Successful Therapy Groups: the Ins and Outs
Course Presenter: Nancy Wesson, Ph.D. CGP.
Feb. 25, 2017:9:30-5:00 P.M.
COURSE OVERVIEW
Therapy groups offer many unique and important benefits for clients in diverse settings. Interpersonal psychotherapy groups are a therapeutic modality for clients to understand relationship dynamics, and learn skills to increase interpersonal connection. (Yalom & Leszcz, 2005). In psychodynamic groups, clients gain insight by working through issues from the past which emerge in the group. Psychoeducational groups such as those for social anxiety or depression provide education, group interaction, support, and skill building to clients in many settings such as private practice, HMO’s, medical clinics, day treatment programs, and mental health agencies (Orgrodniczuk & Steinberg, 2005). There are also many other forms of group therapy which blend different models of group therapy.
In this course, psychologists will learn or refresh their knowledge of many of the important aspects of starting and leading successful psychotherapy, psychodynamic, psychoeducational, and blended therapy groups. These aspects include: 1) forming a therapy group, setting norms for the group, and developing group cohesion. 2) description of different types of groups and the advantages and disadvantages of these groups. 3) selection, screening and preparation of clients to participate in a therapy group. 3) discussion of common clinical dilemmas which arise in therapy groups such as conflict, absenteeism, and subgrouping. 4) discussion of therapeutic factors in therapy groups and methods for using these factors to increase the benefits of therapy groups and enrich the group experience for participants.
This course will be taught at the post-doctoral level to increase the knowledge and skill level of psychologists who lead or who are planning to lead a therapy group.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
This workshop is designed to help participants:
- Describe methods and techniques for successfully forming a therapy group.
- Utilize methods for the selection and preparation of clients to join a therapy group.
- List advantages and disadvantages of different types of therapy groups.
- Describe methods for successfully handling clinical dilemmas which arise in therapy groups.
- Describe the therapeutic factors in therapy groups and methods for using them to enhance the therapeutic process.
COURSE OUTLINE/TIMELINE
Morning:
9:30-10:00 Introduction and overview of the course.
10:00–10:30 Methods and techniques for starting and forming a therapy group.
10:30-11:00 Advantages and disadvantages of different types of groups including psychodynamic, interpersonal, psychoeducational groups, and blended.
11:00 – 11:15 Break
11:15 -11:30 (continued) Advantages and disadvantages of different types of groups including psychodynamic, interpersonal, psychoeducational groups, and blended.
11:30.-12:00 Selection and screening factors of clients for different types of groups.
12:00 -12:15 (Continued) Selection and screening factors of clients for different types of groups.
12:15 -12:30 Preparation for Demonstration group.
12:30-1:00 Demonstration Group.
1:00 – 1:30 Debriefing/Discussion of demonstration group.
1:30-2:30 Lunch and Networking
Afternoon:
2:30-3:00 Therapeutic factors in different types of groups and maximizing the benefits of these therapeutic factors to enrich the therapy group.
3:00- 3:30 Didactic on Clinical Dilemmas in therapy groups. A therapeutic approach to handling clinical challenges in group therapy.
3:30-3:45 Break
3:45 -4:30 Case Vignettes distributed and discussion in small groups of clinical dilemmas in groups.
4:30—4:45 Class discussion of clinical dilemmas which take place in therapy groups.
4:45-5:00 P.M. Wrap-up and Evaluation.
References
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