Therapeutic Process Groups
The objective of this consultation group is for attendees to move beyond session content and focus on the processes that are happening in/around the therapy room (i.e., affect, non-verbal behaviours, relational dynamics between themselves and clients, themselves and client families, transference, countertransference, and both their own and clients’ resistance to treatment).
At the core of this group is discussion, debate, and reflections on each member’s internal experience in the therapy room, as well as in their own life outside the therapy space. Attendees learn that “what to do” in therapy is rarely a case of right or wrong, and that the therapist themselves as a person can provide meaningful and powerful interventions through authentic connection with the self. This is especially important in longer-term therapeutic work, but can also be applied to shorter-term therapeutic modalities as well.
What to Expect
Attendees agree to come weekly to a closed group meeting. Attendees briefly introduce themselves at the beginning of the first session, and then one individual from the group speaks about (usually recent) clinical situations that have been difficult, interesting, troubling, or have stirred up things about themselves within their own past (i.e., a transference/ countertransference focus). The group then collectively empathizes, explores, and reflects on the transference/ countertransference experience for the therapist and/or the client. Common early issues involve: feelings of imposter syndrome, working through your own difficult emotions in session, wondering what is happening in an interaction between yourself and a client, or receiving guidance around transferential processes.
This group format can be useful to provide practitioners with a sounding board to deepen their understanding of themselves and their blind spots. It also provides opportunities for clinicians to learn about different methods of practice from people who run sessions differently than they do, and/or come from different theoretical orientations. Anecdotally, it has also become a supportive place to explore transference/ countertransference when dealing with especially difficult clients/ situations, as well as how those situations impact (or are impacted by) clinicians personal experiences. Being a therapist is often a lonely place, especially when there are big feelings on either side of the couch. Within the group, there is a strict rule about not speaking negatively about supervisors or other practitioners.
Important Information
The group occurs weekly. Meetings are 50-55 minutes long and are held at the same time each week. Attendance is expected weekly (aside from vacations, time off, etc.), typically for at least 6 months, but many members attend for years.
Groups occur online using Secure Video, an easy to use, encrypted videoconferencing software that runs through Zoom.
Current Group Times:
Mondays at 1:30pm
Tuesdays at 2:00pm
Wednesdays at 1:00pm
Thursdays at 1:00pm
More times will be added, depending on interest!
Small Group Sizes: The groups consist of no more than 6 clinicians per group at a time (minimum 4 members).
Countertransference/Transference: The primary focus is on countertransference and transference dynamics within a relational therapy frame.
Confidentiality: All attendees will sign an agreement to maintain confidentiality (both re. clients discussed and clinicians’ personal disclosures) at all times.
Fees: $300 per month, per clinician, with weekly attendance.
