The Illinois School of Professional Psychology

at Argosy University, Chicago

COURSE SYLLABUS

PP8060

Group Psychotherapy

Spring 2012

Faculty Information:

Faculty name: Mark Kiel, Psy.D. C.G.P

Campus: Chicago

Contact Information:

Office Phone Number: (312) 777-7671

Email: (preferred)

Office Hours: Mondays: 9-12; Tuesdays 1-3:45; Wednesday 5-6:00

Teaching Assistant: Jen Simmons, M.A.
Contact information: 616-302-5980 (Between 9:00am and 9:00pm);

Course Catalogue Description:
This course provides an introduction to the basic principles of group psychotherapy operations. Emphasis is on gaining both firsthand experiences and a conceptual grasp of membership issues in group therapy; therefore, this course consists of both experiential and didactic components. The course engages students in a thoughtful study of group process, and is structured to help them integrate their thoughts and feelings with their experience. Theories of group development and relevant research are also addressed.

Course Pre-requisites: PP7365 - Clinical Interviewing

PP7080 - Personal & Professional Development

Required Textbooks:

Colman, A. and Geller, M. (1985). Group Relations Reader II. Washington: A. K. Rice.

ISBN: 0-9615099-1-0

Ganzarain, R. (1989). Object Relations Group Psychotherapy. New York: IUP.
ISBN: 0-8236-3725-5

Hazell, C. (2005). Imaginary Groups. Bloomington, Indiana: Authorhouse
ISBN: 1-4184-9818-1

Yalom, I. (2005). The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy. New York: IUP.

ISBN: 0465092845

Technology: Pentium III CPU/ Windows 98; 128MB RAM printer; Microsoft Office: Acrobat (full version); Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 (PC), 5.0 (MAC), or Netscape Navigator 4.08; Norton Antivirus.

Course Length: 15 Weeks

Contact Hours: 45 Hours & Group Relations Conference

Credit Value: 3.0

Course Objectives:

Course Objective / Program Goal / Method of Assessment
To define and understand basic concepts and theories of small group processes as well as social systems structure and processes. / Goal 2- Intervention
Goal 3-Diversity / Midterm paper
Final Paper
Training Group
Training Lab
To analyze and evaluate group processes such as small group development, group norms and member roles that emerge in systems in which students are participating. Participation (and later integration and application) in a Training Group from an emic stance is the single most salient task in the development of a group psychotherapist. / Goal 2- Intervention
Goal 3-Diversity / Midterm paper
Final Paper
Training Group
Training Lab
Class Exercises
To have a significant experiential component of membership in class to apply, integrate and have firsthand account of group life. / Goal 2- Intervention / Training Group
Training Lab
Class Exercises
To understanding and integrate leadership, followership, and authority issues in groups. / Goal 2- Intervention
Goal 3-Diversity / Midterm Paper
Final Paper
To analyze, synthesize and evaluate diversity and multi-cultural dynamics as they apply to group life, work group dynamics and anti-work stances. Special attention will be made to scapegoating, singleton statuses, and social system micro and macrocosms reflecting society and global issues at large. / Goal 3-Diversity / Midterm Paper
Final Paper
Training Group
To apply and synthesize theory, research, and experience to and with other relevant groups and organizational settings. / Goal 2- Intervention
Goal 3-Diversity / Midterm paper
Final Paper
Training Group
Training Lab
To understand how various group formats can be therapeutic, and to identify how they are the treatment of choice for specific development issues and specific psychopathology. Gain an understanding of empirically bound practices in the topic of group psychotherapy. / Goal 2- Intervention / EST Module

Evidence Based Practice

This course addresses evidence based practice issues in course readings, discussion and assignments. For example, all readings addressing clinical process are grounded in empirical data such as quantitative data, qualitative data, idiographic data, etc. Group psychotherapy and systemic-oriented techniques are oftentimes a treatment of choice - however, the execution of said treatments can vary.

Instructional Contact Hours/Credit

Students can expect 15 hours of instructional engagement for every 1 semester credit hour of a course. Instructional engagement activities include lectures, presentations, discussions, group-work, and other activities that would normally occur during class time. Instructional engagement activities may occur in a face-to-face meeting, or in the eclassroom.

In addition to instructional engagement, students can expect to complete 30 hours of outside work for every 1 semester credit hour of a course. Outside work includes preparing for and completing readings and assignments. Such outside work includes, but is not limited to, all research associated with completing assignments, work with others to complete a group project, participation in tutorials, labs, simulations and other electronic activities that are not a part of the instructional engagement, as well as any activities related to preparation for instructional engagement.

At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph above shall be applied for other academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

Purpose/Overview:
It is the purpose of this class to acquaint the student with theories of group psychotherapy. As Bion (1961) has pointed out, the first question one encounters when attempting to solve the problems of group psychotherapy is whether one aims at doing psychotherapy in the group or of the group. The former involves doing what is essentially individual therapy in a group of people while the latter involves working with the group as a whole - examining its dynamics, tensions, conflicts, defenses and so on. This course most decidedly takes the latter approach - of examining procedures of working with the group-as-a-whole. The emphasis will be on the therapy of the whole group.

There will be “here and now” experiences in the middle classes to give students the opportunity of experiencing group as a whole analysis. Students will also have the opportunity to consult to the group from a group as a whole perspective. Ample opportunity will be given to discuss and make sense of these sessions in class.

This will involve the examination of roles, member relationships to the group task, issues such as joining, participation, differentiation and stages of group development. In addition to developing an understanding of the formation and maintenance of a learning group, members will also be expected to form explanatory linkages between their behavior in the group and roles they have in groups in other places and/or at other times.

This course will explore the impact groups and systems have on individuals and how those individuals relate to the various groups of which they are members. Specifically, this course will focus on the study of small and medium sized groups, with an emphasis on leadership and authority, member roles, small group dynamics, and development, diversity, and inter-group relations. Experiential and intellectual learning will be integrated through the use of discussion groups and assignments designed to facilitate application of theory and research.
Finally the course has a “lab.” This lab is a Group Relations Conference, sponsored by Argosy, Chicago. The event is more accurately described as a “temporary learning institution” rather than a traditional conference where you are presented information. The primary purpose of the training (in reference to this course) is to learn about large group functioning.

Course Objectives:
This intervention course is developmentally appropriate for second and third year doctoral students. It is designed to meet two primary curricular goals: Psychotherapeutic Intervention (with particular attention on personal development) and Human Diversity.

This course accomplishes these goals by the course objectives listed above, as well as by emphasis on:

1)  The Theory, Science and Practice of Group Psychotherapy principles.

2)  Participation in a T-Group.

3)  Attention to Emic and Etic perspectives on repository functioning, role specialization and scapegoating.

4)  Application of Social Psychology principles as pertinent.

5)  Review and analysis of empirically supported treatments using group therapy formats.


As the American Group Psychotherapy Association states:

Multiple perspectives on evidence-based practice have been articulated in the contemporary practice of psychotherapy. One approach emphasizes the application of empirically supported therapies, predicating treatment decisions upon the efficacy data emerging from randomized control trials of discrete models of intervention applied to discrete syndromes and conditions. This is a disorder-based approach. An alternative approach to evidence-based practice integrates the best available research with clinical expertise applied within the context of client characteristics, culture, and preferences (APA, 2005). This is a client – based approach and is the model we have employed.

Clinical practice guidelines (for group Psychotherapy) are distinct from treatment standards or treatment guidelines. They are broader and aspirational rather than narrow, prescriptive and mandatory and address the broad practice of group psychotherapy rather than specific conditions. Clinical practice guidelines also respect the strong empirical research supporting the role of common factors in the practice of psychotherapy (Norcross, 2001; Wampold, 2001).

To this end, this course focuses on the most current literature and evidence on group psychotherapy practice, research and the limitations of empirically based group psychotherapy practices. The second, concurrent focus of the course is client-based and clinician-based development and learnings.

This course follows the criteria suggested by Abe Fenster and Jessy Colah in Group, 2004:

Group therapy is a widely practiced, effective, but underrated specialty. Unfortunately, group therapy seems to be taught more haphazardly, with less attention to quality, than is individual therapy. Group therapy has a technique, history, and literature of its own and should be taught independently from individual psychotherapy. The training of psychiatric residents is particularly crucial for group therapy to prosper and be seen as more prestigious. A common core of experience is vital for training in group therapy, whether the trainee's background is psychiatry, psychology, social work, pastoral counseling, or nursing. This core consists of: 1) clinical experience doing group therapy; 2) supervision; 3) a professional training group experience; 4) observation of experienced group therapists; 5) exposure to current thinking in the field; 6) personal group therapy; and 7) a didactic course in theory and technique. Clinical experiences involving cotherapy and combined individual and group treatments are especially useful, both as training and as treatment modalities.


Expectations:
This course (and the training event) has experiential learning opportunities embedded in them that can be intense or stressful as well as enjoyable and rewarding. Therefore, students should consider if this is the right time personally to take this course in this format. Whereas it is possible to get credit for the course without attending the conference, this option is for students who have a change of circumstances during the duration of the course, not for students who know in advance they cannot attend the conference or simply do not want to.

Students will not be evaluated on their performance in the course or conference experiential sessions.


Attendance:

Full class attendance is required. If a student must miss a class or a portion of it, she or he must notify the instructor at the earliest possible time. Two absences (or the equivalent in tardiness or early departures) and/or any failure to contact the instructor about an absence will result in either course failure or permission to withdraw from the course.

Full attendance at the Group Relations Conference is required, unless alternate arrangements are made prior to the conference.


Confidentiality:
All material discussed within the time boundaries of the group is to be regarded as confidential by faculty, members and the teaching assistant. The only exception to this rule will be when a clear danger to self or others is indicated by the shared material.

Lastly, the faculty, the teaching assistant and student’s in the consulting role may engage in confidential consultation on the group process for their own learning as well as to keep the process open by means of processing projections or transferences that may occur during the life of the group.


Group Relations Conference:
This lab is a Group Relations conference, supported by Argosy, Chicago. The event is more accurately described as a “temporary learning institution” rather than a traditional conference where you are presented information. The conference is at The Family Institute at Northwestern University and will be held Jan. 27, 28 & 29. The primary purpose of the “lab” is to learn further learning about small group functioning as well as gain experience with large group and inter-group dynamics. This event costs $125.00. This would normally be part of your tuition, but due to registration circumstances, this will be done separately during the spring semester.

Journal:

In addition to reading, it is highly recommended that members keep a journal of their experience in group. This will clearly be of assistance in that it will provide a database for the final integrative paper.
Assignments:
Reaction Paper (60% of grade) - Due week seven of class.

Students are asked to write a paper 8-12 pages in length on their experience in conference portion of the course. This paper will contain two sections—one pertaining to their experience as a member of the conference (SSG, LSG and ISE), and one part as an analysis of their SSG experience in particular. The function of this paper is to provide the student with an opportunity to make sense of the conference experience. This involves perhaps most importantly the students developing for themselves a serviceable and robust theory of how groups function. Secondarily it involves students showing they understand the key concepts covered in the class and can recognize them as they occur in the here and now. For these reasons, students are very strongly encouraged to keep their analysis (in both aspects of the assignments) at the group-as-a-whole level. If students have questions on either of these assignments, they may of course turn in early versions of their efforts to the instructor.


For Consideration:
Part I:

The Conference Experience

1.  Your subjective experience/reaction(s) to the Small Study Group, Large Group and Institutional Event experiences.

2.  Describe how the different formats of the Conference were similar and how it was different in regards to the primary task of studying group life.

3.  Describe how subjective experience/reaction(s) changed or remained the same in the different events.

4.  Describe the effect for you and the class group as having your professor on staff for the conference experience.

Part II :

SSG Analysis