67th Annual Conference

Friday, February 26

Session 206

Radical Responsibility: Ethical and Clinical Benefits of the Therapist's Professional Will

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Medical Illness SIG

Presenter:

Ann Steiner, Ph.D., MFT, CGP, FAGPA, Associate Clinical Professor, University of California Medical School, San Francisco, 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 overview introduces ways to minimize the negative impact on your clients, your colleagues, and yourself. Law and ethics credit available.

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:

1. Describe the 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 canceling sessions and termination.

3. List the essential ingredients of a comprehensive 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:

Gerson, B. The Therapist as a Person: Life Crises, Life Choices, Life Experiences, and Their Effects on Treatment, The Analytic Press, 1996.

Rauch, E. (1998). A One Session Memorial Group Following the Death of a Therapist, International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 48 (1) p 99-104.

Steiner, A. (2004). The Therapist Protection Plan: Preparing for Expected and Unexpected Absences from Practice The California Therapist, July/September.

Weiner,  M.F. (1978). Therapist  Disclosure: The use of Self in Psychotherapy, Butterworths, London.