Helping Clients Resolve Interpersonal Difficulties Using Combined Individual and Group Therapy:
A Modern Analytic and Intersectional Approach
This three-hour workshop will explore how combined individual and group therapy is an effective treatment approach for clients stuck in interpersonal patterns that limit their relationship satisfaction. Group + individual helps clients shift relational dynamics that are difficult to uncover and address through individual therapy alone. It also helps them understand their emotional reactions to others more deeply and work through their fears and anxieties related to intimacy in a safe environment. Clients can practice skills in the “laboratory” of interpersonal group therapy and bring emotional reactions and material back to individual therapy for deeper exploration.
Participants will learn key elements of modern analytic and intersectional approaches to group psychotherapy. We’ll distinguish constructive and destructive aggression, the critical role modern analysis suggests aggression plays in resolving long-standing interpersonal issues, and how an intersectional approach helps members explore, know, and claim different parts of their identities.
NCSPP is aware that historically psychoanalysis has either excluded or pathologized groups outside of the dominant population in terms of age, race, ethnicity, nationality, language, gender, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, disability, and size. As an organization, we are committed to bringing awareness to matters of anti-oppression, inequity, inequality, diversity, and inclusion as they pertain to our educational offerings, our theoretical orientation, our community, and the broader world we all inhabit.
Presenters Response:
As a white, cisgender female, heterosexual, PhD educated, upper middle-class, employed, able-bodied, U.S.-born citizen partnered to a white ivy-league educated man, I experience many benefits from these privileged identities in my life and work. Awareness of my various privileges, as well as formal training in multicultural counseling issues has enabled me to facilitate and contribute to conversations about diversity as a clinician in my practice. I bring that training, openness and interest in learning about myself and the ways that I contribute, consciously and unconsciously, to creating an oppressive environment for those from marginalized groups in the teaching I provide. I purposefully designed this course to include both psychoanalytic and intersubjective theories to address the historical exclusion of diverse and non-dominant perspectives in our work as clinicians and hope to create a training environment where participants can explore and make room for all aspects of their identities.
At the end of this course participants will be able to:
- Explain how modern analysis understands aggression and how this helps clients resolve long-standing interpersonal patterns
- Explain an intersectional framework and how this helps clients more fully integrate multiple competing and often marginalized identities.
- Identify 3 signs that a client is ready for concurrent individual and group therapy.
- Identify the correct level of care and type of group for individual clients.
- Identify 3 interventions to help clients get the most out of the group once they’ve joined.
- Black, A. (2019). Treating Insecure Attachment in Group Therapy: Attachment Theory Meets Modern Psychoanalytic Technique. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy. 69 (3). 259-286.
- Kirman, Jacob H. Ph.D (1993). Working with Anger in Groups International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 45 (3). 303-329.
- Kimmel, A. (2021). Belonging: Queer Theory’s Contribution to Modern Analytic Groups. 32-51. In Kane, Y., Masselink, S.M., & Weiss, A.C. Women, Intersectionality, and Power in Group Psychotherapy Leadership. Routledge.
- Rutan, J.S., & Alonso, A. (1995). Group Therapy, Individual Therapy, or Both? International Journal of Group Psychotherapy. 32 (3). 267-282.
- Yalom, I. & Leszcz, M. (2020). The Therapist: Specialized Formats and Procedural Aids. Concurrent Individual and Group Therapy. The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy. 429-440. 6th Edition.
Laura Kasper, Ph.D., CGP, is a licensed psychologist in San Francisco. Dr. Kasper is Adjunct Clinical Faculty at Stanford Medical School where she teaches residents group therapy and is a group facilitator for Stanford Business School’s Interpersonal Dynamics course. She has led trainings at group therapy conferences (AGPA, NCGPS, COGPS, MAGPS) from 2016–2022.
This course is for all levels of clinicians. No previous training in modern analytic or intersectional approaches or group therapy is needed. The course will provide an introduction to modern analytic and intersectional approaches to group work and to concurrent individual and group therapy.
LCSW/MFTs: Course meets the requirements for _ hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs and/or LEPS, as required by the CA Board of Behavioral Sciences. NCSPP is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (Provider Number 57020), to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCS, and/or LEPs. NCSPP maintains responsibility for this program /course and its content.
Psychologists: Division 39 is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Division 39 maintains responsibility for these programs and their content.
Enrollees who cancel at least SEVEN DAYS prior to the event date will receive a refund minus a $35 administrative charge. No refunds will be allowed after this time. Transfer of registrations are not allowed.
For program related questions contact Ghazal Karimpour, drghazal.karimpour@gmail.com or 617-620-7427.
For questions related to enrollment, locations, CE credit, special needs, course availability and other administrative issues contact Michele McGuinness by email or 415-496-9949.
Education Committee
The Education Committee is responsible for the development of a variety of courses and workshops given throughout the year in San Francisco and the East Bay.