67th Annual Conference

Friday, February 26

Morning Workshops

10:00 A.M. - 12:30 P.M.

Workshop 41

'The Nice Group',  Conscious and Unconscious Group Agreements to Avoid Conflict

Chair:                

Judith Schaer, LCSW, CGP, FAGPA, Co-Director, Long Island Center for Group Training, Roslyn, New York

When the group leader and group members cannot tolerate narcissistic injury and withstand expressions of anger and disappointment, group progress is thwarted. In this experiential workshop, participants will explore ways in which we collude in maintaining a "friendly atmosphere" and avoid conflict.

experiential-sharing of work experiences-didactic-demonstration

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:

1. Recognize how "our" (both leaders and members) fears and limitations influence the potential of our groups.

2. Identify factors that contribute to acting out behaviors in group.

3. Develop strategies to deal with conflict constructively.

Course References:

Kirman, J. H. (1995). Working with anger in groups: A modern analytic approach. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 45(3), 303-327.

Rosenthal, L. (1987). Resolving resistance in group psychotherapy. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson.

Harwood, I. (2003). Distinguishing between the facilitating and the self-serving charismatic group leader. Group, Vol. 27, Nos, Sept 2003, 121- 129.