65th Annual Conference

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Co-Therapy SIG

This workshop demonstrates how a co-therapy team creates and maintains a group therapy container; exemplifying ways co-therapists maintain their partnership. Criteria for selecting a co-therapist are addressed. Effective use of transference and countertransference between therapists and between members and therapists receive prime consideration. Co-therapist selection processes for group members will be studied. Competition between therapists will be attended, as well as conflict and intimacy questions.
demonstration-experiential-sharing of work experiences-didactic
 

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:
1. Develop criteria for choosing a co-therapist and acquire skills in co-therapist team management.
2. Refine complementary leadership styles in the co-therapy team.
3. Learn the deeper uses of transference & countertransference in the total group container of the work.
4. Construct a framework for group member selection which accounts for attachments and transferences to the respective therapists.
 

Course References:

1. Bernard et al. (1987). Compatibility Between Cotherapists: An Empirical Report. Psychotherapy, 24(1).

2. Polsby, G. (1996). Cotherapy: An Interpersonal Encounter. National Group Psychotherapy Institute/ Conference.

3. Roller, B and Nelson, V. The Art of Co-Therapy. London/New York: The Guilford Press. (1991).