ProcessGroups are spaces to invite and approach what scares us.

We nurture tenacity and resilience by constantly going towards what feels the most threatening, vulnerable and revelatory.

We strive for greater creativity, courage, insight, wisdom and wholeness, for our own growth, healing, enrichment and fulfillment.

We seek to embrace the uncomfortable feelings involved in being challenged, confronted and encountering the unknown.

We invite all of parts of ourselves into our awareness, and practice expressing ourselves with spontaneity, honesty, and a willingness to learn.

We welcome people from all backgrounds, religions, political perspectives, and identities, who believe in engaging the Other with words instead of violence.

We say what we fear to say.
We face what feels dangerous.
We trust the truth to set us free.
Nothing human is foreign to us.

    • No diagnosis. We’re not here to label or fix.

    • No health insurance. Cultivating courage is not a medical issue, it’s an existential one. 

    • No licensure. Self-identified leaders of ProcessGroups are committed to their own growth, aliveness, and expanded emotional range.

    • No secret techniques, trademarks or special knowledge. We embrace a particular style and attitude, not a new system or method.

    • Risk over safety. We don’t tiptoe around discomfort. We prioritize bravery, resilience, and free expression over censorship and safetyism. Here, hurt, fear, even hate can be spoken—and still held in relationship.

    • A living tradition. Inspired by the Dodo Bird Verdict of psychotherapy research (all bona fide therapies work about equally), we see this less as a treatment and more as a spiritual practice of presence, inner freedom, and truth.

  • It’s recommended to be in personal therapy while being a member of a ProcessGroup, because the experience is inherently challenging and sometimes overwhelming. However, it is not required. ProcessGroups are open to anyone, not exclusively clinicians.

  • The invitation is simple: put your thoughts and feelings into words. Whether in person, or over Zoom, members are invited to say whatever comes to mind, especially reactions they have to other members. Leaders focus on body language, facial expressions, tone, metaphors, fantasies and their intuitions about unspoken interpersonal dynamics. Check out the resources page for more descriptions and examples.

  • ProcessGroups are designed to ensure physical safety (no actions, only words) and social safety (confidentiality, no outside contact, no acting on what you hear, no canceling, etc.) so that you can get as triggered or hurt as possible while staying in the relationship. You’re supposed to be living on the edge of your comfort zone. That said, ProcessGroups are not just for conflict and confrontation. Since people can voice their negative feelings, when they express positive ones, they are more easily believed. Often ProcessGroups are spaces where people feel incredibly supported, soothed and loved.

  • No. People who talk about being “brutally honest,” are often uncomfortable with tenderness, vulnerability, neediness and intimacy. In ProcessGroups we encourage members to say what is challenging and difficult for them. Many people struggle with asserting themselves, expressing disappointment, frustration and discontent. Others need help admitting the impact they have on others and letting themselves be affected.

  • No one ever became less racist by keeping their racist thoughts hidden. The same applies for any kind of bigotry or bias. In ProcessGroups, we forge a culture where people share their perspective as honestly as they can. We pursue the growing awareness that each of us contains the full spectrum of human experience, from the depraved to the sublime.

  • If any of these apply to you, ProcessGroups may be inappropriate for you at this time:

    • in acute crisis

    • actively suicidal

    • in the throes of addictive behavior

    • at risk of harming yourself or others

    • lacking impulse control

    • unable to abide by the boundaries of the group agreement

    • uninterested in how you impact others

    • already have a significant relationship with someone in the group you want to join

    • unable to commit to weekly meetings

    • believe some ideas, words or sentiments should not be expressed

    • looking for a supportive space without confrontation

  • We call it a spiritual practice because the aim is wholeness. Like Jung’s idea of individuation, ProcessGroups invite us to confront the unconscious as it emerges—often in the form of our projections onto one another. As we see and engage our shadow in other people, we expand our emotional range, loosen shame and repression, and gain greater freedom of thought, action, and creativity.

    This practice fosters humility, openness, and self-compassion. It’s about learning not to avoid or dismiss parts of ourselves and other people, even when they trigger fear, anger, or hatred. Instead, we stay in relationship, with the various aspects of ourselves and each other—discovering deeper agency, influence, and the capacity to engage even with those we disagree with.

    Choosing to speak our truth in the face of potential rejection puts us in the position of the archetypal hero who willingly advances toward danger for the sake of the community. The fruits are a sense of meaning, growth, and belonging—not just to a group, but to all of humanity. As the saying goes: nothing human is foreign to us.

  • We are all scared of some things. This practice invites us to go towards what seems dangerous. Part of the agreement is to share the talking time. Members are encouraged to notice when some are speaking more than others and explore why that might be.

  • The main goal is to stay in relationship, which means discussing the desire to leave with the group rather than making the decision on your own and simply announcing it or just not showing up. Generally leaders ask new members to commit to trying it for three months.

  • Each leader determines their own fee for group and members agree to pay for every session, regardless of attendance. Fees range from $50 or less, to $150 or more.

  • Generally groups range from 3-12 members, not including leaders. However it’s not uncommon for a group to occasionally comprise only two members, or more rarely, for a session to involve only a single member and the leader.

  • Usually groups are 90 minutes long, however this can vary greatly. Some experimental groups are only 30 minutes or less, and some groups are two hours or more.

  • It strongly discouraged and must be discussed in the group if it happens. ProcessGroups are not social spaces. There needs to be no consequences in members’ outside lives for what they say in group.

  • Inspirations for ProcessGroups include:

    • Modern Psychoanalytic Group Therapy

    • Jungian Psychology

    • Irvin Yalom

    • Carl Rogers

    • Encounter Groups

    • Fritz Perls & Gestalt

    • Improv

    • School of Consent

    • ProcessMind

    • Authentic Movement

    • Circling & Authentic Relating

    • Spoken Word

    • Free Writing

    • Imaginative Play

    • Role-Playing Games

  • Each leader has a process for joining. Usually this involves an initial consultation and one or more individual sessions to determine fit.

Testimonials

  • Allowed me to understand life long patterns.

    Jacob's group was energizing and dynamic and unlike any group I've participated in. It allowed for shared intimacy with "strangers" very quickly and an expanse of space for candor and authenticity in ways uncommon in other group settings. Hearing how others perceived me and feeling what came up for me in real time was illuminating. It allowed me to better understand life long patterns of how I show up in the world and why. The group left me wanting more, because it felt deep and meaningful in ways that many interpersonal encounters don't. The group offers a deceptively simple structure, yet yields stunning revelations. I highly recommend.

    —Susan Oliff, LCSW

  • Only attend if you're ready to be called out on your shit...and walk away loving yourself more.

    Only attend if you're ready to be called out on your shit and to say what you really think, no filters. It was scary, unsettling, empowering, insightful-- and somehow I walked away loving myself more through seeing myself through others' eyes.

    —Simi Lichtman, LCSW

  • I felt exposed, raw, and naked but in the best way possible.

    This experience was eye-opening, cathartic, and revealing. I felt exposed, raw, and naked but in the best way possible.

    —Gabrielle Moskovitz, LMSW

  • Changed me both professionally and personally.

    It changed me both professionally and personally. While the first session was surprisingly scary, the second and third helped me understand what felt so scary and how to exist in that interpersonally. I felt challenged and grew in ways I did not expect, and am so excited to bring this both to my clients and to my personal relationships.

    —Alyssa Ashenfarb, LCSW

  • I was blown away.

    I was blown away by how simply attending to the here-and-now—what is going on in this exact moment, in our bodies and minds, with this collection of strangers—illuminates intrapersonal and interpersonal dynamics so quickly. It was like a mirror into each of us! The process was anxiety-provoking in the best ways. Remarkably animating and life-giving.

    — Sarah Taylor, Psy.D.

  • Released me of a tiring and suffocating feeling.

    This experience was intense, challenging, and liberating. My objective in attending was to learn tactics for when I feel stuck with clients. Jacob has a knack and natural artistry for operating in the “here-and-now” and utilizing the provocative approach. Witnessing him instantly turn frustrating and stalemate scenarios with group participants into opportunities for growth, progress, and connection was invigorating. Two days following the workshop, I found myself tuning more into my felt-sense while in session with a client. Giving voice to the felt-sense released me of a tiring and suffocating feeling that I had to continue sitting in my chair and “dealing with” the feelings I was experiencing with the client in the here-and-now. More importantly, it allowed the client to access underlying feelings in the therapy room that she had not been aware she’d been experiencing outside of therapy. Jacob, thank you again for taking us “deeper” so that our work can continue to be about taking our clients to higher levels of awareness and change.

    —Blaire Franklin, LPC

  • I steal liberally from Jacob’s style.

    I had taken other group workshops before, specifically targeted for therapists, and found this by far the most instructive. It was also the most fun. I readily admit that I steal liberally from Jacob's style, and my groups are better off for it.

    —Max Bird-Ridnell, AMFT

  • Such a humbling experience both personally and professionally.

    Participating in Jacob’s process group was such a humbling experience both personally and professionally. Being a part of the group was a reminder of the courage and vulnerability our clients carry with them as they enter our space. The group experience also evoked powerful emotions that challenged me to reflect on my own inner work. These unexpected, raw, emotions encouraged me to continue the reflection outside of the group which has helped me grow personally as well as clinically. I highly encourage any therapist looking to deepen their practice to participate in this unique opportunity, it was eye opening!

    —Caitlin Alleman, LCSW

  • Enlighting, frightening and fun.

    I was excited to join this process group to explore how people experience me and compare it to my self-concept. The process turned out to be enlightening, frightening and fun. I’ve participated in two meetings already and plan on attending more. I learned something about myself each time and although it was not entirely new, I learned how to see it in a new way and that is what makes it transformative. For me, learning how to use the here and now moment to express thoughts and feelings towards others in the group was like learning how to play a new game. You’re not really sure of the rules or how good you will be at but you’re eager to start playing and see how well you do. Working in the here and now is a useful life skill, both on a personal and professional level. This is a powerful and effective intervention in the clinical setting and will enable both therapist and patient to go deeper. Jacob is a skilled group leader who runs the group with authenticity – a trait which I believe is the essence of all successful relationships.

    —Michelle Halle, LCSW

  • What I experienced was far greater than I imagined.

    My original intention was to broaden my expertise in group psychotherapy through immersion into the simulation of an actual group. What I experienced was far greater than I imagined, and certainly was not a simulation. Participating involved navigating rapidly shifting roles of clinician, colleague, and individual. As participants interacted, professional demeanors were swept away in a manner that broke down barriers and hidden coping strategies, and complex, often painful emotions were evoked. As clinicians, we attempted to diagnose, challenge, and treat, but ultimately we became clients ourselves. As colleagues, we came to know, understand, and care for each other. By the end of the session, we had become a group of vulnerable people, more fully aware of ourselves and each other, connected in a much deeper way than we ever expected. Thank you Jacob for this unique opportunity to gain insight into the here-and-now, to grow personally and professionally, and to better understand and serve our clients.

    —Lisa Blazek Luisi, Psy.D.

  • Uncomfortable, empowering, and healing.

    It’s been several months since I attended the Here and Now group. I was going through a life-long relationship struggle where I have felt powerless, judged, and afraid to speak my mind because I didn’t want to experience the same rejection, criticism and dismissiveness over and over again from this person. I attended Jacob’s Here and Now workshop, not expecting that I would be working through this problem. I found myself speaking and standing up to my ‘problem person’ in my personal life as I confronted others in the group. From some I was viewed as aggressive, but others expressed their gratitude and alignment with my words. It was uncomfortable, empowering, and healing. It gave me courage to confront my ‘problem person’ with love and respect, without playing games. I highly recommend this group experience. Do it!

    —Catherine G.

  • A perfect combination of mutual support and mutual challenge.

    Jacob's group for psychotherapists was a perfect combination of mutual support and mutual challenge. The group was large enough to represent a wide cross-section of mental health professionals, but small enough so that no one got to hide, even unintentionally. At the end of the three sessions I felt more grounded, yet with a greater capacity for connection, vulnerability and transparency. I also have a good understanding of what it takes to run a therapy group, should I decide to do that in the future. Jacob teaches group therapy, not by lecturing, but by giving you an experience of short-term group therapy where members get to the heart of things quickly. This was a really good experience that was worth the extra cost. I highly recommend it.

    —Jeffrey Zeth, LCSW

  • Nothing short of revelatory.

    Jacob is a thoughtful, perceptive clinician and a skilled, engaging group facilitator. The group that I attended was exhilarating and introduced me as a clinician and individual to a powerful way of working therapeutically. The here-and-now process is remarkably effective in putting one’s defenses in relief. It invites participants to allow ourselves to be truly seen, vulnerable and to connect with others in unexpected ways. That all of the attendees were therapists elevated and accelerated the work that we were able to accomplish in a relatively short time. The readings provided by Jacob were theoretically illuminating, accessible and interesting. The supervision portion of the workshop was productive and provided an opportunity to discuss the interventions that we had read about and experienced in group. I eagerly look forward to participating in a future workshop. Even this small amount of exposure to this way of working has impacted my personal work and my clinical practice. It is nothing short of revelatory.

    —Kristi Zybulewski, LCSW

  • Gently pokes and prods you back to the present.

    Jacob gently pokes and prods you back to the present and consistently doesn’t let the group dally away from the present for long. You get to have a group experience as well as intellectually understand how to successfully lead a group.

    —Susan March, LCSW

  • Refreshing.

    I found our meetings refreshing, relaxed, and — since this process was new to me—easy to become part of and to find helpful.

    —Lou Lipsitz, LCSW

  • Increased my understanding of myself and how I connect with others.

    This group has not only helped me learn crucial skills to effectively deepen the meaning and impact of my own groups, but has also opened my personal and professional experience of connecting with sensations and emotions in the moment, ultimately increasing my understanding of myself, interactions and how to connect with others. —Emily Fiorelli, LMSW

  • An invigorating and intimate experience for all of us.

    I recently attended Jacob’s Deeper in the Here-and-Now seminar for the second time. As a group leader of similar groups myself, I was hoping to rejuvenate my approach both by reminding myself of what it’s like to be a group member and by learning from another group leader’s techniques in action. This is exactly what happened. Jacob skillfully facilitated an invigorating and intimate experience for all of us who left the encounter more alive, refreshed, connected and self-aware. We were dramatically reminded of the power of being intimately in the moment and became better people - and better therapists - for it.

    —Craig Perl, Psy.D.

  • A shared understanding that trancended words

    Throughout the workshop, I found myself opening up about topics that had long been nestled in the corners of my mind. The facilitator skillfully guided the group through discussions on loss, grief, and the intricate dynamics within our relationships. The emphasis on the here and now allowed me to connect with my emotions in a profound way, fostering a sense of awareness that I hadn't realized was possible.

    What set this workshop apart was its ability to weave together personal introspection with group dynamics. As I shared my experiences, I discovered common threads with others in the group, creating a shared understanding that transcended words. Exploring family dynamics and the intricacies of relationships became a collective journey, and the immediacy of our interactions brought a sense of authenticity that I hadn't experienced before.

    —Yasilet Ferdnandez

  • Gave me many more options for responding.

    Jacob's groups help me keep a finger on the pulse of the group. As we become more alive, or less spontaneous, I can sense this quickly now and this gives me many more options for responding to the group's ambivalence about "getting real with each other.”

    —Charlie Glazier, LICSW

  • Informative, provocative and engaging.

    Jacob’s training was excellent. Jacob was informative, provocative and engaging. The training was an opportunity to grow both professionally and personally.

    –Lorraine Jacobs, LMSW

  • I truly appreciated the experience.

    Jacob's approach allowed group members to connect in the present moment. Jacob called out moments when he noticed transference in the group and challenged members to engage in what was happening inside of us. As a therapist, I encourage clients to sit with uncomfortable feelings and sensations in their bodies in order to heal from the past in the present. I was able to experience how challenging and uncomfortable, but healing this can be to the nervous system. I truly appreciated the experience and the opportunity to deepen connection with those in the group.

    –Veronica Holbrook, LMFT

  • Deeper than I have ever felt with an individual session.

    Jacob's group was wonderful. It took my understanding of myself deeper than I have ever felt with an individual session.

    –Christina Pallotta, LSW

  • We can never have enough of this.

    Jacob provides us with an experience that is both challenging and comforting in its opportunity to do what is so necessary for clinicians: to deepen our presence and to use that to open more profound understanding of ourselves and our clients, that leads to a deeper understanding of themselves. We can never have enough of this in our training.

    —Joe Armentano, LCSW

  • The intimacy deepens quickly...I felt more alive.

    The group offers a refreshing change of pace to our cultivated and trained responses. Instead of interacting in the way we feel we are "supposed to," we are encouraged to interact more vulnerably and authentically- even if it means giving difficult or embarrassing feedback. Group members are less offended by the feedback than interested and engaged. In turn, the intimacy between members deepens quickly. I felt more alive in the process.

    –Laura Zwisler, LPC

  • Like nothing I've ever done before.

    This was like nothing I've ever done before. It was fascinating.

    –Shira Somerstein, LCSW

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