Description

Irvin Yalom (who wrote the seminal text Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy) has continually asserted that the core of group therapy is working in the here-and-now. In a process-oriented group, one of the leader’s primary roles is to continually activate and illuminate the here-and-now dynamics. Other kinds of therapeutic groups (psychoeducation, skills, support, etc.) are greatly enhanced when group leaders can attune to the here-and-now, and help activate here-and-now dynamics. Individual therapy, couples therapy, and other modalities are also greatly enhanced when the therapist can activate and illuminate the here-and-now. In one of his most popular books, Yalom wrote “The here-and-now is the major source of therapeutic power, the pay dirt of therapy, the therapist’s (and hence the patient’s) best friend.” p. 46 in Yalom, I. D. (2002). The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients. HarperCollins.

This keynote address (and the experiential groups throughout this conference) will help you practice shifting your attention from the "there-and-then" to the "here-and-now", from thoughts and feelings about the past/future to those of the present, from generalities to specifics, from the unspoken to the spoken, and from the abstract to the concrete. You will also practice noticing when we are experiencing strong cohesion as a group, and explore our barriers when we are feeling disconnected, out of sync, or otherwise struggling to perform meaningful work together.

Learning objectives

-Explain the components of therapeutic here-and-now activation and illumination

-Select group leader interventions to both activate and illuminate the here-and-now

-Identify your own subjective experiences, and explore those of other participants and the group-as-a-whole experiences.

*You will receive an electronic handout with several examples of group leader interventions to activate and illuminate the here-and-now.

How will this keynote take into consideration viewpoints from diverse populations and cultural locations?

A significant piece of our here-and-now experiencing is becoming aware of the dynamics created by the conglomeration of our identities, cultural upbringings, and current social norms/expectations. We will call attention to recapitulations of power, privilege, and oppression as they arise in the group. The presenters will be intentional with acknowledging their positionalities ( identities, biases blind spots, etc.) to model vulnerability and help create a climate of willingness to address difficult topics. During the keynote we will work to become aware of any microaggressions, unconscious biases, and implicit reactions that could cause harm while also working towards reparative experiences. 

This conference has the potential to be a predominantly white, cis-gendered, and heterosexual space, and we intend to name and explore the realities that arise with the identities and backgrounds of the folx that attend this conference keynote.

We will also acknowledge the accessibility differences between online and in-person participants, while working to make the experience as best as possible for everyone.

Presenter Information

Nate Page, PhD is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Group Psychotherapist. A central focus of his career is on helping therapists. He facilitates three different ongoing online process-oriented groups for therapists from all over the world, he organizes a large group therapy conference, and he runs virtual retreat programs for helping professionals. He is a frequent presenter at national and local conferences focused on group therapy training. 

Jon is the only psychologist in Minnesota board-certified in Group Psychology (ABPP), is a Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP) , and has run psychotherapy groups for over a decade. He has run groups at the inpatient, outpatient, IOP and PHP levels, and has supervised numerous doctoral interns on their group therapy rotations. He has a passion and commitment for providing deep, meaningful, and relational experiences for therapists.  For more information about Jon please visit: www.mplstherapy.org

Nate Page is a licensed psychologist and Certified Group Psychotherapist, and the founder of Group Therapy Central. Nate leads online process-oriented training groups for therapists, and has been a faculty member at the American Group Psychotherapy Association annual event many years running. He was the group coordinator at Carleton College before transitioning into private practice with his spouse in Northfield, MN.