65th Annual Conference

Morning Workshops

8:45 A.M.-12:00 noon 

Workshop 76

The Therapist's Professional Will: A Practice Necessity?

Chair:

Ann E. Steiner, Ph.D., MFT, CGP, FAGPA, Private Practice, Lafayette, California

Illnesses and other sudden emergencies happen to us all. Now is the time to plan for minor or serious illness, retirement, relocation and death, including who will contact your group members if you cannot. This hands-on workshop helps minimize the impact on your clients, your colleagues and yourself. Laptops welcome.
sharing of work experiences-didactic-experiential
 

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:

1. Describe common problems created for group members when the leader cancels or is ill.
2. Analyze when and whether it is appropriate to be self-disclosing regarding the group leader's health, reasons for cancelling sessions and termination.
3. List the essential ingredients of a comprehensive Therapist's Professional Will.
4. Describe plans for minimizing the trauma caused to group members when the therapist has to cancel, transfer or terminate group earlier than expected.
 

Course References:

1. Fieldsteel, N. When the Therapist Says Goodbye International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 55 (2) 245-279.
2. Rauch, E. (1998) A One Session Memorial Group Following the Death of a Therapist, International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 48 (1) p 99-104.
3. Steiner, A. (2004) “The Therapist Protection Plan: Preparing for Expected and Unexpected Absences from Practice” The California Therapist, July/September.
4. Weiner, M.F. (1978) Therapist Disclosure: The Use of Self in Psychotherapy. London: Butterworths.