Group Psychotherapy

As a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and a nationally Certified Group Psychotherapist, I have come to discover through the research literature and years of applied experience that group psychotherapy changes lives for the better.  I am passionate about group psychotherapy and have been facilitating groups for over a decade.  I train other group therapists across the country at local and national conferences where I lead training workshops.  As a faculty member of the UC Davis, School of Medicine, I have served as a group psychotherapy supervisor for psychiatric residents and psychology post-doctoral fellows.

Why Group Therapy?

The purpose of group therapy is to help individuals better understand themselves in the context of their relationships so that they can make more informed, healthy, and adaptive choices based on a deeper awareness of their feelings, interpersonal behaviors, reactions and patterns.  Research shows that group therapy is actually the treatment of choice for many relational issues such as certain forms of depression, anxiety, isolation, anger, shyness, intimacy concerns, friendship troubles, and work issues.

Group Psychotherapy provides an amazing forum for personal change and growth.  As social mammals, we find ourselves immersed in groups throughout our lives such as families, school, communities, extra-curricular activities, work environments, etc.  We can’t get away from the powerful influence of groups in how they shape and impact us. Most human concerns that lead one to therapy involve relationships.

Every one of us wants to get our needs met, whether it’s intimacy, attention, connection, recognition, respect, care, companionship, or love.  Unfortunately, based on numerous factors, many of us learn unhealthy ways to meet these needs that create more difficulties than are necessary.  Group therapy provides a unique and useful way to address these unhelpful behavior patterns that are often unknown to us.  The main goal of group therapy is to identify these maladaptive behavior patterns (often known to us as relational “blind spots”) in a safe, supportive environment and to find more adaptive ways to connect with others to get our needs met.

Group therapy offers several important growth-enhancing factors.  One is that group members feel less alone, more connected, and more able to accept themselves simply by being with others who struggle with similar issues.  This experience of “universality” provides much relief to many members.  The second, and even more powerful component of group, is that it’s like a “social laboratory.”  It’s a unique, confidential and safe place to try on new ways of being and to learn about how you impact others and how they impact you.  Group offers a “hall of mirrors” where you can learn about yourself through what you see in others and what others see in you.

Learn more about group psychotherapy by visiting the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) website here.

What groups are currently being offered?

MIXED GENDER GENERAL PSYCHOTHERAPY GROUP: 

Each group meets once a week.

Group 1: Meets on Tuesdays from 8:15am – 9:45am (Pacific Time)

Group 2: Meets on Wednesdays from 3:30pm – 5pm (Pacific Time)

Group 3: Meets on Wednesdays from 5:15pm – 6:45pm (Pacific Time)

MIXED GENDER TRAINING PROCESS GROUP (For mental health professionals only)

This is a training group, not a therapy group. It’s designed for mental health professionals who want to deepen their understanding of group theory and group process, while also growing in self-awareness within a relational context.

Each session runs in two parts: the first 80 minutes function much like a process group, giving members a live, experiential encounter with group dynamics. The final 10 minutes shift into theoretical reflection — examining what happened in the process, the leader’s choices, and the theoretical underpinnings of various interventions.

Because the format is experiential, many members find it offers meaningful personal growth. But the group’s purpose and structure are educational: the goal is to build clinical understanding of group process and improve participants’ ability to work with varying patient populations.

This group meets on Wednesdays from 3:30 – 5pm (Pacific Time)

Who Are These Groups For?

These groups are for people who are motivated to:

• Improve your relationship skills and manage related anxiety, depression, anger and isolation.
• Deepen your capacity for intimacy, closeness and connection.
• Learn more about yourself as an individual and as part of larger relational contexts such as partnerships, families, friendships, work environments, etc.
• Explore how you impact others and how others impact you.
• Understand yourself in ways that promote informed healthy, choices.
• Augment your individual or couples therapy with opportunities to try out new “ways of being” in a safe, supportive environment so you can communicate your needs more effectively.

Contact

To learn more about my group psychotherapy services or to set up an initial meeting, please call me at (530) 219-5985.

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