clinical Psychologist/Group Psychotherapist, Private Practice, Working Sobriety Addiction and Trauma Recovery Center, Chicago, Illinois
Stephanie Friedman, MD, Mount Sinai Health System, Mount Sinai Morningside, New York, New York
Rachael Kaplan, MA, LMSW, Mount Sinai, New York, New York
Nelly Katsnelson, MD, CGP, AECOM/Montefiore, Bronx, New York
The coronavirus pandemic reveals interconnected cracks, ills, massive inequities rooted in systemic racism and oppression, and instability across U.S. health care institutions. Burn-out, fall-out and other sequelae of this monumental collective trauma are not yet fully understood. Yet the pandemic illuminates how ordinary people, including health care workers, come together, fight, form community, and build solidarity. A “liberated zone” will be provided via a demo group to process pandemic-induced collective and personal traumas; discoveries of organizational traps and failings and also successes; and impact on family, work, political, economic and social life.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe five examples of institutional inequities, cracks, and walls as well as institutional neglect and abuse associated with the coronavirus pandemic.
2. List 10 characteristics of healthy organizational culture in a health care institution and 10 characteristics of an unhealthy organizational culture.
3. Identify five ways institutional barriers impact workplace physical and psychological safety.
4. Define moral injury and explain its association with the COVID-19 pandemic.
5. List five benefits of virtual and onsite support groups for professionals and health care workers as cultures of resilience.
6. Illuminate the value of virtual support groups related to COVID-19 (including those sponsored by AGPA) for mental health group leaders as cultures of resilience and ongoing antidote to traumatization.
7. Explain the concept of "vicarious resilience" as it relates to the coronavirus pandemic.
8. Identify five ways that mental health practitioners can creatively work inside and also outside institutions to provide compassionate support to health care workers.
1. Dean, W., Talbot, S., (2020, November 25). Beyond burnout: For health care workers, this surge of Covid-19 is bringing burnover. STAT News. Retrieved on April 25, 2021 from https://www.statnews.com/2020/11/25/beyond-burnout-health-care-workers-covid-19-surge-burnover/
2. Elliot, D. (2020, June 12). How a Virus Triage Tent Became a Serene Oasis for Health Care Workers. New York Times. Retrieved on April 25, 2020 from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/nyregion/coronavirus-doctors-mental-health.html
3. Halpern, J., Nitza, A., & Vermeulen, K. (2019). Disaster Mental Health Case Studies: Lessons Learned from Counseling in Chaos. NY: Routledge.
4. Hines, P. M. (2019). Climbing up the rough side of the mountain: Hope, culture, and therapy. In M. McGoldrick & K. V. Hardy (Eds.), Re-visioning family therapy: Addressing diversity in clinical practice. NY: Guilford.
5. Sandoiu, A. (2020, March 25). COVID-19 Frontline Healthcare Workers At Risk Of Mental Health Problems. Retrieved from Medical News Today https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covid-19-frontline-healthcare-workers-at-risk-of-mental-health-problems.
3:45 - 6:15 PM EST - 2 ½ Hour Workshops
Workshop 56. (N/L) Uniting Groups by Working Through Destructive Anti-Group Tendencies
Instructor:
Rena Pollak, LMFT, CGP, GPALA, AGPA, 15720 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 508, Encino, California
This course will provide an introduction to Morris Nitsun’s theory of the Anti-Group as a framework to explore the destructive tendencies in group and their potential for creating greater connection. Through lecture and experiential learning, you will identify the destructive forces in group, increase your comfort in working with this powerful energy and develop skills to shift the fear and anger into a catalyst to bring about a sense of safety and connection.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Explain the three core components of Dr. Nitsun’s theory of the anti-group.
2. Identify four indications of anti-group resistance.
3. List five determinants to anti-group resistance.
4. Describe five interventions promote creative outcomes in groups.
1. Black, A. (2017) On Attacking and Being Attacked in Group Psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67:3, 291-313.
2. Gerhart, J., Holman, K., Seymour, B., Dinges, B., & Ronan, G. (2015) Group Process as a Mechanism of Change in the Group Treatment of Anger and Aggression. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 65:2, 181-208.
3. Kleinberg, J. (2014) The Dynamics of Corruptogenic Organizations. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 64:4, 421-443.
4. Nitsun, R. (1996) The Anti-Group: Destructive forces in the group and their creative potential. London: Routledge.
5. Nitsun, R., (2015) Beyond the Anti-Group. London: Routledge.
Workshop 57. (N/L) Shame and Pain: Addressing the Sticking and Breaking Points That Inhibit the Anti-Racist Practice We Proclaim
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Community Outreach Task Force
Instructors:
Aziza Belcher Platt, PhD, Private Practice, Atlanta, Georgia
Craig Haen, PhD, RDT, LCAT, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, White Plains, New York
This workshop is for providers with a foundational understanding of white supremacy, racism, and appreciation for lifelong anti-racism practice. In anti-racism practice, we all have sticking points, points where we and/or our practice struggle to overcome internal and external resistance and/or breaking points, points where we and/or our practice collapse under stress. In this experiential workshop, attendees will collectively identify and dissect internal and external sticking/breaking points and practice resolution strategies to advance and deepen their anti-racist clinical practice.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Identify sticking and breaking points in anti-racist clinical practice and analyze underlying resistance(s).
2. Practice navigating, minimizing, and/or resolving sticking/breaking points.
3. Develop strategies for recognizing additional and future sticking/breaking points and apply demonstrated skills toward surmounting them.
1. Akbar, M. (2020). Beyond ally: The pursuit of racial justice. Publish Your Own Press.
2. Brown, N. W. (2016). Facilitating a corrective emotional experience in group therapy. Group, 40(3), 223-232.
3. Chang-Caffaro, S., & Caffaro, J. (2018). Differences that make a difference: Diversity and the process group leader. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68(4), 483-497.
4. Chen, E. C., Kakkad, D., & Balzano, J. (2008). Multicultural competence and evidence-based practice in group therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session, 64, 1261–1278. doi: 10.1002/jclp.20533
5. Gump, J. (2017). The presence of the past: Transmission of slavery’s traumas. In A. Harris, M. Kalb & S. Klebanoff (Eds.), Demons in the consulting room: Echoes of genocide, slavery, and extreme trauma in psychoanalytic practice (pp. 159-178). Routledge.
6. Haen, C., & Thomas, N. K. (2018). Holding history: Undoing racial unconsciousness in groups. The International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68(4), 498-520. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2018.1475238
7. Helms, J. E. (2017). The challenge of making whiteness visible: Reactions to four whiteness articles. The Counseling Psychologist, 45(5), 717-726. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000017718943
8. Miles, J. R., Anders, C., Kivlighan III, D. M., & Belcher Platt, A. A. (2021). Cultural ruptures: Addressing microaggressions in group therapy. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 25(1), 74.
9. Nadal, K. L. (2017). “Let’s get in formation”: On becoming a psychologist–activist in the 21st century. American Psychologist, 72(9), 935-946. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000212
10. Okech, J. E. A., Pimpleton-Gray, A. M., Vannatta, R., & Champe, J. (2016). Intercultural conflict in groups. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 41(4), 350–369. https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2016.1232769
11. Rigg, T., Kivlighan, D. M. III, & Tao, K. W. (2020). Problematic systems: Applying a multicultural orientation framework to understand “problematic members”. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 51(3), 278–283. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000277
12. Roberts, S. O., Bareket-Shavit, C., Dollins, G. A., Goldie, P. D., & Mortenson, E. (2020). Racial inequality in psychological research: Trends of the past and recommendations for the future. Perspectives in Psychological Science, 15(6), 1295-1309. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691620927709
Workshop 58. (N/L) Group Process and the Creation of a Peaceful Community Through Meditational Consciousness
Instructor:
Allen Levy, PhD, LCSW, NcPsyA, CGP, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis, NAAP, Allen Levy PhD, LCSW, PC, Westport, Connecticut
We will go into depth regarding meditation, realizing the inner state of awareness, consciousness itself. We will explore the dynamics of group processes such as countertransference, transference, joining and bridging, and learn how to incorporate meditation and meditative interventional techniques in the group therapeutic process. Group leaders will be able to access their inner, innate ability to be healing agents for group members, thus helping group members, as well as group leaders, grow in the realization of our common humanity.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Deepen the leader's meditation, and leading others in meditational processes within the group.
2. Identify countertransference and transference issues amongst group members and the leader, as well as intervening to resolve transferential and countertransferential issues with meditational awareness in mind.
3. Develop and use meditational interventional techniques in the group process.
1. Creswell, J., & Khoury, B. (2019). Mindfulness meditation: A Research-proven Way to Reduce Stress. American Psychological Association, (10.13.19).
2. Levy, A. (1986). An Exploration into the Psychoanalytic Treatment of Meditating Patients. University Microfilms International.
3. Segalla, R. A. (2003). Meditation and Group Psychotherapy. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 23(5), 784–799. https://doi.org/10.1080/07351692309349065
4. Spijkerman, M. P. J., Pots, W. T. M., & Bohlmeijer, E. T. (2016). Effectiveness of online mindfulness-based interventions in improving mental health: A review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clinical Psychology Review, 45, 102–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2016.03.009
5. Waelde, J., & Thompson, J. (2016). Traditional and Secular Views of Psychotherapeutic Applications of Mindfulness and Meditation. In The Psychology of Meditation (pp. 119–152). Oxford University Press.
6. Walsh, R., & Shapiro, S. L. (2006). The meeting of meditative disciplines and western psychology: A mutually enriching dialogue. American Psychologist, 61(3), 227–239. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.61.3.227
Workshop 59. (N/L) Evolution of Self as a New Therapist: Theories of Change via Narcissistic Injury and Countertransference
Instructor:
Sydney Marie LeFay, D.O., Samaritan Health Services, Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, Corvallis, Oregon
The challenges group therapists face in training and as new professionals creates often-overlooked psychological disorganization and confrontation with the individual’s idealized version of their professional self. The inevitable narcissistic wounds incurred through training, supervision, and early professional development are explored through countertransference with a lens of wellness, growth, and change. This workshop will teach participants how to utilize this material to further develop and enhance their role as an evolving group therapist.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Discuss the complexity of the group leader’s role and its interface with the individual’s psyche.
2. Identify micro and macro narcissistic injuries inherent in the development of a group therapist, including those experienced during points of transition from trainee to supervisor.
3. Describe the interventions group therapists take to mitigate the emotional challenges presented by the circumstance.
4. Identify ways to use countertransference to enhance group process.
5. Discuss the strength and frailty of our individual psyches as parts of the psychological organization of the developing therapist with a particular focus on underrepresented therapists in training and early career stages.
6. Propose strategies for increasing well-being during vulnerable times of professional evolution.
1. Bhe, E. S., & Servis, M. E. (2018). Psychotherapist perspectives on resident wellness. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 10(5), 494-496.
2. Brightman, B. K. (1984-1985). Narcissistic issues in the training experience of the psychotherapist. International Journal of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, 10, 293-317.
3. Halewood, A., & Tribe, R. (2003). What is the prevalence of narcissistic injury among trainee counseling psychologists? Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice, 76(1), 87-102.
4. Hill, C.E., et al. (2007). Becoming psychotherapists: Experiences of the novice therapists in a beginning graduate class. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 44(4), 434-449.
5. Ramírez Stege, A. M., Chin, M. Y., & Graham, S. R. (2020). A critical postcolonial and resilience-based framework of supervision in action. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 14(4), 316–323.
Workshop 60. (N/L) Supportive Leadership: Working on Basic Psychological Needs With Psychodrama Techniques
Instructor:
Ozge Kantas, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology, St John Fisher College- Department of Psychology, Rochester, New York
Blending motivation science of Self-Determination Theory and psychodrama techniques, this workshop experientially and didactically helps participants to distinguish their leadership styles. The members will understand how to tap into basic psychological needs to foster intrinsic motivation. They will experience the best supportive practices for facilitating engagement, commitment, and cohesion in their own groups. While learning the universal and individual principles of human needs for psychological safety, how each member can experience diversity as resourcefulness will also be addressed.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Define the basic psychological needs universal to human experience for effective functioning.
2. Identify and analyze person or group-specific ways of satisfying those needs in a diverse and inclusive approach.
3. Comparing the wellbeing and ill-being outcomes of two different motivational styles of leaders: need supportive versus frustrative leadership.
4. Design creative intervention settings with sociometry and psychodrama techniques to match therapy, training, and consultancy goals.
1. Ryan, R. M., Deci, E. L. (2000) Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68-78.
2. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Publications.
3. Ryan, R. M., Deci, E. L. (2019) In A. J. Elliot (Ed.) Brick by brick: The origins, development, and future of self-determination theory. 6 (pp. 111-156) Cambridge, MA.: Elsevier Inc.
4. Pio-Abreu, Jose Luis and Villares-Oliveira, Christina. (2007) How Does Psychodrama Work? In B. Clark, J. Burmeister, and M. Maciel. Psychodrama: Advances in Theory and Practice. Taylor and Frances: USA.
5. Vansteenkiste, M., Ryan, R. M. (2013) On psychological growth and vulnerability: Basic psychological need satisfaction and need frustration as a unifying principle. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 23, 263–280.
Workshop 61. (N/L) Compassion Focused Therapy Groups: How to Help Clients Connect With Compassion
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA College Counseling and Other Educational Settings SIG
Instructors:
Michael S. Buxton, PhD, Associate Professor, Counseling and Psychological Services, BYU, Provo, Utah
Corinne Hannan, PhD, CGP, CEDS-S, Clinical Psychologist, Brigham Young University, CAPS, Draper, Utah
Kristina Hansen, PhD, CGP, Brigham Young University, Counseling and Psychological Services, Provo, Utah
Hiu Wai Yoko Caldwell, PhD, BCB, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
Klinton Hobbs, PhD, AGPA, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
In our workshop, we will provide participants with a basic overview of CFT, its core components, and ways to implement this form of therapy in a group setting. Our workshop will be largely experiential and will demonstrate a variety of group interventions aimed at increasing compassion toward oneself and others and receiving compassion from others.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe the three flows of compassion (toward self, toward others, from others).
2. Explain the concept of the tricky brain and the three emotion systems (drive, threat, soothing).
3. Identify ways to regulate body systems using soothing rhythm breathing, imagery, and other mindfulness activities.
4. Practice implementing compassion building exercises commonly used in a CFT group.
1. Gale, C., Schröder, T., & Gilbert, P. (2017). ‘Do you practice what you preach?’ A qualitative exploration of therapists' personal practice of Compassion Focused Therapy. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 24(1), 171-185.
2. Gilbert, P. (2009). The compassionate mind. London: Robinson.
3. Gilbert, P., & Choden. (2014). Mindful compassion: How the science of compassion can help you understand your emotions, live in the present, and connect deeply with others. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
4. Luberto, C. M., Shinday, N., Song, R., Philpotts, L. L., Park, E. R., Fricchione, G. L., & Yeh, G. Y. (2018). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of meditation on empathy, compassion, and prosocial behaviors. Mindfulness, 9(3), 708-724.
5. Sommers-Spijkerman, M. P. J., Trompetter, H. R., Schreurs, K. M. G., & Bohlmeijer, E. T. (2018). Compassion-Focused Therapy as guided self-help for enhancing public mental health: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 86(2), 101.
Workshop 62. (N/L) Integrative Group Therapy for Patients With Psychosis
Instructor:
Nick Kanas, MD, CGP-R, FAGPA, Professor Emeritus (Psychiatry), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
This workshop will consider strategies of treating patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other psychotic conditions in group therapy using the leader's empirically derived integrative model. The integrative model includes psychodynamic, interpersonal, psychoeducational, and cognitive-behavioral techniques. A literature review, findings from the leader's research, and descriptions of clinical vignettes and demonstrations will be utilized. Diversity issues related to gender, race, and culture will be discussed. Participants will be encouraged to share experiences from their own clinical settings.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Discuss the effectiveness of group therapy for patients with psychosis.
2. Describe clinical strategies for leading groups for patients with psychosis.
3. Explain how to apply groups for patients with psychosis in the learner's own treatment setting.
1 Burlingame, G., Strauss, B., & Joyce, A (2013). Change mechanisms and effectiveness of small group treatments, In M. J. Lambert (Ed.), Bergin & Garfield’s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change, 6th Ed. New York: Wiley & Sons. (pp. 640-689).
2. Kanas, N. (2020). Integrative Group Therapy for Patients with Psychosis: An Evidence-based Approach. New York: Routledge. (Follow-up book to: Kanas, N. (1996). Group Therapy for Schizophrenic Patients. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.)
3. Orfanos, S., Banks, C. & Priebe, S. (2015). Are group psychotherapeutic treatments effective for patients with schizophrenia? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 84, 241-249.
4. Pearson, M.J., & Burlingame, G.M. (2013). Interventions for schizophrenia: Integrative approaches to group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 63, 603-608.
5. Urlic, I., & Gonzalez de Chavez, M. (2019). Group Therapy for Psychoses. New York: Routledge.
Workshop 63. (N/L) Groups in Dark and Forgotten Places: Group Therapy Using Play With Fathers in Prison for Self-Development and Relationship Building
Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Children and Adolescents SIG
Instructor:
Kevin B. Hull, PhD, LMHC, RPT, CGP, Private Practice, Hull and Associates, PA Lakeland, Florida, Associate Faculty Liberty University
This course identifies group therapy techniques for self-development using play with those incarcerated in the prison system. Attendees will learn how play is important in approaching difficult topics like self-awareness, self-forgiveness, and overall self-development by instilling a sense of safety and connection in a group therapy format within the prison setting. Attendees will learn how group therapy for self-development and relationship building reduces recidivism by preparing fathers to be more successful upon release as they rejoin society.
The attendee will be able to:
1. Describe how play is useful as a self-development and relationship building tool in group therapy in the prison setting.
2. Identify methods for increasing self-development and relationship building through group play in the prison setting.
3 Apply specific themes and metaphors from group play to increase group member's self-development.
4. Utilize material from game play and conduct group discussion to increase self-development and relationship building in group members.
1. Brazão, N., Rijo, D., Salvador, M. d. C., & Pinto-Gouveia, J. (2017). The effects of the growing pro-social program on cognitive distortions and early maladaptive schemas over time in male prison inmates: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 85(11), 1064-1079.
2. Grieb, Suzanne M Dolwick,PhD., M.P.H., Crawford, A., Fields, J., Smith, H., Harris, R., & Matson, Pamela,PhD., M.P.H. (2014). "The stress will kill you": Prisoner reentry as experienced by family members and the urgent need for support services. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 25(3), 1183-200.
3. Lange, S. M. (2001). Solution-focused group psychotherapy for incarcerated fathers. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 12(2), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1300/J085v12n02_01
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