For the past 25+ years, I have been co-leading psychotherapy groups in San Francisco with my colleague, psychologist Mary Jean Paris (Well, we were meeting in San Francisco until the pandemic; they have since moved online). Plus I recently started an international group with my colleague Anastasia Piatakhina Giré, who just to confuse you, is based in Paris. Details for both groups below.
These groups focus on improving interpersonal and relationship skills. On of the most powerful benefits of groups is the ability of members to receive real-time, honest yet supportive feedback from other group members. Feedback is different from the type of advice you might get from friends or in support groups, in that we encourage (even insist!) that members really tell one another how they experience each other--what are things they do or say that make others trust them, be drawn to them, care for them, and conversely what do they do (often unwittingly) that turn them off in some way, that make others keep their distance.
Over time the group becomes a laboratory of sorts, a social microcosm, where members can experiment with different ways to relate to others....it's an iterative process of communicating and behaving, receiving helpful feedback, and then trying out new behaviors. With determination, support, prodding. and a bit of courage, group members usually find more effective ways of connecting with others in the group, and then are able to take these changes out into their relationships in the “real world.”
Oh...you may ask about how well the group works online. Good question. When COVID-19 sprung up, we put the group on hold, optimistically hoping that this would be a short-lived disruption. Wishful thinking indeed! So with some hesitation we moved the group online, not knowing how well it would work, and overall we and the group members have been pleasantly surprised. There is no doubt that some of the immediacy and aliveness of meeting in an actual physical room has been diluted. Members can't physically sit face-to-face when they interact. But that is counterbalanced by the ability to have more continuity and more regular attendance, creating greater cohesiveness, an important and well-researched factor in the efficacy group therapy.
Several group members have moved since the beginning of the pandemic, and in the old days this would have forced them to leave the group, but with Zoom they are able to continue--which is good for them and the group. So perhaps we've lost something and gained something else...but the group goes on and is still remarkably effective, and provides a valuable forum for community and support during these trying times.
Some prior or concurrent individual therapy is generally required for members to enter the group. Often members who have been in individual therapy for years find that the group is a powerful way to speed up making the types of changes they desire. One fear that folks often have is that they will be in a group of "weirdos" or "misfits." This is an understandable but unfounded fear, and we carefully screen prospective members in an in-person consultation to make sure that the group is a good fit for them — and that they will be a good fit for the group.
If it does appear to be a good match, then we also use this session to give a realistic picture of how the group works, and how they can most effectively utilize the group to reach their goals. Our groups are coed, and generally comprised of bright, talented, and creative professionals who are looking to improve their work, social and intimate relationship and achieve a more satisfying life. The maximum size is eight members and two leaders.
The US based group is Wednesday night, from 5:30-7:00 pm. The fee is $75 per session. The second is similar in nature, but has members from around the world, giving it a distinct international flavor, although the focus is similar. It meets every other Thursdays from 9:30-11 am California time; the fee is 50 Euros per session. If interested and you'd like more information, please contact me via email or call me at (415) 956-2226. If we don't have openings in our group, I am happy to do my best to refer you to a trusted group therapy colleague.
These groups focus on improving interpersonal and relationship skills. On of the most powerful benefits of groups is the ability of members to receive real-time, honest yet supportive feedback from other group members. Feedback is different from the type of advice you might get from friends or in support groups, in that we encourage (even insist!) that members really tell one another how they experience each other--what are things they do or say that make others trust them, be drawn to them, care for them, and conversely what do they do (often unwittingly) that turn them off in some way, that make others keep their distance.
Over time the group becomes a laboratory of sorts, a social microcosm, where members can experiment with different ways to relate to others....it's an iterative process of communicating and behaving, receiving helpful feedback, and then trying out new behaviors. With determination, support, prodding. and a bit of courage, group members usually find more effective ways of connecting with others in the group, and then are able to take these changes out into their relationships in the “real world.”
Oh...you may ask about how well the group works online. Good question. When COVID-19 sprung up, we put the group on hold, optimistically hoping that this would be a short-lived disruption. Wishful thinking indeed! So with some hesitation we moved the group online, not knowing how well it would work, and overall we and the group members have been pleasantly surprised. There is no doubt that some of the immediacy and aliveness of meeting in an actual physical room has been diluted. Members can't physically sit face-to-face when they interact. But that is counterbalanced by the ability to have more continuity and more regular attendance, creating greater cohesiveness, an important and well-researched factor in the efficacy group therapy.
Several group members have moved since the beginning of the pandemic, and in the old days this would have forced them to leave the group, but with Zoom they are able to continue--which is good for them and the group. So perhaps we've lost something and gained something else...but the group goes on and is still remarkably effective, and provides a valuable forum for community and support during these trying times.
Some prior or concurrent individual therapy is generally required for members to enter the group. Often members who have been in individual therapy for years find that the group is a powerful way to speed up making the types of changes they desire. One fear that folks often have is that they will be in a group of "weirdos" or "misfits." This is an understandable but unfounded fear, and we carefully screen prospective members in an in-person consultation to make sure that the group is a good fit for them — and that they will be a good fit for the group.
If it does appear to be a good match, then we also use this session to give a realistic picture of how the group works, and how they can most effectively utilize the group to reach their goals. Our groups are coed, and generally comprised of bright, talented, and creative professionals who are looking to improve their work, social and intimate relationship and achieve a more satisfying life. The maximum size is eight members and two leaders.
The US based group is Wednesday night, from 5:30-7:00 pm. The fee is $75 per session. The second is similar in nature, but has members from around the world, giving it a distinct international flavor, although the focus is similar. It meets every other Thursdays from 9:30-11 am California time; the fee is 50 Euros per session. If interested and you'd like more information, please contact me via email or call me at (415) 956-2226. If we don't have openings in our group, I am happy to do my best to refer you to a trusted group therapy colleague.
