Group Consultation

On-Line Groups: Fee $75 (90 min.) / See Schedule for On-Line Groups below

TO REGISTER: submit a request

Group Consultation is offered on a fixed schedule once a month. These groups provide a safe and highly informed environment in which to learn, get support on your cases, and expand your clinical skills. The groups focus on creating a culture of emotional safety, open curiosity, and mutual support as therapists. The groups encourage questions and new learning about ourselves as therapists and our clients. Members consult on cases and practice trauma-informed interventions on each other for practice and facilitation of mastery. The Groups provide an opportunity to gain experience side by side with other professionals, while under the guidance of an experienced trauma-informed consultant.

Fees

Each on-line group meeting costs $75 and lasts for 1.5 hours. Members attend for the entire time the group is scheduled to meet. All consult groups are closed groups. This means that members commit to the group for as long as it remains helpful to them. While you hold a place in a Group, you agree to pay the fee for that group, regardless of whether you can be present for every meeting. Once you have decided to leave a Group, your financial commitment ends. However, for as long as you are a Member of a group, you agree to pay for each regularly-scheduled monthly meeting.

Participation

Members may choose to present a case, or simply to observe and participate while others discuss cases.

Schedule

I aim for a predictable meeting schedule of once-a-month (see below). Occasionally, because of holidays or vacation, changes in the schedule do occur. When schedule changes need to be made, I announce the change as far ahead as possible. When/If schedule changes need to be made, and an additional consultation is requested by a certain minimum number of group members, I may re-schedule an ‘optional’ meeting during that same month. This additional optional meeting will be billed only for those Members who choose to attend.

How to prepare for Group Consultation

There is no requirement to present a case during a Group session. This is entirely up to you. During your first group, I will introduce you to the other members and explain the structure of the consultation. You are then invited to listen to others present or to present yourself. There is a great deal to learn in Group Consultation from listening to others discuss challenging cases, and there is a great deal to learn from bringing your own difficult cases forward. If you decide to present a case, here are some general guidelines:

Have the case you want to work on picked out ahead of time.Include the client’s age, gender and/or gender identification, race/ethnicity, current living situation (i.e., school, married/single, family/alone), current job, and how long you have been seeing them.Include the client’s primary complaint (i.e., their reason for seeking therapy).Include a basic outline of the client’s family history and trauma history.If you have seen the client for some time, what interventions have you have tried?What has worked well? What has not worked well? Include anything that stands out to you about the case that you think is important? (For example: Are you having strong countertransference? Is there a big symptom or pattern that the client doesn’t talk about but is obvious to you? Is there a piece of the client’s history that stands out and seems particularly important to you? Include your primary question about the case. (For example: How do I make sense of the client’s presentation/symptoms?; I’m stuck—the client’s symptoms are not changing; What do I do now?; etc…).If you are newly trained in EMDR, include your client’s Top 10 Best & Top 10 Worst Experiences lists (with ages and SUDS levels (0-10)).

Size of Groups

Groups are limited to 8 Members (not including myself).

Leaving a Group

You have the right to withdraw from a group at any time. It is usually best to notify me at least one week in advance (more notice is always welcome), and then to attend a final group before leaving. Following your final group meeting, you are no longer responsible for paying the group fee.

Current Groups

If the groups listed below are full, or they do not happen at a time or location that is possible for you, please contact me with requests for additional groups. New Groups are continually forming, and it is common for therapists to make special requests regarding the formation of a Group (for example: site-specific Consultation for agencies, special scheduling requirements, or colleagues who want to form a specific consult group together).

On-Line Groups Available

2nd and 3rd Fridays of-the-month @ 10:30-12 (PST), $75