1314 NE 43rd St., #214
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 935-4573
Groups consist of six to ten people who meet weekly for an hour and a half. Groups are open-ended, which means that new members join when current members leave and a space opens up. The length of treatment is not set in advance, and each person uses their own experience in the group to decide (with the group's input) when they have met their goals for therapy. The fee holds your place in the group, and is due whether or not you actually attend a session.
ABOUT GROUP THERAPY
The most important resource in group therapy is the group itself. In group, you will have the opportunity to explore the feelings and behaviors you wish to change in your life, and especially encouraged to do so in the context of how those show up in the group situation. The group offers encouragement, a sense of common purpose, a range of ideas, and the opportunity for mutual exploration of the universal problems of living. The group is also a laboratory for learning how to be an effective group member, and how to usefully participate in anothers growth.
Group therapy is particularly useful with regard to:
Gaining a greater awareness and understanding of your present life situation and the personal habits of mind which may contribute to the problems you are trying to address.
Exploring feelings of social isolation or interpersonal anxiety, and increasing your capacity for friendship, intimacy and spontaneous self-expression.
Learning to define and speak about the behaviors and characteristics you wish to change in yourself, and contracting with others around specific actions you intend to take.
Developing increased confidence, independence and a sense of personal well-being.
Understanding how groups function, and developing effective membership and leadership skills.
GROUP AGREEMENTS
The prime goal of a therapy group is to create an environment in which the members are able to discuss and explore as wide a range of thoughts and feelings as possible, including those about other group members. All members contribute to the climate of the group, and thus to the group's success in reaching members' goals. In committing to achieving our objective, the following agreements are proposed:
I agree to:
be present each week, arrive on time, and remain throughout the entire session. If I cannot attend, I will try to notify the group by calling as soon as possible so that the information can be relayed to the members who are present.
take an appropriate fraction of the group's time and attention in order to work actively on the concerns that brought me to group, and on other concerns that may arise while I am a member. In turn, I will respectfully support and be involved in other members' work.
put feelings into words, rather than actions.
use the relationships made in the group in the service of the group's therapeutic purpose.
protect and keep confidential the names, identities, and personal stories of fellow members (note that this is an agreement among members and not an enforceable legal right).
allow the group to participate in my decisions with regard to the group itself (what I bring up, plans for absences, etc.). This includes consultation around termination itself, so that members have a chance to report perceptions and deal with feelings related to my departure including saying goodbye. (This will vary, but a guideline might be three meetings plus one additional meeting for every year of membership.)
promptly pay for each session of the group while I am a member, to pay promptly, and to discuss with the group any difficulty in keeping current.
To give you some idea of my background, I have been a psychotherapist since 1980. In 1971, I received my B.A. in physics and chemistry and an M.S. in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. I earned my doctorate from the University of Washington in 1983 and became licensed as a psychologist in 1985. For three years I was on the staff of an inpatient drug and alcohol treatment facility, and then for two years served at a hospital-based eating disorders treatment program. I am a consultant at the University of Washington Student Health Service and teach group in the Psychiatry Department at the UW School of Medicine.I have been admitted as a member of the American Academy of Psychotherapists and certified as a group psychotherapist by the American Group Psychotherapy Association. I am also a member of the American and Washington State Psychological Associations.
The State Examining Board of Psychology asks that you be informed that licensure was established to ensure that a psychologist has a doctoral degree from an accredited university, adequate initial training and supervision, and has passed a national written examination and a state oral examination given by the Washington State Examining Board of Psychology. They are responsible for maintaining professional standards and offering disciplinary recourse for patients. They may be reached at The Department of Health, Examining Board of Psychology, P.O. Box 47868, Olympia, WA 98504-7868.
Welcome to group!
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Guidelines to Consider as a Group Member
1. Stay in the "here and now" as much as possible. The most valuable and productive moments are those that occur in the group itself.
2. Concentrate on expressing feelings rather than thoughts, judgments or opinions. Pay attention to yourself (thoughts, feelings, body sensations) for cues as to how you are feeling.
3. Be as honest as you can. Speak of your own experience of others in the group, and listen to their experience of you. Try to reflect on what is said to you. Offer feedback that is both clear and compassionate.
4. Consider when you are tempted to ask a question that it may be more useful to speak of what is behind the question.
5. Try to use language that has an impact, remembering that impact and intent are experienced from different vantage points:
Speak directly to another member
Avoid generalizations
Be specific
6. Refrain from eating or drinking during group.
7. If you are about to repeat yourself, stop and say something else.
8. Take responsibility for yourself as a member of the group. If you have thoughts or feelings about what is going on, speak up: silence is usually felt to be consent. On the other hand, you have the right to choose to not respond, so deciding what is a right-sized risk is an important task.
(c) Robert A. Berley, 2022