Group Therapy Training

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Group Therapy Training
Co-Chairs

• Jerrold Lee Shapiro, Ph.D.
• Susan Bernadett-Shapiro, Ph.D.

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Participants

• Gerald Corey Mike Russell CSU Fullerton
• Jerrold Shapiro Santa Clara Univ.
• John Caffaro Alliant (CSPP)
• Judith Coche U. Penn. Medical
• Haim Weinberg Israel Assoc. of
  group psychotherapy
• Susan Bernadett-Shapiro Private Practice
  (Discussant) Los Altos, CA

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Introduction

• These programs are the atypical ones --
  long-standing and successful
• Typical number of required group classes in
  Ph.D., Psychiatric Residency programs is Zero
• Typical number of required group classes in
  Masters programs is one
• Characteristically mental health professionals
  are trained in individual and/or family therapy
  then expected to do groups
• Despite research indicating the value of group
  therapy, there remains much institutional
  resistance.

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Group Training for Undergraduates

• Gerald Corey
• J. Michael Russell

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Combining Experiential and Didactic Methods of
Teaching Group Counseling

• J. Michael Russell and Gerald Corey
• CSU Fullerton

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Experiential Approaches

• best learning how groups function
• weekend training workshop in which students
  function both as members and co-facilitators
• observing live demonstrations by the instructor
  with students in the group course
• dealing with students' personal concerns that
  might enhance or inhibit their ability to
  function as group counselors

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Ethical Issues in Training Group Counselors

• Requiring self-growth activities
• Informed consent as a basic safeguard
• Combining experiential and didactic approaches in
  training
• Blending roles and multiple roles
• Challenge of maintaining boundaries in training
• Potential problems of multiple roles in teaching

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Ethical Issues in Training Group Counselors
(Cont.)

• Pitfalls combining experiential/didactic
• Safeguard students and enhance learning
• Distinguishing between training and therapy
• Use of power and avoidance of exploitation
• Designing safeguards and creating best possible
  training climate

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Classes

• Fall (Junior Year)
• HS300 Character and Conflict
• Theories Techniques
• Fall (Senior Year)
• HS 416 3-day workshop
• Group leadership practicum
• placement in C C group and supervision

• Spring (Junior Year)
• HS 450 1st field placement
• Group Theory Practice
• Spring (Senior Year)
• 3rd field placement or
• repeat HS 416 490

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Graduate Counseling Program

• First Year
• Therapeutic Group
• Weekend workshop in self-exploration

• Second Year
• Groups Process and Practice
• lead a group in an agency

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Masters Level Training

• Jerrold Lee Shapiro

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• Leading Groups since 1965
• dissertation and 30 years of research
• closed ended groups - generally brief
• Primary focus for therapy and teaching the
  predictable process phases/stages
• 2 books on this approach Methods
  of Group Counseling and Psychotherapy (1978)
  Brief Group Treatment
  (1997).
• Consistent training programs with grad students
  since 1970 --UH Ph.D. program SCU MA program
  since 1982

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Core of the Training

• Groups and training are process oriented
• Considerable research support for this approach
• Importance of personal growth and
  therapist-in-training as client
• Non-traditional focus (on the how vs the what)
  creates tension and increased vigilence
• Vertical integration of a sequence of courses and
  experiences
• student experience closest to clinical practice

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Personal Growth

• Experiential learning involves affective as well
  as cognitive levels
• Focus on interaction between self and material vs
  focus on material
• self-help and team building involve personal
  change as its own end
• Its the way we learn in therapy combination of
  affect and cognition - its what we are training
  people to do with others

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Ethical Considerations

• Groups are led by mental health professionals
  from the community
• Supervised by another professional who is not a
  full time faculty member
• Students analyze their journals for process do
  not hand in the journal
• An extensive system of help is articulated for
  the rare students who are identified as
  troubled or potentially dangerous as
  professionals
• Videotapes available only to leaders and members

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SCU PROGRAM

• Required of all students in the M.A. Program
• Required component is one class in group therapy
  leadership and a lab group.

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Santa Clara University Group Therapy Training

• Term 1 (Required)
• Membership in lab group
• Class in group process leadership

• Term 2 (elective)
• Membership in videotaped marathon group
• analysis of leaders in that group
• analysis/critique of tapes of professional group
  leaders

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Santa Clara University Group Therapy Training - 2

• Term 3
• Co-lead Lab group with professional leader
• group leadership in practicum setting

• Term 4 -- after graduation and 2 years post
  licensure
• Lead lab group with student co-leader

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UH group training 1970 - 1976

• Term 3
• Advanced group seminar co-lead group with
  experienced leader (supervision)
• Lead group at practicum site
• Term 4
• co-lead group with junior co-leader (supervision)
• Lead group at practicum site
• Term 5
• supervise group co-leaders
• Lead group at practicum site

• Term 1
• 30 hour lab group experience with professional or
  advanced student leaders - videotaped
• Term 2
• Class in practice, process and procedures ---
• videotape the lab group of first term students
  sit in on supervision

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Group Therapy Training in a Doctoral Program

• John Caffaro

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Group Therapy Training in a Doctoral Program

• Basic Assumptions
• Integrative-developmental sequencing
• combines didactic and experiential learning
• makes use of reflecting team
• focus on peer learning
• emphasis on the integration of knowledge,
  application of skills, and use of self awareness

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Segment 1 Cohesion Building and Didactic
Instruction

• Mini Lecture and Skill Building
• assigned readings
• structured role plays
• Development of a learning group
• ground rules for confidentiality, safety, and
  accountability

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Segment II Co-Leadership and the Reflecting
Team Environment

• Students co-lead Learning subgroup
• development of co-leadership skills
• observation by reflecting team
• instructor serves as live consultant
• Large Group Debriefing
• co-leader self assessment
• structured peer supervision

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Segment III Co-Leadership, Peer Supervision, and
Multi-level Reflecting Team

• Rotating students co-lead volunteer group
• observation by peers
• live instructor consultation
• Multi-level reflecting team
• structured peer supervision
• instructor supervision
• group member feedback
• co-leader self assessment

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STRENGTHENING GROUP THERAPY TRAIINING AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
a Brief Report

• JUDITH COCHE

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FOCUS OF THIS BRIEF REPORT

• The culture of change
• The learning progression
• The teaching components

• Involving experts in the field
• Feedback from the Psychiatric Residents
• Future Plans

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The culture of change

• Earlier emphasis on biochemical intervention
  augmented by later added emphasis on
  psychotherapies
• Previous training program in group therapy left
  residents unsure about the field and their place
  in it
• Residency Training Directors Drs. Rostain and
  Summers strengthened training in individual
  psychodynamic behavioral psychotherapies, then
  moved to systems therapies

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The Learning Progression

• 2nd Year Residents Fall course in didactic
  foundations, Winter 12 hour group process course
• 3rd Year Residents Fall weekend process group
  Spring junior co-lead

• 4th Year Residents Advanced didactic, senior
  co-lead, electives available
• All work counts towards Certification in Group
  Psychotherapy

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The Teaching Components

• Didactic learning structured coursework based on
  theory, research
• Experiential group process experiences off
  campus, confidentiality maintained
• Supervision ongoing individual and group
  supervision of group work
• Electives in the clinical community

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Involving Experts in the Field

• Departmental interest in training by Certified
  Group Therapists
• Teaching and Supervision by clinically active
  adjunctive clinical faculty
• Respect for knowledge and research base evident
  from Residents

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Early Feedback from Residents to first year
teaching

• Positive feedback
• Superb instructor
• Role playing and modeling useful
• Clear course goals
• Useful professionally

• Lukewarm Feedback
• Egotistical instructor
• Requires more structure
• Readings too academic
• Hard to travel far for short course

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Future Plans for Group Training

• One reading per class
• Longer classes help with travel time
• Each class outlined for maximal clarity
• Increased focus on practice issues
• Continued emphasis on process groups
• Continued integration of Residents feedback

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Comparing training programs for group leaders in
Israel, Europe and the USA

• Haim Weinberg

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Group Leaders' Training Programs in Israel

• Studies of one day per week for two years.
• semester (28 hours) Theory Course
• Sensitivity group for one semester (28 hrs).
• Course on group leaders skills (28 hours).
• Observe a live group behind a one-way mirror for
  one semester (28 hours)
• Co-lead a group with a senior group-leader under
  supervision

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Group Analysis Training in Europe (EGATIN
requirements)

• Tripartite structure personal group therapy,
  theory seminars and supervised practice
• minimum of three years training
• Training can be done in bi-monthly weekend
  blocks minimum 5 blocks per year.
• Trainees should conduct a once-weekly group that
  extends at least two years
• 120 hours of supervision 160 hours of theory
  Presentation of a clinical paper.

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Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP) in the USA

• 12 course hours of study in group psychotherapy
  theory and practice.
• 300 hours of group psychotherapy experience as a
  leader or co-leader
• 75 hours of group psychotherapy supervision.

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Discussant

• Susan Bernadett-Shapiro

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FOR A COPY OF THE SLIDES

• EMAIL JSHAPIRO_at_SCU.EDU