Download our PDF copy above or look below for an online version
of our conference's workshops!
Experiential Process Training Groups - all day Saturday, April 30, 2022
(9:30AM-12:30PM and 2:00PM-5:00PM)
A-1: Trauma-Focused Psychodrama: Safe Experiential Processes for Embodied Healing
This workshop presents trauma-focused psychodrama which moves the group process beyond words and into action. The importance of safety and strengths for trauma work will be highlighted along with a basic introduction to Moreno’s triadic system – Sociometry, Psychodrama, and Group Psychotherapy. As the field of neuroscience and trauma research expands, evidence points to trauma’s impact on the body and the importance of holistic interventions that involve the whole person (body, mind, social, spirit). Participants in this workshop will experience the power of experiential methods through strengths-based psychodrama while learning multiple experiential tools that can be incorporated into practice in diverse settings.
Led by: Scott Giacomucci DSW, LCSW, BCD, CGP, FAAETS, PAT
Scott is Director/Founder of the Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy in Media, PA and Director of Trauma Services at Mirmont Treatment Center. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and recipient of various national and international awards including awards from NASW, IASWG, ACA’s ASGW, and ASGPP.
A-2: Cognitive Behavioral, Psychodrama, & Process Group Therapy: A Blended Experiential Model
Blending Cognitive Behavioral, Psychodrama & Process Group therapy offers an opportunity to increase knowledge along with fostering effective interaction skills needed for a wide range of human interactions. This workshop examines the implications of these three intersecting similarities: the use of groups to achieve therapeutic change. The focus is on identifying and exploring negative automatic thoughts and irrational beliefs, placing them in action and challenging negative thinking. This process assimilates Yalom's four primary therapeutic factors of group therapy.
Led by: Thomas Treadwell Ed.D., CGT, T.E.P. and Joseph Williams M. Ed., MSW, LCSW, LBS
Dr. Treadwell is Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Clinical Associate at University of Pennsylvania. He is Editor of The Group Psychologist, Division 49 APA, Co-chief Editor of the Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry & Group Psychotherapy, and is consulting editor for other journals.
Joseph Williams is a Group Therapist at Philadelphia DBT Associates and works as a DBT individual therapist and a co-leader of skill groups.
A-3: Process Group Experience for Senior Therapists
The Process Group Experience is an educational event. The goal of this experience is to improve the skills and knowledge of clinical professionals in their use of group modalities. The leader provides an opportunity for the participants to observe themselves as members of a group, learn about how they are perceived by others within a group and observe the leader as she guides the group forward from strangers to intimacy. Finally, the leader will provide the opportunity for discussion about how the group progressed and how one might use the tools that she used during the experience.
Led by: Shari Y. Baron MSN, CNS, CGP, LFAGPA
In over 50 years as a nurse, psychotherapist and educator, Shari has led dozens of process groups and taught group psychotherapy to graduate students, clinic staff, psychiatric residents and seasoned professionals. She has explored ethical and practice issues that impact the group psychotherapist, used leadership positions in AGPA and APNA to increase awareness of these issues and encouraged discussion of the choices group therapists make each day. Shari maintains a private practice in Media, PA.
A-4: Introduction to Group Therapy- Core Principles, Theory, and Techniques
This interactive workshop is designed as an introduction for conference attendees who have little or no prior formal coursework or training in conducting therapy groups. Content will include starting and maintaining a therapy group, a presentation about how groups develop and the therapeutic factors central to group therapy, modifications for specific worksites and populations, and how to work with strong affect and difficult clients. This workshop will be a mix of lecture/discussion and experiential learning activities.
Led by: Thomas Hurster MSS LCSW CGP FAGPA
Thomas has been a social work clinician for over forty years, and as part of that practice has been conducting therapy groups with children and adolescents that entire time. Currently a full-time adjunct professor of clinical social work at Bryn Mawr since 2002, he is a Fellow in the American Group Psychotherapy Association, on the board of the Philadelphia Area Group Psychotherapy Society, and a member of the Child and Family Support Services at the Benchmark School in Media, PA. Tom currently conducts several school-based counseling groups and a parent group as part of his work there.
A-5: Reflecting on how Racial Privilege Impacts Our Effectiveness as Group Psychotherapists.
In this process training we will look at how our privilege in group therapy brings out many different roles and experiences in the process group. The goal is to help you to gain awareness of privilege and an understanding of how it shows up in your groups. Another goal is to learn ways to work with privilege and how it shows up in your groups. We will discuss an overview of boundaries for the group, working on keeping statements to personal perspectives as opposed to projections. The group will be asked to share what their experiences have been with how their race influences the experience of others in the therapy groups they lead.
Led by Nathan Schlingmann MA, MS, LPC
Nathan Schlingmann has worked in inner city public schools, human services nonprofits and currently runs a private practice, Walk Your Path LLC. He leads a leadership and support group for surgery residents at Crozer Chester hospital, a men’s relationship group and a process group and sees clients for individual psychotherapy. He has undergone comprehensive training in diversity, equity and inclusion to explore his privilege. He continues this exploration as a commitment to his clients' treatment. He is in his final year at the Gestalt Therapy Institute of Philadelphia, is in supervision to become a Certified Group Therapist and is the current president of the Philadelphia Area Group Psychotherapy Society.
A-6: The Task of the Therapy Group: Understanding the Group’s Dynamics and the Exploration of Members’ Roles in the Group Process
There are many theories about group therapy and the role of the leader. While the “Gold Standard” is to put your thoughts and feelings into words and explore why you feel the way you do, there is good reason for participants to study the dynamics of the group. This training will emphasize the group as its own organism rather than merely a room full of individual psychologies. Understanding the group’s process and what each participant contributes to these dynamics can lead to a greater understanding of one’s inner life as well as improve one’s interpersonal relationships. This full day training will encourage open and direct communication while observing how a variety of anxieties subvert this process. We will have a real time group and debriefing discussions meant to solidify the experiential learning.
Led by: Brian Ashin LMSW, LCSW, CGP
Brian is in private practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan where he works with individuals and groups as well as provides consultation to other therapists. He started working with groups on the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit of Cooper Hospital in 1981, followed by training in Marital and Family Therapy at the Family Institute of Philadelphia. This led to further training and the 5 year running of psycho-education groups for couples. Brian then began a men’s group in the late 1990’s and the beginning of his first on-going mixed gender process group in 2004. This led to training at The Center for Group Studies and subsequent Certified Group Psychotherapist status. Brian leads four ongoing process groups, the most recent of12 years duration.
A-7: Holding the intersection of multiple identities in group process
This process group experience will encourage participants to observe how differences in social identity impact our interactions with one another. The facilitator will guide participants in observing microaggressions and other identity-based enactments in the “here and now” of the group process experience. Participants will be encouraged to move from socio-cultural awareness to actively engaging in challenging conversations about difference.
Led By: Donna Harris MA, LCSW, CGP
Donna Harris is a licensed clinical social worker with over 30 years of experience. She is the Director of Intercultural Counseling, LLC, where she provides individual, group psychotherapy and relational psychoanalysis. She teaches at Bryn Mawr College, Graduate School of Social Service and Social Research. Currently, she runs a trauma group for female-identified persons and will start a BIPOC process group later this year. As the Founding Director of Intercultural Network, LLC, she provides trauma-informed, equity, diversity & inclusion training to organizations & professionals.
A-8: Awakening to a mindfulness approach to group therapy
Participants will develop a theoretical and experiential understanding of mindfulness. A fundamental skill of group therapy practice is to use the interactions among members to advance the group, which will be emphasized throughout the workshop. We will be unpacking the theoretical underpinning of mindfulness in groups with emphasis on qualities of acceptance and vulnerability, using mindfulness practices such as the body scan, mindful listening, mindful movement, and walking meditation. The clinician may discover the within and between processes that occur in mindfulness in group therapy. We will focus on the application of mindfulness to group therapy with both children and adults. This will be exemplified using a DBT and MBCT approach, as well as borrowing from your own clinical examples.
Led by: Christine Moriconi Psy. D., CRNP and LMFT, RN and Don McCown, PhD, MAMS, MSS, LSW
Christine Moriconi has been practicing psychotherapy since 1993 and has been a mindfulness teacher since 1999 and she is a licensed marriage and family therapist. For 12 years she taught psychiatric nursing at West Chester University and co- directed their Center for Contemplative Studies. Presently, she is working as a nurse practitioner, graduating in 2018 from University of Pennsylvania. She also has a small private psychotherapy practice.
Donald McCown is associate professor of health, director of the Center for Contemplative Studies, and coordinator of the graduate certificate in Applied Mindfulness at West Chester University. He is author or co-author of a number of books on mindfulness, including The Ethical Space of Mindfulness in Clinical Practice and Teaching Mindfulness: A practical guide for clinicians and educators.
90 Minute Group Therapy Workshops - Sunday, May 1, 2022
(Group B: 9:30AM-11:00AM)
B-1: Storiez: Trauma Narratives in Group Contexts
This workshop begins with an introduction to trauma (defining trauma, exploring trauma exposure and urban youth, and considering the consequences of trauma exposure). It explores trauma treatment for youth (best practices, treatment modalities, common factors, and trauma narratives). Finally, the 9-step Storiez trauma narrative intervention is presented with a special focus on implementation in group contexts.
Led by: Dr. Megan Corrado DSW, LCSW, MSS
As the owner and founder of Storiez Trauma Narratives, Dr. Meagan Corrado has authored 10 books and trained over 7,000 individuals across 20 innovative training programs. Dr. Meagan earned her DSW from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016 and her MSS from Bryn Mawr College in 2009. Dr. Meagan specializes in work with children and teenagers with complex trauma histories. She has instructed graduate-level social work students and supported systems in implementing trauma-informed practices.
B-2: The Field Around Us: Gestalt Process Therapy Groups
Part didactic, part experiential, this session will give participants an opportunity to experience gestalt therapy in a group setting. In gestalt process groups, the group is seen not only as a collection of individuals, but as a complete psycho-social environment that has the capacity to nurture growth and healing. We will review some key elements of contemporary gestalt practice and theory and participants will have the opportunity to do individual or group work with a practicing gestalt therapist.
Led by: Sarah Mello, MA, MS, LPC, ACS
Sarah is a licensed professional counselor in private practice in New Jersey. She is the owner and clinical director of Here and Now Counseling, a teaching practice for student and emerging therapists who wish to learn to work relationally and somatically with their clients. Sarah is a member of the adjunct faculty at Gestalt Training Institute of Philadelphia and the Group Process Facilitator for the class of 2023. Sarah is also an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) offering individual and group clinical supervision
and consultation.
B-3 and C-3: Women Helping Women: Facilitating Intergenerational Women’s Groups (three hours - all participants must attend both sessions B & C)
This workshop will explore the unique elements of facilitating intergenerational long‐term psychotherapy groups for women and the way these groups progress. Leading these groups challenges the therapist to examine the personal growth of participants as well as oneself. We will examine the role of the leader(s) and how transference and countertransference contribute to the process of the group. Leading intergenerational long‐term psychotherapy groups for women emphasizes the challenge of personal growth, understanding how current relationships are influenced by personal histories, and the goal of living life more fully. Attendees will be invited to learn more about clinical theory that underpins intergenerational women’s group development and facilitation, and then participate in a process-oriented group discussion around these issues. A short integrative theoretical discussion will follow the process group.
Led by: Candace Irabli, PsyD, MEd and Shari Baron, MSN, CNS, CGP, LFAGPA
Candace is a psychologist and the director of HIV Psychology Services at AIDS Care Group, a nonprofit safety net organization for those in the Philadelphia area living at the intersection of chronic illness and marginalized identities. Dr. Irabli specializes in individual and group psychotherapy, supervising the fifteen groups at AIDS Care Group that serve this unique patient population and running a four-years-long intergenerational process group for
women living with HIV.
In over 50 years as a nurse, psychotherapist and educator, Shari has led dozens of process groups and taught group psychotherapy to graduate students, clinic staff, psychiatric residents and seasoned professionals. She has explored ethical and practice issues that impact the group psychotherapist, used leadership positions in AGPA and APNA to increase awareness of these issues and encouraged discussion of the choices group therapists make each day. Shari maintains a private practice in Media, PA.
90 Minute Group Therapy Workshops - Sunday, May 1, 2022
(Group C: 11:15AM-12:45PM)
C-1: Ecotherapy Groups- Connecting Human Nature with the Natural World
Ecotherapy is the rapidly growing field of harnessing the power of nature to promote healing, health and improved wellbeing. Since Covid-19 has made it safer to interact outside than indoors, and many therapists are getting tired of teletherapy, there is a growing interest among clinicians to learn how to safely and effectively integrate the outdoors into their work. In addition, a growing body of research confirms the emotional and physical benefits of spending time in nature and has been able to demonstrate that there is a significant correlation between being in nature and feeling at home, at ease, and energized. People report feeling more present, gaining insights and increasing movement and momentum in their lives. In this workshop Lauren Kahn, LMFT and Nathan Schlingmann, LPC will present a brief history of the field, some of the compelling research supporting Ecotherapy as a meaningful treatment modality, and offer you specific ways that you can bring your therapeutic skills into the natural environment to enhance your psychotherapeutic work.
Led by: Lauran G Kahn MA, LMFT and Nathan Schlingmann MA, MS, LPC
Lauren has developed a robust private practice Expanding Perspectives, Nature Based Therapy. Lauren is a graduate of Boston University School of Social Work and The Philadelphia Child and Family Therapy Training Center. Lauren has worked in many different settings with groups, families, couples and individuals. She has led adventure travel programs around the world and has a background in outdoor leadership and adventure based counseling. She has developed a robust outdoor psychotherapy practice where she uses mindfulness and other practices to harness the healing power of nature to improve physical, emotional and spiritual well being.
Nathan runs a private practice, Walk Your Path LLC. He has led outdoor overnight excursions hiking, biking, snowshoeing and kayaking. He’s blended his technical outdoor leadership skills to his diverse training in psychotherapy. He has been practicing eco-therapy since his training at Naropa University in 2013. He currently sees clients for individual and group therapy in the Wissahickon Forest in Philadelphia and is the current president of the Philadelphia Area Group Psychotherapy Society.
C-2: Conducting Adolescent Therapy Groups Online-Groups during the Pandemic
Conducting adolescent groups remotely during the pandemic has revealed unique advantages and highlighted some significant drawbacks in working online. This workshop will explore the practical aspects of working with older youth in therapy groups conducted remotely on Zoom. The presenter will highlight the key issues and concepts through presentation of his groups. Workshop participants will be encouraged to share their own experiences with online groups during the pandemic.
Led by: Thomas Hurster MSS LCSW CGP FAGPA
Thomas has been a social work clinician for over forty years, and as part of that practice has been conducting therapy groups with children and adolescents that entire time. Currently a full-time adjunct professor of clinical social work at Bryn Mawr since 2002; He is a Fellow in the American Group Psychotherapy Association on the board of the Philadelphia Area Group Psychotherapy Society, and a member of the Child and Family Support Services at the Benchmark School in Media, PA. Thomas currently conducts several school-based counseling groups and a parent group as part of his work there.
C-3: See B-3 above
90 Minute Group Therapy Workshops - Sunday, May 1, 2022
(Group D: 1:45PM-3:15PM)
D-1: QPR Training as a Psychoeducational Process for Improving Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention on Campus
Suicide is an escalating public health problem in both campus and general communities. College counseling centers are overwhelmed with student complaints of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. The bystander training Question-Persuade-Refer (QPR) has demonstrated efficacy for improving campus and community-based response to this problem.
Led By: Todd Hastings, PhD, RN, CNE
The presenter is a nurse for over 25 years and a nurse educator for over 15 years. He is a Certified Nurse Educator teaching both undergraduate and graduate level courses at an institution of higher education. He has facilitated bystander suicide prevention trainings (MHFA and QPR) for over five years.
D-2: The Operative Group: Where Internal World Creates External Reality
People’s difficulties in living, including their core conflicts, inevitably find expression in the therapy group. As a result, in the pursuit of meaningful connections and attempts to prevent anticipated disappointment, people engage in compulsive ways of relating that can lead to the very disappointment they are trying to avoid. This presentation addresses psychic turmoil as it finds expression in what Foulkes called the “operative” group. The leader’s understanding of the ubiquitous nature of projective identification and overt and covert expression of human suffering paves the way for corrective emotional experiences and the maturation of the group therapy patient.
Led by: Brian Ashin LMSW, LCSW, CGP
Brian is in private practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan where he works with individuals and groups as well as provides consultation to other therapists. He started working with groups on the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit of Cooper Hospital in 1981, followed by training in Marital and Family Therapy at the Family Institute of Philadelphia. This led to further training and the 5 year running of psycho-education groups for couples. Brian then began a men’s group in the late 1990’s and the beginning of his first on-going mixed gender process group in 2004. This led to training at The Center for Group Studies and subsequent Certified Group Psychotherapist status. Brian leads four ongoing process groups, the most recent of 12 years duration.
D-3: Working with Gender Diversity in Psychotherapy Groups
Recent increases in the number of folks identifying as gender-diverse call for specific research and training on how to best include these folks in group therapy interventions. This training will briefly describe the concept of gender diversity and discuss defining safety for gender-diverse folks from a sociocultural, contextual perspective. Then, drawing from clinical experiences leading groups, we will make suggestions on how to create and maintain this safety within groups, including situations of rupture and repair. Finally, we will talk about the intersection between safety and group cohesion and discuss ways to enhance cohesion. We will include perspectives from both trans and gender non-conforming-specific groups and those that include, but are not exclusive to, gender-diverse individuals in our discussions.
Led by: Christiian Credle, PsyD (he/him/his) and Erin Wolff, MA
Both facilitators of this training currently facilitate groups with and for gender-diverse individuals at the Mosaic Medical Center, a facility specializing in LGBTQ+ physical and mental healthcare. In addition to specializing in treating LGBTQ+ populations, each facilitator has received specific training in group psychotherapy with an emphasis on process-oriented groups.
