The Group Premise
We learn a great deal about ourselves, others, relationships, and our place in the world from groups. Our first encounter with a group is our family, and this learning continues throughout our lives in different settings such as schools and workplaces. Society is shaped by groups, within which we experience varying degrees of inclusion and exclusion. Groups make evident our similarities, our differences and the influence of power dynamics. Our lives are filled with group-related experiences, both beneficial and harmful. We develop ways of thinking, feeling, and relating through relationships and group experiences.
What is Group Psychotherapy?
Group psychotherapy involves regular, weekly sessions lasting one and a half hours. Group psychotherapy – commonly referred to as a process group – differs from support groups in that the support group helps a person cope with a particular situation, while group psychotherapy involves learning through experience and deepening one’s understanding of oneself. Rather than answering questions or providing solutions, group psychotherapy urges one towards exploration.
Group psychotherapy is unique in that the group itself is often seen as the most powerful factor leading to change. In practical terms, group members are encouraged to speak directly one another about their experiences, resulting in rich opportunities for feedback and learning.
How does Group Psychotherapy Work?
A community or a group tends to be a more powerful force than any individual. Think back to your experiences in your first community: Your family. The same is true in other communities, such as the work environment. Groups tend to move and compel us to feel, think and act in ways that individuals simply cannot.
The key to the success of group psychotherapy is the notion of health within community and relationships. Group psychotherapy tends to have a positive impact in a person’s life when the culture of the community is one of respect, honesty and curiosity. My task as a facilitator involves a sustained effort to shape these values and empower group members to engage one another in healthy ways.
Groups Currently Offered
Mixed-Gender Psychotherapy Groups for Adults
These psychotherapy groups encourages members to explore and express their thoughts and feelings about one another and the group member. As members talk and respond to one another in the moment, familiar patterns begin to emerge—creating opportunities for insight, connection, and meaningful change.
Training Group for Psychotherapists
This group is designed for therapists who want to deeply explore how their unique life experiences, subjectivity, and emotional landscape inform their personal lives and their clinical work. True professional development means understanding the self as the primary therapeutic instrument. This is not standard consultation; it is an integrative, interpersonal process group that blends deep self-exploration with case conceptualization.