Or, What Has Group Therapy Ever Done For Us? In Monty Python’s Life of Bryan there is a scene where the rebel leader asks, “What have the Romans ever done for us?” The expected answer is, “Nothing!” inspiring and justifying the ensuing acts of violence. Instead, after several responses, the leader is forced to specify: All right, but … Continue reading Making the Intra-psychic Interpersonal
Grieving in Group
There is a wonderful little book called The Wild Edge of Sorrow. It speaks eloquently about the importance of grieving, how it connects us to the wild within us, makes us more alive. It talks about how in our culture especially, we're taught to run from grief, to avoid it, dismiss it, deny it, cover it … Continue reading Grieving in Group
What Dreams May Come
"Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions. " -- Edgar Cayce I just led a workshop on dreams that went very well. Yet when I sit down to write a blog post about dreamwork, I get stuck. This site is primarily devoted to group psychotherapy. The style of group therapy that I'm inspired by is Modern … Continue reading What Dreams May Come
Vitality and Belonging part 2
I considered naming this post, "Why Every Therapist Should Run A Group," but the truth is, group isn't for everyone. Most people don't want to be challenged. This applies to therapists as much as anyone else. We all have a natural predilection to maintain what is familiar, comfortable and predictable, even if this tendency exacts … Continue reading Vitality and Belonging part 2
A Story and an Invitation
May I tell you a story? I vividly remember my first group therapy training weekend three years ago at the Center for Group Studies in NYC. It was held at the Warwick, a hotel that comes across as glamorous, almost magical, with pictures of famous actors and actresses adorning the walls. There were twenty other … Continue reading A Story and an Invitation
What Group Gives Us
Our craft can be lonely. We're often drawn to helping others because of our own longing for connection, intimacy, empathy, authenticity and security in the face of the irrational. We fill our days and our weeks serving others and it is easy to lose sight of the needs of the person in the therapist chair. … Continue reading What Group Gives Us
Applying Betty Joseph’s Here and Now to Group
I submitted a proposal to present at the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society's Annual Conference in November. The topic is on working in the Here and Now, specifically with an approach developed by Betty Joseph, a prominent Kleinian psychoanalyst. Joseph's significant contribution, as I presently understand it, was to pay close attention to how patients unconsciously … Continue reading Applying Betty Joseph’s Here and Now to Group
Vitality and Belonging
When I think of Vitality, I think of the body. I remember feeling somewhat trapped throughout school, sitting for classes, forced to pay attention to the teacher and except when they were particularly dynamic and entertaining, feeling like my life-force was slowly draining away. I suspect it's a similar feeling for people who are … Continue reading Vitality and Belonging
What is Somatic Imagination?
Somatic Imagination is inspired by Jung's Active Imagination, Peter Levine's Somatic Experiencing, Melanie Klein's writings about Phantasy, the contemplative practice of Authentic Movement, the Feldenkrais Method and Eugene Gendlin's Focusing. It is a technique I use personally and often with clients, especially with my those in my Anger Management Group. In essence, the practice involves … Continue reading What is Somatic Imagination?
What is the “Here-and-Now?”
There's a story about a fish who went as a prophet among the fish folk, speaking of an almost mystical, all-pervasive substance called water. Of course she was scorned for her teachings, her piscine friends and family too busy with their swimming to entertain fantastical ideas. Talking about the Here-and-Now, I feel like a little … Continue reading What is the “Here-and-Now?”
