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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER FALL 2015
Save the Date! NCGPS Annual Fall Event
For our upcoming Fall Event, we are pleased to have as our presenter Alexis D Abernethy, PhD, a Certified Group Practitioner and Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association. Dr. Abernethy will take up the subject of working with racial themes in group psychotherapy. With the topic of Diversity in mind, what better venue to have the event than at the UC Berkeley International House, on Saturday, November 7th, from 9:15 to 5:15! Due to limited seating, we encourage you to
register early. Early bird pricing offers you a $25 savings if you register by October 10, 2015.
Dr. Abernethy has researched and written prolifically on numerous and sometimes interwoven subjects related to race, culture, and spirituality in a variety of populations. Addressing racial dynamics is a challenge in society as well as in therapy groups. In one of her many articles, Dr. Abernethy notes that multicultural competence and attention to diversity are professional ethical mandates in clinical practice. In this workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to engage professionally and personally with the relevant insights Dr. Abernethy shares from her researches into Neuroscience, Social Psychology, and Interpersonal Approaches as they impact group dynamics.
This workshop promises to be an unusually potent time for us as we listen and reflect on the devastating recent events in Columbia, S.C., Ferguson, MO, and Baltimore, MD, in conjunction with Dr. Abernethy’s offering. According to The New York Times and a CBS news poll, as recently as July, 2015, a majority of Americans, both Black and White, have negative views on race relations. Six in 10 hold this view, and four in 10
believe race relations are getting worse. In response to this data, I can’t help but consider when and how the experience of scapegoating subtly arises? What kinds of behavior does this experience spawn? Intuitively, we all can probably begin to answer these questions. How fortunate we are to have the opportunity to hear the perspective of an expert who has dedicated her life to these questions and many other elements of this important conversation. Clearly, there is much to hear, discover, and discuss together at this year’s presentation. I do hope you will join me, the NCGPS board, and the rest of our community to engage wholeheartedly at this crucial stage of cultural unfolding. Perhaps together we will find new ways to become, in the traditions of Martin Luther King and Gandhi, the change we wish to see. Event flyer with details in the mail. For questions, please contact Shira Marin, PhD, Chair, and Fall Event at 415/499-0737 or by email at [email protected]
Shira Marin, PhD, LMFT, is NCPGS Board Secretary and Fall Event Chair. She has a private practice in San Rafael, CA, where she serves individuals, couples, and families, and offers consultation, supervision, dream, and mixed media journaling groups to clinicians and non-clinicians alike. She supervises and trains clinicians at the Community Institute for Psychotherapy.
Annual NCGPS Member Retreat Mark your calendars for SUNDAY OCTOBER
25th, 10:00 until 3:00 ish. This is your annual membership retreat, but of course, we don’t retreat, we advance, and you don’t have to be a member to come. This informal gathering is usually a salad potluck with incredible food brought by YOU. We, a) introduce ourselves and get to know one another b) identify issues of importance to the membership of NCGPS—professional, personal, political, c) we break into small work/discussion groups to address these issues and challenges facing NCGPS. (There is a lot to talk about this year), d) groups share with one another 5) eat more, break into song, talk and relax. We hang out indoors and outdoors, so dress comfortably. Where: N. Oakland home of Carla Haimowitz. 5108 Manila Ave. Oakland CA. 94618. Email [email protected], Carla will arrange carpools.
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER – Fall 2015
NCGPS Newsletter is currently published three times each year by the Northern California Group Psychotherapy Society
2015 Northern California Group Psychotherapy Society. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint articles must be obtained in writing from NCGPS. Opinions or claims expressed in articles or advertisements do not necessarily reflect those of NCGPS.
Address all correspondence to: Carla Haimowitz 5108 Manila Ave,Oakland, CA 94618 [email protected]
NCGPS Information Line: 415-442-1976
NCGPS Board 2014-2016
Randy Dunagan, LMFT President 415-587-8456
Phyllis Jenkins, LMFT, CGP Immediate Past President 408-265-9200
John Rochios, PhD, CGP Treasurer 925-944-1800, Ext. 3
Shira Marin, PhD, LMFT Secretary 415-499-0737
Margaret Johnstone, PNP, CGP 925-284-8566
Geraldine Alpert, PhD, CGP 415-453-8969
Chris Armstrong, LMFT 415-454-2722
Carla Haimowitz, PhD, CGP 510-655-7828
Scott Weber, LMFT 510-926-9852
Lois Friedlander, MFT and AGPA/NCGPS Liason 415-497-9370
NCGPS WANTS YOU! Members we need your help. NCGPS needs volunteers to help with our ongoing programs like
Asilomar and the Fall Event. We need help on the various NCGPS Board Committees and most of all we need you to be interested in the NCGPS Board. If you have gotten something from this organization over the years why not give something back. Come to a Board Meeting. We meet the Third Tuesday of every month. To volunteer or find out more about the Board contact me, Randy Dunagan at [email protected] or 415-587-8456.
NCGPS Committee Chairs – 2014 Annual Retreat Carla Haimowitz 510-655-7828 Continuing Education Geraldine Alpert 415-453-8969 Evenings With The Masters Geraldine Alpert 415-453-8969 Media Library John Rochios 925-944-1800 Membership Chair Ildiko Ran 650-353-8885 Fall Event Shira Marin 415-499-0737 Newsletter Carla Haimowitz 510-655-7828 Newsletter Ads Renee Owens 415-453-8117 Scholarship Chair John Rochios 925-944-1800 Web site Scott Weber 510-926-9852 AGPA Liason- Feb Conference Hospitality Lois Friedlander 415-497-9370
Publication of Articles and Ads
Articles (300-500 words) written by members are welcome at any time prior To submission deadlines*. Please include a description (maximum of 35 words) about your practice and a digital photo. NCGPS reserves the right to edit or not publish at all. All articles and advertisements must be submitted by e-mail as an attachment to ([email protected]). Only Microsoft WORD documents using 12 point Times New Roman font, with no additional formatting will be accepted. Pay for display ads by check made out to NCGPS and mailed to Carla Haimowitz 5108 Manila Ave. Oakland, CA. 94618-1020. To guarantee publication, payment must be received prior to the 2014-2015 *deadlines (2/10, 8/10, 11/10). See www.NCGPS.org for more info.
Advertising Rates
Display Member Non-Member ½ page (7 ½” W x 4 ½ ” H) $70 $100 ¼ page (3 ½” W x 4 ½” H) $45 $75
Classified Ads $15 for 50 words + .05 each additional word
$25 for 50 words + .07 each additional word
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From the President
Dear NCGPS Members, 2015 has been a good year for NCGPS – we hosted the AGPA conference, presented a successful Institute at Asilomar and added some great new members. To continue to present high quality programs like ours we need help from you. Right now we particularly need people to work on our committees. These committees include Asilomar, Membership, Website, and the Annual Dinner. If you value what NCGPS has provided this year and in the many years preceding I ask you to roll up your sleeves and contact me at [email protected] to put your shoulder to the wheel.
We are proud and thrilled that Dr. Alexis Abernethy, a nationally recognized expert on both diversity and spirituality will be the presenter at the annual Fall Event. She has worked extensively on the effects of diversity and spirituality on group process. This daylong workshop includes empirical research, key concepts, and interpersonal processes that illustrate the challenges and opportunities that group leaders face in addressing racial stereotypes and racial dynamics. In this workshop you will have opportunity to reflect on your own background and gain insight about how this informs your approach to racial dynamics. This special presentation takes place November 7th. More details are in this newsletter.
I hope to see you all at the NCGPS Annual Retreat on October 25th. The retreat has grown into an enjoyable day of personal and professional networking and an important forum for the board to hear directly from the membership. Carla Haimowitz is graciously hosting at her home in Oakland. Details are in this newsletter.
NCGPS is starting a new program called the Open Studio. This is an opportunity for both new and seasoned members to learn and to network with senior clinicians. Elaine Cooper will host the first Open Studio presenting a program on intergenerational trauma. This, our first Open Studio, is being organized by our energetic Membership Chair Ildiko Ran. See her Membership article for more details.
Randy Dunagan, President Randy Dunagan, LMFT & NCGPS President has a Family Therapy Practice in San Francisco (individual, family, couples and group therapy. He has a background in nonprofit administration, community organizing and organizational consulting. He has consulted with a broad range of organizations including unions, mental health clinics, educational organizations, nonprofits, and small businesses.
From the Membership Chair Ildiko Ran, LMFT, CGP After the successful AGPA conference in San Francisco there was an upsurge of energy in the group therapy community, which we wanted to harness to bring new members to NCGPS. To build on the energy created by the AGPA conference we provided more than 20 scholarships to Asilomar Institute, encouraging new members to attend an NCGPS event for the first time.
These efforts added 15 new members this spring. Several of them showed interest to join ongoing groups, group trainings and get involved with group work in various ways. This is the most promising feedback we could have gotten from them!
To increase the new members feeling welcomed in the community, we organized a social event in San Francisco in August where we invited new Asilomar attendees and new members. We shared ideas and listened to their feedback. I will report in the next newsletter about the ideas that get materialized.
We can do so much to spread the word about group therapy - we can organize outreach events that help maintain our connections with individual therapists, training centers, and other sources of referrals to our groups, while we can raise awareness about the importance of group training, encouraging therapists to attend some of our trainings.
NCGPS is starting a new program called the Open Studio. This a chance for members to have an informal workshop experience with some of the NCGPS experienced group therapists. Elaine Cooper, in her home on December 5, 2015, will host the first inaugural Open Studio. You do not want to miss this event. It is open for all NCGPS members and will be on first come first serve basis. Elaine is going to show us a video, a one-hour documentary, “Ghost in Your Genes,” and share an up-to-date review of the literature on the epigenome. We are hoping for a lively and interesting discussion of the topic!
I am looking forward to seeing our events inspire
many of you, create conversations, and bring together the community.
Ildiko Ran, MFT, CGP, is an advocate for group therapy in our professional circles as well as in the community at large. She co-facilitates interpersonal process groups in her private practice in San Francisco, teaches group process at local universities, and facilitates intensive outpatient hospital groups. Ildiko and her
husband have a family of five children with whom she has been refining her group therapy skills for the past 25 years.
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Hard Wired to Hate: Why Diversity Tolerance Must Be Taught by Geri Alpert, Ph.D. I have always loved the musical South Pacific and especially the controversial song which teaches that you've got to be taught to hate -- an allegedly ''communist" song which Rogers and Hammerstein were urged to cut from the musical, lest people would find it so offensive that it would shut down the show. The song promotes the idea that we can put an end to our fear and hatred of those who are different by conscientiously ending/countering any and all teaching in that direction. It is a lovely and optimistic premise that would be terrific if correct, but unfortunately, seems to be disconfirmed by a growing body of scientific findings.
Here is some of the intriguing and distressing data. In 2013, Kiley Hamlin, and her colleagues at the University of British Columbia found that nine month old babies significantly preferred puppets that had liked the same food that they liked, and disliked the puppets with different tastes. Better news is that the babies noted and preferred kind puppets over mean ones. But sadly, this preference changed when the mean puppets were mean to the "different" puppets. In that case, there was a marked increase in the preference for the mean puppets! Apparently, meanness is attractive if it is directed to those who are disliked for being different.
Similarly disconcerting is evidence from a 2007 study by Dan Fessler, and his colleagues at UCLA which showed a significant increase in xenophobia in women who are in the first trimester of pregnancy -- a period in which the mothers immune system is suppressed in order to avoid rejecting the baby. There is evidence that Xenophobia is also elevated in people who are ill and in those living in distressed/impoverished conditions. The explanatory hypothesis is that when immune systems are compromised, humans instinctively fear/avoid those who are from outside their tribe or region, as a way to avoid contamination from organisms for which their group lacks immunity. Disconcerting evidence also comes from neuroscience. In a fascinating article published in 2011, Steven
Foreman, provides a scholarly review of the complex role of oxytocin. Commonly known as the love and bonding hormone, oxytocin appears to also have a seemingly contradictory function. Along with the evidence that oxytocin increases feelings of affection and protectiveness toward those in the "in" group, there is evidence that it is equally powerful in increasing aggressiveness and hatred toward those in the "out" group. There is also important evidence from some well-known older studies. The first of these was an experiment done in 1954 by Muzafer Sherif, who studied a homogeneous group of eleven year old boys attending a summer camp. The boys were divided into two groups that were kept separate from each other for a week. Each group developed its own unique culture and norms, and the members bonded to each other quite intensely. When the two groups were brought together for a series of competitive activities, the members emphasized and grossly exaggerated differences between the groups and developed shockingly intense hatred (and hateful behavior) toward the other group, who came to be seen as different (and horrible) in unimaginable ways. The second study in this group is the well-known Stanford Prison Experiment conducted in 1971 by Phil Zimbardo. Using Stanford undergraduates as the subjects, the experimenters randomly assigned half of the young men to be prisoners and half to be guards. With the initial difference between the two groups being nothing other than rules of behavior mandated for each group and the clothing required (uniforms and sunglasses for guards, burlap sack dresses with numbers on them for the prisoners), the guards came to view their classmates as so completely "other"' that they allowed themselves to do things to them that were so horrendous that neither they, nor anyone else would have believed possible. The third study in this group is the well-known experiment on obedience done in 1963 by Stanley Milgram. Subjects were assigned to be "teachers" and as part of that role, they were mandated to follow horrifically sadistic protocols. As in the Zimbardo experiment, normal, generally decent individuals became so identified with the rules and role of the subgroup to which they were assigned that they continued to deliver intense electric shocks to the faux learners even when they screamed in pain and simulated heart attacks. Continued on next page.
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Taken together, the evidence suggests that out-group harmony and diversity tolerance is far from being something that occurs naturally unless spoiled by negative teaching. On the contrary, it appears that otherness-making, combined with fear, hatred, and cruelty toward those "othered" is part of our evolutionary baggage. For this reason, otherness prevention and diversity tolerance must be taught again and again and be repeatedly reinforced. Our fall event, featuring a national expert in the teaching of diversity tolerance is an optimistic step in this direction.
Geri Alpert, PhD, GCP, Past President, current Board Member of NCGPS and a Fellow of AGPA, practices in San Francisco and San Rafael. Geri provides treatment for individuals, couples and groups as well as supervision, consultation and short- term "crisis intervention" for therapists at all levels of experience.
Autumn’s Hush by Renee Owen
wild madder root forever searching for something
even in a sparrow I see only you seeing me
dragonfly eyes how to take back my harsh words
the mottled browns of a wood thrush breast how long, this longing
into the hush of evening lone cry of a pheasant
moonrise... each curve of the creek aglow Haiku, some in slightly different form, from NCGPS member Renée Owen’s recently released, award-winning book of poetry, Alone on a Wild Coast. Available for purchase at NCGPS discount from [email protected] or the UK publisher, Snapshot Press.
Renée Owen, LMFT, has a private practice in San Rafael (4 groups, individuals, couples & consultation in marketing and group therapy). She takes solo retreats in nature, makes art and writes. Her art can be seen at local & national exhibits and online.
Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain By David Eagleman 2011 Random House Reviewed by Carla Haimowitz
I have become evangelical about Incognito. Galileo demonstrated that we are not the center of the universe. Darwin, challenging a big bang or Genesis theory of human’s arrival on planet earth, explained evolution. Now Eagelman deconstructs our previous understanding about how the brain works, perception. He puts cognition in its place. This is a stunning and provocative exploration of neurological magic tricks—the most revolutionary psychology I have read in years.
Eagelman addresses such questions as, if we are
mad at ourselves, who is mad at whom? How is the brain a team of rivals? What are the limits of artificial intelligence? What genetics predispose someone to infidelity? Why are 15% of females able to detect certain colors while the rest of us cannot? What does it mean that a person convicted of murder with an IQ of 68 goes free but someone with an IQ of 71 can be sentenced to death? When is someone lying, someone being mischievous, or someone having anosognosia? How far will our brains go to put together a coherent narrative about a disability? What is the purpose of consciousness? He describes nature and nurture at the DNA level, for example, the effects of immigration on the chances of developing schizophrenia.
If I smash my car into a building, the criminal
justice system has developed so far as to say, it’s not the crime I commit, but my intent. Did I do it on purpose or was it an accident? Go diving with Eagleman into the wider and deeper waters of impulsivity and blame, in the chapter “The question of free will, and why the answer does not matter”. He shifts from blame to biology, but notes: in a single cubic millimeter of brain tissue, there are some one hundred million synaptic connections between neurons. Eagleman likens modern neuroimaging to asking an astronaut in the space shuttle to look out the window and judge how America is doing.
As a psychologist face to face with chemical
dependency and forensic–related work, the chapter that was a relief for me to read was, what do we do from here? He challenges our arbitrary, intuitive legal system, describing its gross unfairness, its inadequacy, and describes his dream as an alternative: To build an evidence-based, neurally-compatible social policy, a forward-looking brain-compatible legal system. Isn’t that our dream as well?
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"How to Create and Sustain Groups that Thrive: Therapist’s Workbook and Planning Guide” Reviewed by Lois Friedlander, MFT
Dr. Ann Steiner’s new book, How to Create and Sustain Groups that Thrive: Therapist’s Workbook and Planning Guide first came to my attention when AGPA workshop presenters introduced its’ usefulness at their group therapy
marketing workshop. They mentioned that it was at the Exhibit area so I made a point of stopping by to leaf through it. A voice leaned in over my shoulder with, “I read that book. It’s really very good. Short, to the point and a quick read.” Randy (our Prez), also browsing the latest titles, moved to tap the cover and offer his positive critique. A few days later I cracked the book’s spine and settled in to discover what Randy thought was “really very good.”
Dr. Steiner's workbook sets forth to help group leaders to provide quality group member care by learning a stronger practical foundation in group facilitation. She offers her support to dedicated group therapists and group leaders who have much to offer and would like to have more training to be fully effective in meeting the needs of their group participants. This workbook, planner and guide serves as a mentor. This is a nuts and bolts, technical group work instruction /supervision for all group facilitators. For group dynamics instructors wishing to review and refine their teaching curriculum, screening and preparation protocols, resource lists, and general teaching tools, this workbook is a gold mine. For example, the chart on page 18 delineating Major Differences Among Group Modalities is a concise, informative tool that might just become a teaching staple. The chart is downloadable for future use.
In fact, the entire workbook is interactive and offers downloadable handouts, worksheets, sample forms, teaching resources and tools, all easily accessible via email link. She incorporates new advancements in Internet groups,” netiquette” and a phenomenon called “lurking” which you can find out more about on page 14.
A term that resonated for me was "flow through group", meaning groups that experience daily change in membership and can be frustrating to facilitate. Those of us employed in clinics led hundreds of these groups. Those groups failed to meet my needs as the therapist I wanted to be because they lacked the opportunity to develop a therapeutic relationship, and member prognosis
and outcome remained a mystery. Steiner’s title affords significance and identification of that particular group’s value in an organizational setting.
Her workbook devotes three chapters entirely to screening and selection of group members and opens with a summary quote by HarPaz (1994), "without a growing real relationship to anchor the patient while still in the initial phase, he or she will not be able to tolerate the stormy, affect-laden group psychotherapy process.” These chapters provide a step-by-step guide for screening and selecting group members. Steiner believes that orienting a potential member to group therapy is crucial to achieving group cohesion and a general sense of accomplishment by group members.
This portion of the book is followed by sample downloadable group guidelines, policies and agreements, and a consent to treatment form that includes fee structure, missed appointments, insurance reimbursement subpoenas, release of information, HIPAA forms and much more.
In Chapter 8 Dr. Steiner introduces us to ‘netiquette’ and provides additional online links to access samples of list serve agreements and the "wide range of issues that can arise during Internet communication." This is the first workbook of its kind for group therapists that offers this technical digital support resource component.
Chapter 9 speaks to recruitment and marketing. "How do people find out about your group?" She walks us through how to design, plan and implement a marketing strategy.
In another chapter Steiner dubs the termination phase the “gold mine of group work.” There she describes healthy, traumatic, and unhealthy terminations: referring to termination as the most challenging and rewarding phase of group therapy.
Of particular interest to this reviewer are the samples of goodbye letters to group members from the group leader. Having facilitated an eclectic variety of process groups, and experimented with many forms of member farewells within the termination process (good-bye rituals, painting expressive arts cards, appreciation circles, etc.) I have not yet written a formal good-bye letter.
Writing a personal letter expressing best wishes, acknowledging the member’s accomplishments, noting the honor of being part of another's personal progress is something that bears consideration. These positive, warm reflections can be read and reread and may be helpful to the client in internalizing the group over time, long after the group has ended. Dr. Steiner is known for her enthusiasm for the Therapist’s Professional Will. To that end, she dedicates
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"How to Create and Sustain Groups that Thrive: continued the last section of the workbook to ethical codes and action for group facilitators for when they become temporarily or permanently unable to continue working. Resources for each chapter are interspersed throughout and listed at the end.
Overall, this workbook comes through as a labor of love for Dr. Steiner, who since childhood, has been swimming in the atmosphere of “group soup”. In-depth knowledge and experience shines through in this carefully crafted gift to group therapists, from novice to experienced clinician.
Lois Friedlander, MFT, CGP, BC-MT –Lois is a Clinical Professor at the University of California, School of Medicine, San Francisco, She is a Certified Group Psychotherapist with 35 years of experience. Lois facilitates groups and sees individuals, couples, children/teens in San Francisco and
Marin.
Letter from the Editor Carla Haimowitz Ph.D.
This quick letter was inspired by Dr. Alpert’s article
and continues from where her article “Hard Wired for Hate” leaves off. This is an attempt to continue the conversation she began. You are invited to contribute your thoughts on diversity in future newsletters.
It was suggested that this editor address “appreciating diversity,” mention our tremendous fortune in having diversity expert Dr. Alexis Abernethy as the presenter (Google her!) for our Fall Event, and note the increasing diversity at our annual conference. These occurrences happen to coincide with the legalization of marriage in homosexual relationships while, increasingly, transgender persons are coming forward, being part of the conversation, and having access to surgery while in prison.
I think our honest, deep-down longing for diversity is as hard wired as anything. In addition to being wary, young people are also fascinated by someone different. That fascination is socialized out of us. As children we are hushed when we point out someone who looks different-in a
wheelchair, or with some prosthesis, for example. We are curious and want to know more, but are told that is impolite. I remember, as one small example, taking a four-year-old to a homosexual couple’s home and the four-year-old took life at face value-“Oh, he has two daddies.” When we, in fact, feel secure inside, our hearts soar to explore. Narrow peer pressure, rigid parenting, insecurity or low self-esteem inhibits our natural curiosity about people who are different. I’m not alone when I want to ask someone who is, for example, extremely tall or very, very short; “How do you deal with airplane seats? Movie theaters? Turnstyles? Making friends? Making love?” When someone speaks with an accent, I am charmed and want to ask them where they come from In Geri Alpert’s article, “Hardwired to Hate,” she describes babies’ preferences for those puppets similar to themselves. One might wonder, how is liking measured in a nine month old? Given that an infant’s feelings are fluid, we want to know how significant that might be for later diversity problems. Dealing with folks that are different probably requires some psychological energy on our part, which is lessened when we are mentally or physically ill or otherwise vulnerable. What about the boys’ camp? After being apart they were brought together to compete. What else could we expect besides animosity—billions, yes, billions of dollars are spent by adults brought together after being apart to play football. What if the youth were brought together for a team-building project, like building a car, or writing a song? What if a boy from each group was matched with a boy from the other group to work together, or to play against another similarly-matched pair? Who knows, maybe the results would be exactly the same.
I agree, Dr. Alpert, that we are hardwired to note differences. My sister would complain that, even after vacuuming the carpet, her toddler would find the one speck left and put it in her mouth. I also agree that intervention helps with prejudice, and that’s where group psychotherapy is effective. In 1950, in the Journal of Social Psychology, an experiment was published, entitled “Reducing ethnic hostility through psychotherapy”. Ethnic hostility was measured using the Bogardus social distance scale, on seven categories, such as, would exclude from my country, from my neighborhood, would marry, etc. before and after 35 hours of client-centered therapy groups. The participants were tested again after two years. To over-simplify this much more complex research study, the authors state, “…the experience of releasing feelings about their own personal problems, and developing ways of constructively dealing with the problems of life, resulted in a decrease in the amount of ethnic hostility with which they came to the therapy experience.” The authors: Morris and Natalie Haimowitz.
ASILOMAR CONFERENCE REVIEWS AND PHOTOS
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Asilomar Conference Review
by Annie Danberg, M.A., MFTi I’ve heard that our primary wounding occurs in
relationship, and that is where the potential for healing lies. And I certainly have had this experience of healing in individual psychotherapy. But now, I’ve come to learn that its corollary is also true: that the wounding we experience from a group can be healed within a group context. I was privileged to have such an experience at the NGCPS conference at Asilomar.
I am no stranger to feeling wounded by a group. As an individual with Dwarfism, I have often felt outcast by my difference. Teased, shamed, and humiliated about my size, as well as being a sensitive, artistic type, left me feeling as if I didn’t belong anywhere. I’ve also watched myself create that sense that I don’t quite fit-in, in whatever group I happen to join. So, it was with much trepidation (and sheer terror) that I signed-up to participate in Group A: Beginning Psychodynamic Process Group.
Participating in this group normalized my feeling of being an outsider. Sure, I knew intellectually that I wasn’t an outsider. But to be empathetically connected to a group member voicing that same pain, and to then watch others in the group join them, was profound. I got to wonder out loud how about how others perceive me and, most importantly, I was vulnerable and was accepted. Along with the other group members, I got to struggle with the fraught territory of anger. Thanks to the adept facilitation of Lois Friedlander and Rose Phelps, I experienced a safe container that allowed the alchemical work of group healing to take place.
Upon my return, a colleague commented that I looked like a layer had been peeled off. Something inside is loosening. I feel more open to others, more courageous and more able to join in. This experience has positively affected my work with individual clients as well. Thank you, NCGPS.
Annie Danberg, MA, is a registered Marriage and Family Therapy Intern (Anne Deborah Danberg IMF 71044), and Art Therapist. She offers individual psychotherapy, art therapy, and expressive arts classes, workshops and groups.
Experience at Asilomar: by Claudia Grace Canales, M.A.
The experiential group psychotherapy conference offered by the NCGPS Institute at Asilomar was one of the best experiences I have encountered in my graduate clinical
psychology training. The world of group psychotherapy technique and practice collide in this conference as it offers a unique and fuller opportunity for learning. The experiential process of learning while participating in a group therapy setting enhances the clinical skills taught regardless of the particular theoretical orientation chosen. The fact that there are seasoned therapists invested in a particular orientation provides the student with fantastic opportunity to learn a modality from someone who lives that modality in a day to day basis. Finally, this conference attracts different professionals in diverse developmental stages of their training and interests which gives each group enough diversity to bring about rich experiences in trying to understand group dynamics.
The NCGPS institute through the experiential group psychotherapy training is able to reach those areas of clinical practice that are implicit not easily quantifiable but that indeed account for much of the variance in growth and effectiveness. From a graduate student point of view, this training institute is a very valuable resource of personal and professional growth for those of us who are invested in learning to facilitate healing through group psychotherapy.
My summary of the experience at the NCGPS conference: by Nicole Lyons
I really enjoyed attending the training. Initially, I anticipated more of a lecture style environment and was quite surprised to learn we would be participating in group therapy. I had never experienced a psychodynamic group process before and it was very interesting. At first everything felt very aimless and none of us were sure what to do and as we settled we evolved and started to set a tone. I was surprised to witness professionals in the mental health field struggle to share the space and manage their own triggers. I walked into this feeling as though I was the least experienced and yet I felt the least affected by the stressors in the group.
It was exciting meeting people from different disciplines, life stages, and geographical areas. I thought the location was beautiful, although pricey, and the food was very good. It was a bit difficult to attend the social aspects as they were very late in the day and things started up quite early so I only attended the daytime activities.
I would like to thank you and the NCGPS for the scholarship. I would not have been able to attend without it and I feel that it was a valuable experience. I got to experience a group setting as both a participant and an outsider. I also got to witness a different form of facilitation. I hope I can attend again next year.
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This is the final chapter in the original history I begged Jim Fishman to write for our newsletter. There’s more to the story, but this is the last chapter in the series.
Meeting Our Wild and Beastly Sides: Trials and Breakthroughs in a Group Therapist’s Journey James Fishman, LCSW, CGP . This is the final chapter in the original history I begged Jim Fishman to write for our newsletter. There’s more to the story, but this is the last chapter in the series. Boston University has a very strong group work program and Irv Yalom’s textbook on groups is our Bible. I have run many groups since then. A coming out group for gay men. A Fathers’ group for fathers with disabled children. A mother’s group in a minority housing project. In l981, I’m hired as clinical social worker by a health center that specializes in gay men’s health, just when the AIDS epidemic explodes. Our clinic treats many of the first AIDS patients in New England. We are inundated with requests for interviews-- by The Boston Globe. Time Magazine. The evening news. Our neighborhood clinic is thrust into the middle of an epidemic that is changing the social and sexual landscape for gay men. Yet some of my gay brethren are in fierce denial. Even with KS lesions creating purple blotches on young men’s faces, and with frightened nurses too afraid to enter AIDS patients’ hospital rooms, many gay men are in denial and refuse to curtail risky behaviors. Some are avoiding sex entirely; others escalate their sexual trysts. In response, three of us organize a series of community Teach-Ins, which morph into the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, which still exists today. AIDS is a hurricane, leaving an unrecognizable landscape in its wake. We don’t have time for differences or factions. Up til now, the gay community was divided between gay activists on one side and the bar crowd on the other. Yet now, we’re bridging these divides. The lesbian community is standing with us as well. The 10 of us who found the AIDS Action Committee see it expand quickly. And our activism provides refuge from isolation and despair. The numbers of diagnosed AIDS escalates. My upstairs neighbor -- a bar tender turned AIDS activist-- dies of AIDS. Now I’m frightened. It’s getting too close. My first client with AIDS also dies. One night I have this nightmare: I’m witnessing a brush fire that turns into a forest fire; I’m trying to put out the fire with a garden hose; it’s totally inadequate. I wake up in a panic. One day a married truck driver from rural Maine sits down in my office and spills out: “I’m coughing a lot. Last year, I had sex with another guy who I met at a truck
stop and I’m sure I’ve caught it. If you can’t prove to me that I don’t have AIDS, I’ve got a noose in my car and I’ll use it on myself. My daughter is coughing now, too.” Two years into the epidemic I decide to visit San Francisco, I arrive in San Francisco to find a city devastated by AIDS with a 50% infection rate among gay men. I’ve moved into the eye of the hurricane. Our men’s program has a vibrant group therapy program with a crusty group consultant named Don Brown. It’s Don who teaches us about theories of group development, about groups as living systems. Don encourages us to join the American Group Psychotherapy Association and its local affiliate, NCGPS. In the early ’90’s, I have the good fortune to take an Institute with Ariadne Beck and James Dugo at AGPA’s conference in San Diego; out of this experience, I reach out to Beck for consultation and she warmly and generously comes forward. Over the next 10 years, she is my group mentor and my group consultant; and an important figure in my life in general. Her 9-phase model provides me with a map, a compass. In the wildness and unpredictability of groups, it’s a revelation to finally have an overview about which stage a group is at, and how to intervene. But her theories never trump practicalities. Once, when I was trying to help a troubled group member by focusing on which stage the group was in, I was stopped by her: “Never mind about the stage at the moment. Let’s deal with this person who’s right in front of you.” I learned about flexibility and how a nuanced clinician makes informed choices on which level to intervene: the group-as-whole, the interpersonal, or the intrapsychic. Having known in my earlier life what it’s like to feel scapegoated, I’m especially grateful for her providing an understanding of scapegoating. I learn that the Scapegoat Leader is the object of much projection early on a group’s development but this member also helps the group make room for difference. Ironically, the Scapegoat Leader is strong enough to withstand the group’s projections. I learn how essential it is for the group therapist to protect the Scapegoat Leader. In the wilderness of a new group, many factors are unpredictable and unsettling. Even when we have the luxury of pre-screening members, we can’t fully know how each person’s issues and interpersonal style will emerge once placed into the “primal soup” of a group. Just when we think that a group has mastered and moved through a difficult phase -- bang! kapow! -- Some group dynamic reveals that the group hasn’t truly achieved closure of a certain challenging phase. Conversely, just when we’re about to resign ourselves to dig in for more weeks of struggle, the group can take a huge developmental leap.
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In the year 2000, I join a weekly peer consultation group, where I meet and connect immediately with clinician Linda Rose, who is running lesbian groups. She and I resonate on many levels simultaneously: our passion for the work, our interest in groups, our personal search for wholeness through Jungian analysis. At this point in our careers, we are each tired of running groups alone-- it feels like Single Parenting. We’re eager to extend our reach beyond our gay or lesbian groups. We decide to join forces. As we venture into starting to co-lead our first on-going group together, we’re advised by Beck to meet regularly to explore our expectations, our theoretical differences, our hopes and fears. As new co-leaders, Beck says, our relationship will traverse the same stages that our groups must eventually face. “You must work through these structural issues in your relationship as co-leaders. Even though you’ve been good friends, you are now entering into a brand new relationship.” How will we work together? Linda and I are hugely excited by the prospect of working together. We know from peer consultation that her style tends to be more contained, while mine is more self-disclosing. We are about to hold our first on-going weekly group in my office, but I have to share decisions with her and we differ on our assessments of several potential group members. We accept a very diverse group, combining genders, ages, sexual orientations, and some of our individual clients into the mix. As a way to manage our excitement and anxiety, we do what two devotees of Jungian analysis do: we decide to track our dreams, which helps us navigate our new relationship. Dream #1 (Linda’s dream)-- this dream is In the early weeks of group, when we each are excited, exhilarated and terrified. The anxiety is often so high Linda could not fall asleep after group): “Jim and I are making love, which is both exciting and anxiety-provoking. There is a group of people watching us. They tell me my hair is on fire. I do not know what they are talking about, but everyone, including Jim agree, get up and walk out. I am alone now and confused about what just happened. They return after a while but nobody really explains what just happened.” In addition to containing our excitement about our new group’s potential for growth, Linda and I are now undergoing a fiery initiation of our own. In her dream, Linda’s hair on fire echoes an earlier concern of Beck’s--which we minimized at the time: was our group composition too varied and too intense? Dream #2 (Jim’s): (Background: I have this dream 6 months into our running our group, when I’m away on vacation and Linda runs the group alone for the first time. She emails me afterwards that the group has gone exceedingly well. )
“Linda and I are in Boston, working at the clinic where I once worked. I’m running late, and I’m lost, trying to reach the clinic for my 10 am client. Nothing looks familiar. The landscape and layout of streets baffle me-- nothing is where it should be. I’m desperately looking to hail a cab, to no avail. I’m walking down a street that is so steep that it feels unsafe. I have to jump over bushes. I finally get to the clinic and outside our building are posted our ‘grades’ as co-leaders: Linda gets an ‘A’ and I get a ‘C’.” Wrestling with the dynamics of a mature co-leader relationship now brings me face to face with my “shadow” -- my own unmet narcissistic needs for affirmation. While I haven’t originally seen myself as someone who hides his vulnerabilities behind omnipotence, through the exposure in a co-leadership relationship, I am forced to examine my “blind spots.” Linda’s insistence that I hear how I am impacting both her and the group process is a major blow to my more dominant stance Facing this feedback is initially threatening to my equilibrium and self-image. Deep co-leadership with a partner-- if we are to grow-- can lead to deeper, necessary wounds and unexpected healing. I needed to rein in, to temper my attempts to get my narcissistic needs met from the group. In my family, I was either “adored” or “hated. I have to breathe through fears of not being mirrored or seen. My co-leader Linda is strong enough to stand up to me... Once we can work out our core conflicts, our groups deepen. Dream #3 The context: Linda and I are rooming together at the AGPA annual conference in Chicago. Our hotel room provides us each with a queen-sized bed. We are about to share being in an Institute led by Stuart Aledort. Jim’s Dream: “A circle of people are surrounding two bunnies who are in the center of the circle. These bunnies are “a couple.” Suddenly, an outlier bunny--a FERAL bunny -- leaps into the circle and begins humping one of the bunnies. The crowd looks on in horror.”
I wake up staggered by this dream. After all my years of pushing to declare and define my gayness; after all my years of training and personal therapy; now semi-domesticated and seemingly tamed; having tempered my hunger for affirmation, my wild and beastly “feral” side bursts through. In the co-leader relationship, and in groups in general, the “Shadow” intrudes, uninvited. But take heart: in this confrontation, growth emerges. The puzzle of self-in-relation enlarges. The landscape of our desires and unmet needs get reconfigured. The rewards are enormous and delicious. Is this not the challenge and beauty of groups?
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Classified Advertising Fall 2015
Psychotherapy Groups
San Francisco
HIGH FUNTIONING ADULT PSYCHOTHERPAY GROUPS, Art Raisman, Ph.D. (Licensed Psychologist/PSY 7795, Ass’t Clinical Prof., Psychiatry, UCSF). High functioning, psychodynamic groups for men and women, including mental health professionals and trainees. Tues. & Wed. evenings, San Francisco. 415-453-4271. [email protected] COUPLES GROUP, Susan Regan, LMFT & Randy Dunagan, LMFT. 8-week couple’s group on the basic skills necessary for a successful, fulfilling relationship: improving communication, productive conflicts, sexual intimacy, etc. Couples have opportunity to work with & learn from other couples. San Francisco - Contact Susan at 510-883-9312 or 415-563-4342 or Randy at 415-587-8456 [email protected] or [email protected]. WOMEN’S INTERPERSONAL GROUP, Lois Friedlander, MFT, CGP. Ongoing group integrates psychodynamic/interpersonal models. A blend of students and professionals focus on building relationship skills in all aspects of life; family, work, partner, social, spiritual. Consultant: Dr. Irvin Yalom, Wed. 6:30-8:00, San Francisco, 3569 Sacramento St., 415-383-3337. GAY MEN’S INTERPERSONAL PROCESS GROUPS, Jamie Moran, LCSW, CGP, Tuesday-Thursday evenings. Safe yet challenging environment to explore relationship concerns, family dynamics, social issues, sexuality and other feelings with seasoned group facilitator in practice over 30 years. Contact [email protected] or visit http://www.jamiemoran.com.
East Bay MEN’S & COED INTERPERSONAL GROUPS, Scott Weber, LCSW. In Albany, in warm and convenient office right off of Solano Ave., with easy bus access & convenient parking. Individual appointments available as well. 510-926-9852, [email protected]. NEW COED GROUP, Carla Haimowitz Ph.D. For adult men and woman. Focus on relationship skill building. Monday nights in North Oakland, 6:00 - 7:30 pm, 510-655-7828.
COUPLES GROUP, Susan Regan, LMFT & Randy Dunagan, LMFT. 8-week couple’s group focused on the basic skills necessary for a successful, fulfilling relationship: improving communication, learning to have productive conflicts, sexual intimacy, etc. Couples have the opportunity to work with & learn from other couples. Berkeley- Contact Susan at 510-883-9312 or 415-563-4342 or [email protected] or Randy at 415-587-8456 or [email protected].
North Bay INTERPERSONAL PROCESS GROUP FOR MEN & WOMEN, Lou Dangles, LMFT & Chris Armstrong, LMFT. Members have an opportunity to learn about relationship patterns in their lives, and to understand their impact on others. Wed., 7:30 - 9:00pm, San Anselmo, 415-454-2722. GROUP FOR MEN 60+, Lou Dangles, LMFT. Ongoing interpersonal support group for men in the second half of life. Emphasis on emotional communication, and giving & receiving feedback in a here-and-now interactional frame. Thur. evenings, 6:30-8:00pm. 415-454-2722. INTIMACY GROUPS, SINGLES GROUP, WOMEN’S GROUP, Renée Owen, LMFT. 3 Intimacy Groups & Women’s Group: ongoing, process-oriented groups, focused on therapeutic goal-setting & emotional intimacy skills. Singles Group: 9-week psychoeducational group, assists in uncovering relationship blocks. Excellent adjunct to individual therapy. Mon., Tues., Thur. evenings. Central San Rafael. 415-453-8117. ARTS-BASED PROCESS GROUP FOR WOMEN, Shira Marin, PhD & Annie Danberg, MFTI. For clinicians and non-clinicians. Liberate self-expression, cultivate self-awareness & self-acceptance, transform self-judgment. 8-week session beg. Sept. 16th, in San Rafael, Marin County. CEUs available. For more information call 415-499-0737 and see shiramarinphd.com or anniedanberg.com.
South Bay/Peninsula
WOMEN IN TRANSITION, Deborah Dowse Runyeon, LMFT. Process groups for women 40+ years old, now forming in Redwood City. Mon. & Wed.’s, 6:30–8:00pm. Call 650-363-0249, ext.111.
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Classified Advertising - Fall 2015
South Bay/Peninsula (continued) L.I.V.E.:LIFE-INTERVENTIONS-VISIONS-EMPOWERMENT, Deborah Dowse Runyeon, MFT. Support/process group for women moving beyond their mental illness. Now forming in Redwood City. Mondays 6:30 - 8 PM. Call 650-363-0249 x111. MEN’S INTERPERSONAL PROCESS GROUPS, Jamie Moran, LCSW, CGP. Monday evening groups for gay, bi and straight men. Safe yet challenging environment to explore relationship concerns, family dynamics, social issues, sexuality and other feelings with seasoned group facilitator in practice over 30 years. Contact [email protected], or www.jamiemoran.com.
Sacramento/Davis
ADULT GENERAL PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUP, Haim Weinberg, PhD, CGP. Openings for new mem-bers. Group focuses on interpersonal interactions, so re-lationship problems are addressed well. Meets Tues. 7:00-8:30 pm in Midtown Sacramento. Referrals call 916-212-6424 [email protected]
Groups for Therapists
CO-LED GROUP FOR MATURE THERAPISTS, Geri Alpert, Ph.D. & Elaine Cooper Ph.D. Possible opening(s) in high functioning, long-running therapist group. Unique group, very mature in group functioning, as well as members’ age & life experience. Meets week-ly in San Rafael on Wed.’s from 9:30-11:00am. Also openings in our bi-monthly, "lunch time" group. Both groups co-led and psychodynamic/interpersonal in orien-tation. Call Geri Alpert at 415-453-8969; [email protected] or www.GeraldineAlpert.com THERAPY GROUPS FOR THERAPISTS, Art Raisman, Ph.D. (Licensed Psychologist/PSY 7795, Ass’t Clinical Prof., Psychiatry, UCSF). Open to mental health professionals & trainees. Ongoing for 30+ years. Current openings on Tues. & Thur. mornings, San Francisco. 415-453-4271. [email protected]
Consultation CONSULTATION GROUP FOR GROUP PSY-CHOTHERPAISTS, Geraldine Alpert, PhD. Bi-monthly consultation group, meeting in San Rafael on Wed.’s, 5:00-7:00 pm. 415-453-8969.
INTEGRATIVE TRAINING GROUP, Master Ther-apists John McNeel, PhD & Phyllis Jenkins, LMFT, CGP. Fridays, monthly: learn to treat hidden injunctions that grip the lives & health of clients. Appropriate ad-junct to all theories. Group training is integrative, inter-active; includes supervision. Satisfies criteria for licen-sure, ITAA membership, CGP certification. Information, Phyllis Jenkins, 408-265-9200 or Dr. McNeel, 650-327-9036. SUPERVISION/CONSULTATION GROUP: PRE-LICENSED & EARLY CAREER CLINICIANS, Shira Marin, PhD, LMFT. Addresses all aspects of private practice to further your development. Depth/Transformative, Learning/Dream/EAT-based ap-proach. Meets 1.5 hrs, twice monthly, San Rafael. CEU provider status in process. Exp’d facilitator, 30 years clinical & teaching experience. 415-499-0737. CONSULTATIVE SUPERVISION GROUP: MID-LATE CAREER CLINICIANS, Shira Marin, PhD, LMFT. Support and enhance depth understanding of case material. Addresses private practice and agency concerns. Collaborate & connect. Exp’d facilitator, 30 years clinical & teaching experience. Meets 1.5 hrs, 2x/mth, San Rafael. CEU in process. 415-499-0737. GROUP LEADERS CONSULTATION GROUP, Jamie Moran, LCSW, CGP. Collegial group focusing on topics related to group formation, leadership, fundamentals and challenges. Meets first and third Mondays 10:00am - 12:00pm in Menlo Park. A commitment of six sessions is required, after which point group is ongoing for participants desiring deeper engagement. Contact [email protected] or visit http://www.jamiemoran.com/services.html#consultation.
Office Space San Rafael: Beautiful, sunny & spacious office availa-ble for part-time sublet, in wonderful Victorian. Quiet, semi-residential neighborhood with trees, window box seating, fireplace, antique & Asian-inspired furnishings, lots of windows, waiting room and parking. San Rafael (walking distance to downtown). Perfect for groups or writing studio. Available weekday mornings (9-hour morning block, Mon., Tues. & Thur., till 11a.m.) and/or Saturdays & Sundays. Not available by the hour. Call Renee Owen, LMFT, at 415-453-8117. See How to Submit a Classified Ad on the next page.
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How to Submit an Ad The NCGPS Newsletter is published 3 times/year.
DEADLINES: Winter 2015 (11/10/15)
Spring 2016 (02/10/16) Fall 2016 (08/10/16) CLASSIFIED AD RATES: Members: $15 for 50 words, $.05 per additional word. Non-members: $25 for 50 words, $.07 per add.word. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
(1) For new ads, or changes to existing ads, email your ad to Carla Haimowitz at [email protected]
(2) Mail a hard copy of your ad (if new or changes) to Renée Owen, at the address below.
(3) Mail a check payable to NCGPS to Renée Owen at 1703 Fifth Ave., #101, San Rafael, CA 94901. FOR QUESTIONS: Call Renée Owen at 415-453-8117.
OPEN STUDIO
An evening hosted by
Elaine Cooper, PhD, LCSW
in Berkeley, CA
December 5, 2015 - 6.30-9.30PM
Spaces are limited, sign up early!
NCGPS fundraising event - $40
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY SOCIETY c/o John Rochios 1844 San Miguel Dr., Ste 311 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
See inside for news about the FALL EVENT - November 7, 2015
Deadline for Early Bird Discount is October 10, 2015 CALENDAR AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
October 25, 2015 Annual NCGPS Member Retreat
November 7, 2015 Fall Event: Alexis Abernathy, PhD
February 10, 2016 Deadline for Fall Newsletter (please submit by that date)
June 3-5, 2016 Asilomar Clinical Conference
Member News and Notes
EVERY C Please Volunteer –*EVERY COMMITTEE NEEDS HELP! Contact us! Volunteer! Visit our website: www.ncgps.org
