Group TherapistT H E L O S A N G E L E S

Psychologists: The Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles (GPALA) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GPALA maintains responsibility for these programs and its content. Full attendance is required for psychologists to receive credit; partial credit may not be awarded based on APA guidelines. Psychologists report directly to the MCEP using the certifi cates of attendance awarded at the completion of the course. Social workers and Marriage and Family Therapists: The Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles (GPALA) is an approved provider for continuing education credits for LCSWs and MFCCs/MFTs (provider # PCE 528). These courses meet the qualifi cations of continuing education credit for MFTs and/or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Only the actual number of hours spent in the educational activity may be claimed for credit.

SPR ING 2013www.gpala.org

EXPLORING BARRIERS TO INTIMACYIN GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY

Our Annual Conference is scheduled April 19-20, and this year we welcome Ronnie Levine, PhD, ABPP, CGP, FAGPA, to Los Angeles as our keynote presenter. Newsletter Editor, William Whitney, spoke with Ronnie about her work in Group Psychotherapy and about the conference theme: “Exploring Barriers to Intimacy in Group Psychotherapy.” Registration for this event is still available at www.gpala.org.

WW: Hi Ronnie, we’re excited to have you come in April. Can you say a little about how you fi rst got interested in group therapy?

RL: Thank you, and I’m looking forward to being with you all. I became more interested in group therapy when I was a graduate student in Clinical Psychology at Adelphi University in New York in the early 70’s. I was introduced to Lou Ormont, (the founder for the Center for Group Studies, and the one who integrated modern psychoanalysis to group). After my internship at McLean Hospital,

I joined a therapy group with him and then was in a training group with him—

Ronnie Levine

PRESIdENT’S MESSAGE

(continued on page 3)

(continued on next page)

Dear GPALA,As this is our fi rst newsletter of the year, I’d like to begin by expressing how honored and excited I am to serve as your President for 2013. I would also like to share with you my goals for the year: 1) Create a more sustainable infra-structure; 2) Increase volunteerism within GPALA; 3) Increase group therapy involvement among group therapists. My fi rst goal is a bit boring and I will spare you the details, but I am working to increase the effi ciency and sustainability of GPALA. One example of this is that I have looked at each

board member’s workload in order to redefi ne responsibilities and decrease burnout. Another example of this is asking volunteers to create a log of what they have done (whether coordinating or volunteering at an event, contributing to the newsletter or plan-ning the calendar for the upcoming year) so that this information can be easily passed on to the next volunteer and either duplicated or expanded upon. My second goal is to increase volunteerism. Our membership’s spirit and generosity is what makes our organization so active, warm and attractive. Established members, I

Ryan Spencer, MFT, CGP

AN INTERvIEw wITH RONNIE LEvINE

william whitney

GPALA BOARd MEMBERS

Ryan Spencer President

Carla Derhy-Snijders Past President

Saralyn MasselinkTreasurer

John Chebultz Secretary

Vanessa Pawlowski Membership

Michael Frank Parliamentarian

Marvin KaphanHistorian

Shayne Vitemb Social Chair

William WhitneyNewsletter Editor

Dapha CardinaleEvents Chair

Rena PollakCurriculum

Annabel RaymondConference Chair

Sheila TravissVolunteer Co-ordinator

LEGACY AdvISORY BOARd

Chair: Elaine Leader, PhD, CGP, FAGPA

Elinor Dunn-Grayer, MSW, PhD, BCD, CGP

Irv Shultz, MD, PhD, FAGPA

Marvin Kaphan, MSW, BCD, CGP, FAGPA

Vickie Dauber, MA

Tanya Moradians, MSW, PhD, CGP

encourage you to volunteer your wisdom and expertise. Younger thera-pists, I urge you to volunteer your energy and passion. Sheila Traviss has joined our board as the new Volunteer chair and her role is to connect volunteers with meaningful tasks in the organization. Please contact her if you are interested in getting more involved: ohtraviss@yahoo.com

Finally, I believe it takes a group to form and sustain a group leader. There is no better training for a group leader and no better way to solidify one’s identity as a group therapist than participating as a member in on-going group therapy. Are you participating as a member in your own group therapy? If not, what is keeping you from joining a group? I believe that GPALA will become more vibrant and strong as more of us are participating as members in our own group therapy. There are some wonderful options for groups at the end of this newsletter in the ads section. As you read through the spring edition of our Newsletter you’ll also find many opportunities and trainings for you to take advantage of this next year. In a couple of weeks we are having our Annual Conference (April 19-20), and I’d encourage you to attend this valuable training event—this year we are honored to have Ronnie Levine with us. I’m thrilled to serve as your president as I anticipate 2013 to be an amazing year for group therapy in Los Angeles.Yours,Ryan Spencer, MFT, CGP

I continued to be in both until he died in 2008. Although I worked with and was influenced by many gifted clinicians, I was most influenced by his style and approach. Lou was engaged, lively and a brilliant person. I learned from him to use myself in a therapeutic way when conducting group therapy.

When I was in graduate school, group therapists relied heavily on interpretation as the intervention of choice. Lou’s style and presence was an appealing contrast to the more cerebral approach that I was learning. Lou had a keen intellect and utilized his emotional inner life to create innovative emotional interventions. This approach created a vitality in the group that I had not experienced before and I thought, “I’m more like that, and I want to be like that!” This approach allowed for different possibilities for the therapist which resulted in more imaginative, emotional interventions based on what was going on in the interactions in the room. It was more engaging and more fun, and moved the group to deep emotional experiences. The modern psychoanalysts had a wide range of emotional interventions, apart from interpretation, to deal with different kinds of people. They offered more options in techniques and approaches for working with a diverse patient population.

WW: I was interested in what you see as the most important tasks of the group leader?

RL: One of the main tasks of a group leader is to try to help group members put their thoughts and feelings into words. If group members are able to know what their thoughts and feeling are, they are able to have a clearer sense of self. The articulation of experience also allows for an increased capacity of self-reflection and modulation of feelings. As members become more come comfortable and effective in

expressing their feelings, maturation develops. This requires the leader to provide the right environment to address emotional needs so group members can be free to have their feelings, their fears, their desires and vulnerabilities.

There are two kinds of feelings to explore with group members. In approaching this I may do the following: First, is the building up of the self, that is, helping a person understand the feelings they might have within themselves and their “self” feelings (for example, shame and embarrassment are feelings that relate to the self). Second, are the feelings that members have toward one another—relational feelings—such as anger and love. Expressing these feelings sometimes feels like more of a risk—the group member might fear negative consequences for communicating their feelings toward another. Frequently, a person may be reluctant to express those feelings to another and may be more comfortable sticking with him or herself. I try to create an environment where everything can be said. As each member becomes more comfortable expressing feelings, a wider range of feelings becomes tolerable and containable for everyone in the group.

WW: How do you see your role as the group facilitator contributing to your clients’ change?

RL: I see myself as a maturational agent who helps group members have their experience. In groups we move from narcissistic ways of relating to more mature forms of relating. We start by identifying their feelings, knowing the effects of their feelings, and being able to communicate about it. This is no easy task and becoming effective with communication is a maturational achievement. All of us at times regress and progress with this ability, so that it’s not a static achievement. We move from an unawareness of the other to an awareness of the other and then back again – so there is fluidity to

EXPLORING BARRIERS TO INTIMACYIN GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPYAN INTERvIEw

wITH RONNIE LEvINE

(CONTINUEd)

PRESIdENT’S MESSAGE(CONTINUEd)

2

this process. My understanding of emotional experience is derived from a psychological developmental approach. I engage with each group member differently depending on where they are developmentally. Many of the modern, object relational and relational psychoanalysts have a developmental model in mind. Winnicott has particularly influenced me. Winnicott speaks of the environmental mother (the holding, bearing, mirroring mother) and the object mother (the object mother is one where the child can express aggression and the mother won’t retaliate, fall apart or operate in a destructive retaliatory way). Both of these “mothers” are needed. Part of being a maturational group analyst is trying to figure out what and when a certain emotional stance is needed. Sometimes a group member developmentally might just need someone to mirror them (modern psychoanalysts call that joining) or sometimes they might need to be able to express aggression or loving feelings. The treatment is a lived experience – it is not just cognitive. You can’t read about having a mother—you’ve got to have one or a primary caregiver, and have the maturational experience with a parent to learn how to regulate yourself and to tolerate experience. The group provides maturational interactions to help facilitate development. My approach is to study and inquire what the group member or group needs, and be open to respond in a way that they can facilitate more maturational relating within the group .

WW: I understand that you have led many workshops, institutes and conferences on “Love and Hate” in group therapy. Can you elaborate on how your research can be applied to groups and how the group leader might weave this theme into the group experience?

RL: When I speak of Love and Hate, I’m using it as an umbrella term to refer to both Love and Hate and all of the gradients of feelings or all of the feelings in between “Love” and “Hate”. In the group I want people to identify their feelings, contain their feelings and operate in a more effective way. If they can express their feelings effectively and not destructively, then they help each other. In group, people are free to have all of their feelings and I help them express the feelings and to pace it so that it is tolerable.

WW: How do you as the group leader stay open to feelings of love and hate?

RL: One thing I try to do is to work on my own emotional insulation so that I can tolerate the emotional states of group members. Emotional insulation is a concept that Lou Ormont proposed (though others might have as well). It’s kind of a shield—what you try to do is filter out toxic things that might destabilize the ego and let in the good things. Sometimes this is easier to do when you have the insulation of the role as the therapist.

So, for instance, if someone is angry at you – you don’t fall apart. It helps the leader become resilient. I supervise people who are very fearful of having anger expressed in their group, and as a result they report their groups are dead or stifled. They come to me because they want to have more vital groups. If leaders can develop a better insulation, then we can help members develop insulation. We help our members express their fears of having uncomfortable feelings, as a way of resolving the obstacles that get in the way of having and expressing unacceptable feelings. I try to find ways to help members identify feelings that they do not want to have. Fortunately, as leaders, we are not alone with this task. As group therapists, we have a whole group of people to assist the leader and the group be effective, so that the group is not dysregulated. As people get stronger they are able to tolerate a wider range of feelings, and feel safer in expressing a wider range of feeling.

WW: How do you help group members understand and explore concepts of love and hate?

RL: One of the ways is to help members express feelings so that it’s not destructive. Some of the work is emotional education. I help people define what a feeling is, and differentiate an attack or a discharge of feeling from a communication of a feeling. For example, someone might even be educated about anger and can say, “I’m angry”, but they still use their anger as a weapon. They really end up discharging their anger and use it to bully. My understanding would be that the group member is not expressing anger but simply discharging it—having a tantrum is not the same as effectively communicating feelings. Group members from this work will develop an observing ego and thus, an ability to reflect about what is going on in their interactions with others. It’s possible that in their family they learned not to have their feelings or express their feelings in destructive ways. The leader works to be an emotional guide. I need to help this group member understand why they are angry. I might ask:

“What have I or the group done to make you feel a bit angry or upset?” (or whatever phrasing feels right), or if the person is more tolerant of his/her anger, I might ask “Who are you mad at and why?” Basically, I try to hone in on what the feelings are and educate the member about those feelings.

WW: Ronnie, we appreciate your time. It’s been great to talk with you and we will see you in about a month.

RL: Thanks William, look forward to talking more soon.

EXPLORING BARRIERSTO INTIMACY IN GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY

AN INTERvIEw wITH RONNIE LEvINE (CONTINUEd)

3

Reflections on AGPA

I knew I was in for an extraordinary ad-venture when I was on the same flight with five fellow GPALA members heading to this year’s AGPA conference in New Orleans. The camaraderie and sense of being a part of something larger than oneself set the tone for the week. This is my third AGPA conference as a partici-pant, and the first time as a faculty mem-

ber. Last year after the conference in NYC, I was approached by Ruth Geller, M.D. to collaborate a proposal to co-facilitate a workshop on Non-violent Communication (NVC). Ruth and I met in an institute group at the 2010 San Diego conference and have kept in touch over the years. We initially approached the project as a good reason to stay in touch. We reviewed the workshop proposal paperwork, discussed why and what experi-ence we could bring to the curriculum, and then divided up the tasks. Ruth worked on the outline/agenda, while I worked on the course description and objectives. We both contributed to developing the course resources. The key was to keep it simple. With only 2.5 hours you can’t expect to go into too much depth.

This year the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) held its annual conference in New Orleans from February 25-March 2. GPALA had a strong showing this year at AGPA, with 25 members attending. Two of our GPALA members, Blair Smith and Michael Frank, share about their experience and involvement in the conference.

We also spent time reflecting and sharing our own experiences in AGPA workshops. We shared what we liked or didn’t like and why. We reflected on what worked and what could have been improved. We covered everything from agendas, delivery models, to room arrangements. Finally, we agreed that experi-ential was more effective than didactic for this level of learning. Once the proposal was submitted and approved, we marked our calendars to reconnect in January 2013. From there we scheduled weekly phone meetings to develop our curriculum, practice the NVC, and research resources and various exercises used in NVC practice groups. By the time we presented, we were well prepared and clear about our individual roles and goals. The workshop was a success in large part because of the level of engagement of the participants, and the way in which Ruth and I could support and encourage each other through the moments of anxiety and uncertainty. The beauty of this experi-ence was that it was a collaborative endeavor; a shared experi-ence with a colleague who is now a close friend. This is the power of AGPA. You never know who you are going to meet and how they may impact your life for the better, professionally and personally.

Michael Frank, LMFT, CGP, FAGPA

When William asked me to write this piece, I demurred, thinking he would want more the perspective of a newer attendee to this remarkable conference. I have been attending the AGPA Annual Meeting for nineteen straight years and have become very involved in its planning and execution. He assured me that a view from the “other side” would be acceptable.

This year I participated as a co-chair of the Conference Workshop Committee. This means that, along with helping to choose and plan the events of the Conference, I was responsible for orienting the workshop leaders and, this year, observing the Principles of Group Therapy course.

I also led an Institute Group for attendees with 0 to 4 years of experience in groups. The two days were very intense with some extremely deep and personal emotional sharing. I really love doing this and I learned a lot about myself as a group

leader. In years when I have been an Institute Group member, I have never failed to not only learn more about group therapy, but to also have a meaningful personal experience.

By volunteering to serve with AGPA, I have gotten to meet and work with some of the best people I have ever known. I am sure that I have gotten much more out of it than I have contributed. It is important to know that other than a small, dedicated paid staff, AGPA is an entirely volunteer-run organization.

I have also made what I call “AGPA friends” over the years, and we look forward to spending time together, even if we haven’t been in constant contact during the year. Some of them have become very dear to me. I am a rather introverted person, yet I have a need to be included and to be valued by people I respect. I also have a wish to be helpful and productive. I have found all of this in abundance at AGPA (and with GPALA as well). What I have also received, and been given the opportunity to give, is love. This was unexpected, and I am ever so grateful.

This year in New Orleans, Joel McLaffer ty and Evelyn Pechter received the 2012 AGPA Associate Society Assembly Award for their work as co-presidents that united GPASC and LAGPS under the new organization as the Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles (GPALA). On behalf of all of our GPALA members and friends, we want to thank you, Joel and Evelyn, for your efforts. We extend our congratulations to each of you for this achievement.

Evelyn Pechter, Psy.dJoel McLafferty, MFT

Blair C. Smith, LMFT

           

     

4

“Group for All Seasons”Hosted and Sponsored by: GPALA Legacy Board

OCTOBER 20

(* Changed from November 17, which is what is listed on our printed calendar*)

“How AGPA Could Benefi t You—Special Cocktail Hour Event”

Special Guests:AGPA President Kathleen H. Ulman, Ph.D., CGP, FAGPAand Jeffrey Hudson, M.Ed., LPC, CGP, FAGPA

NOvEMBER 16

SUNDAY WORKSHOP:“Retirement- if or when- from or to - a Dialogue”

Presenter: Elinor Grayer and Irwin Schultz

JUNE 9

“Becoming Real: Working at the Intersection of Clinical Theory & Human Connection in Group Therapy”Panel Discussion: Roger Schwartz, LMFT, JD; Michael Frank, M.A., LMFT, CGP, FAGPA; Karen Shore, Ph.D., ABPP, CGP

SEPTEMBER 8

2013GPALA ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Register Today at www.gpala.org

EXPLORING BARRIERS TO INTIMACYIN GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY

Presenter: Ronnie Levine, Ph.D., CGP, FAGPA

April 19 & 20

SUNDAY WORKSHOP:“This is Not Your Average Marketing Class: Learn How to Construct Profi table Groups in Private Practice”

Presenter: Elana Clark-Faler, LCSW

MAY 19

GPALA Calendar of Events 2013

SUNDAY WORKSHOP:“The Why and How of Adolescent Group Therapy”

Presenter: Elaine Leader, Ph.D., LCSW, BCD, CGP, LFAGPA

JULY 14

Register for any of these events by visiting: www.gpala.org

HOw TO BUILd A PRACTICE Marvin Kaphan, MSW, LFAGPA

The traditional wisdom when one is trying to build or enlarge a practice suggests extensive networking. Typically, this results in networking meetings with many people who have very few patients to refer, gathering with others in the same boat, and eagerly exchanging business cards.

At a recent meeting of the Legacy Advisory Board, we were

discussing the diffi culty younger GPALA members were having with this, and the ineffi ciency of that system.

The people who are more likely to have patients to refer are the

older more established practitioners. Few of us really know what anyone else’s style of practice is like. We tend to prefer to refer to those we’ve worked with in some way. We realized that the best way we’ve found to get to know what another therapist is like, is working with him or her on a board or committee of an organization like GPALA.

Therefore, we would recommend that volunteering for a committee or board at GPALA might be an excellent way to show your abilities and strengths. Fortunately, GPALA now has a bo ard member who specializes in matching those who want to volunteer, with satisfying and valuable openings on committees or even board positions.

If you wish to discuss volunteering, please get in touch with Sheila Traviss at ohtraviss@yahoo.com

5

This edited volume is a collection of essays from authors who have previously written on self-psychology and attachment—drawing heavily from thinkers like Kohut, Stolorow, and Bowlby. As I read, I was captivated by the au-thors’ insight, introspection and willingness to share their own intersubjective experience in therapy. For me, reading accounts of any de-veloping relationship is akin to being a fly on the wall, and in these chapters, I was not dis-appointed. The book is largely about process groups with a foundation of self-psychology, but expands into areas of dance, CBT, Somatic Experiencing, and play (in a chapter by Mary Dluhy). The entire volume is strictly academic format. I will focus briefly on a few of the high-lights and caveats of my experience in reading the material.

It all begins in the womb, literally, with chap-ters by Paula Thomson and Irene Harwood, on prenatal and neonatal care in a group setting. Aspects of both neuropsychology and self-psychology are explored before relating a few group case histories. Here, the idea of “group self” comes into play. I have never run groups for expectanting or new mothers, but made an immediate connection with the notion of

“group self.” In these chapters the authors managed to make the material come alive, and the cases were well demonstrated.

Martin Livingston’s introduction in his chapter is sublime as he speaks about slowing clients down to focus on feelings. Then he moves into his treatment of a couple and shows how he used this technique to clients to reveal parts of themselves that they can work on together. He demonstrates, through transcripts, how new unconscious material surfaces in the process.

Barbara Feld shares her experience with adult families, the offspring, and their partners. She integrates systems and self-psychology to explore transgenerational injury. Surfacing these injuries manages to change the ways the damaged parties interact, and new growth occurred within the family, while new couples learned how to iden-tify their needs.

With any effective psychological writing, if a concept makes sense, I absorb it instantly. I was engrossed by Walter Stone’s use of curative fantasy to distill the goals of our clients to a sim-ple, often hidden, desperate hope for change. Within this frame, Stone looks at interactions in group and sees each member’s fan-tasy. His awareness helps tease apart the deeply rooted needs of the group members to help them interact more effectively.

Emanuel Shapiro shares his group treatment of 9/11 volunteers suffering secondary trauma during the Ground Zero rescue and cleanup operations. His use of self-psychology explores the roots of trauma as a “shattering of assumptions,” and how twinship, witnessing, and validation naturally occur in groups, to provide relief to symptoms of shame and trauma. Significantly, his explo-ration of CBT is far less fleshed out than that of psychodynamic theory.

In families, couples, veterans, 12-step, pre-natal, neo-natal, trauma, the groups might be homogeneous support, or open. The underly-ing thread is in self-psychology, and the theoretical writing is where this work shines.

Andrew Sears, MA, MFT (MFC23020) is recently licensed and practicing in Atwater Village and at the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic. His focus is on older adults, artists, and major mood disorders. He currently serves as the Assistant Editor of the GPALA Newsletter.

Self Experiences in Group, Revisited: Affective Attachments, Intersubjective Regulations,and Human Understanding

Stone, W., Harwood, I, & Pine, M. (eds.) Routledge Psychoanalytic Inquiry Book Series, Lichtenberg, J. D. (series editor).

2012; 262 pages; $38.99A Book Review by Andrew Sears, MA, MFT

Boo

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONSDear GPALA members,

The GPALA Newsletter Committee would like to invite you to contribute in our upcoming newsletters. We are currently seeking people who would like to write an article, review, or other approved content in forthcom-ing editions. Article submissions should be approximately 450 words, due within 4-6 weeks of approval, and subject to editing.

If you have an idea of an article you would like to write or would prefer to be assigned to one of our proposed top-ics, please contact:

William Whitney, Editor, william.b.whitney@gmail.com Andrew Sears, Assistant Editor, andrewtsears@gmail.com

Andrew Sears, MA, MFT

6

OBITUARY

FLORABEL KINSLER, Ph.d.

Florabel (Flo) Kinsler Ph.D., a long-time member of LAGPS (one on GPALA’s constituent organizations) and a regu-lar presenter at GPASC (the other constituent organization) passed away on January 26, 2013 at age 83. She was born Florabel Pincus in Bronx, New York in 1929. She is survived by her son Warren Kinsler (Kay), daughter Sandra Kinsler (Brian Leshon),and grandsons Michael and Matthew Kinsler. Flo lived a life full of love, accomplishment and adventure. She will be deeply missed and often remembered by the many colleagues, clients, and friends whose lives she touched.

Dr. Kinsler was a social worker/psychologist and a pioneer in the treatment of holocaust survivors in the U.S. She went on to treat child survivors (people who were young at the time of the holocaust), children of survivors, and the 3rd generation of survivors, where the effects of trauma have been passed from generation to generation. The impact of her treatment of massive psychic trauma has become part of the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as she and her colleagues adapted their knowledge to survivors of catastrophes, torture, other wars, and imprisonment. She shared her work worldwide at conferences and through papers, and she helped train generations of new therapists. Florabel Kinsler listened to stories of horror unimaginable to most of us, providing relief, support, and solace to the tellers. She provided comfort and a way for people to go on with their lives.

Through her work with Jewish Family Service, she helped initiate two existing groups for survivors: the Los Angeles Child Survivor Association which became a model internationally and the social enrichment group for older survivors known as Cafe Europa. She continued to work until June 2012

For more details of Dr. Kinsler’s accomplishments, please see the Los Angeles Times article at:

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-fl orabel-kinsler-20130212,0,2841132.story

Donations to honor Florabel Kinsler may be made to:

1. “The Committee To Help Holocaust Survivors In Urgent Need” Checks should be made to the “1939 Club” for The Committee To Help Holocaust Survivors In Urgent Need”

8950 West Olympic Boulevard, #437, Beverly Hills, CA 90211 For more information call (310) 491-7802. 1939club.com

2. “The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust” 100 S. The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90036 lamoth.org

3. School of Social Work, Hebrew Union College3077 University Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90007 huc.edu

IRvING H. BERKOvITZ, M.d.

Irving H. Berkovitz, M.D., psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, died peacefully at home in Los Angeles on May 27, 2012, just short of his 88th birthday. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, and a friend and admired colleague to his associates in the medical, mental health and education fields. In addition to his 60-year private psychiatry and psychotherapy practice, Irv served as the Senior Psychiatric Consultant for Schools at the LA County Department of Mental Health, supervising and training teachers, counselors and school administrators. Irv was a proud and very active member of many professional associations - among them the AMA, CMA, Southern California Psychoanalytic Institute, Southern California Psychiatric Society, American Psychiatric Association, American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry, American Group Psychotherapy Association and the American Association for Social Psychiatry. Irv also served as president of LAGPS back in the 1970’s. Irv taught and supervised care at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, Cedars Sinai’s Thalians Mental Health, and St. John’s Hospital. His professional publications include “Adolescents Grow In Groups; Experiences In Adolescent Group Psychotherapy” (1972); “Expanding Mental Health Interventions in Schools” (1985);

“When Schools Care: Creative Use of Groups in Secondary Schools” (1989), as well as scores of journal studies and articles.

Edited from the LA Times by Elaine Leader, Ph.D.

7

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This Trauma/Addiction Group for women is a long term processgroup, where members have an opportunity to discuss their specific trauma/addictive relatedexperiences while gaining support from other women who have experienced trauma/addictivebehavior. The type of trauma + addiction (eating disorders, co-dependency, alcohol..) varies, but thepath to recovering a full and sustainable living is the journey’s goal. Because trauma + addiction canimpair and inhibit closeness to others, due to regulatory problems with fight, flight, and/ or freezeresponses, the group supports member’s acquiring life supportive adaptive responses when relating toothers.

If you are interested in a consultation, or want more information, please call.

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Opening doors with supportive group dialogue to:Learn more about yourself and how you relate to others

Develop intimate and healthy relationshipsGreater self esteem

WEDNESDAYS 7:00-8:30 P.M.ENCINO FEE $45 per session (payable monthly)

for further information or to arrange an initial consultation

NICKIE GODFREY, L.M.F.T.818 / 783-5470

6535 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 259Los Angeles, CA 90048

3171 Los Feliz Blvd. Suite 214Los Angeles, CA 90039

323-687-1923 john@johnbuse.com

Offering weekly, bi-weekly, and longer intensive sessions for couples.

Licensed Marriage and Family erapist (MFC 51115)

Imago Couple’s Counseling

Volunteer at GPALA!

contactSheila Traviss at

ohtraviss@yahoo.com

Advertise with GPALA!

see our special rate forGPALA Members

visit Us On the webwww.GPALA.org

CLassiFied ads

miXed adULt PrOCess GrOUP

Wednesday evenings, Encino (near 405/101 freeways).

Open-ended,on-going, gestalt orientation,consultation and collaboration

with individual or conjoint therapy available.

NICKIE GODFREY818/783-5470

ornickiegodfrey@yahoo.com

OFFiCe sPaCe avaiLaBLe

WLA. Full-time unfurnished offi ce in The Gardens, Olympic/Barrington.

Free wi-fi , koi pond, garden, easy parking, share with two psychologists.

$1,250/month.

Contact:

GretchenAskDrGretchen@gmail.com

or (310) 625-6083

OFFiCe sPaCe avaiLaBLe

Furnished Windowed Offi ce SpaceSherman Oaks

Available 4/2013 $175.00monthly on Thursdays

Contact:

Lynelle Goodreau MA818.995.3547

OFFiCe sPaCe avaiLaBLe

BRENTWOODLovely furnished window offi ce.

Rent or lease part time. Large enough for group therapy.

All therapist amenities. Parking: $.75 for 2hrs;

free behind building.Call:

Ann(310)472-0723

OFFiCe sPaCe avaiLaBLe

ENCINOVentura Blvd. at Haskell.

Large window offi ce, newly furnished and decorated, in two-offi ce suite.Comfortable waiting room.

Available by hour, half-day, or day.

Michael Frank(818) 679-7490

ormpfrank@aol.com

OFFiCe sPaCe avaiLaBLe

Exceptional Westside Psychotherapy Suite (Westside Pavilion adjacent):

Part-time space available in private, contemporary building (2008). Very good

soundproofi ng, easy parking options,call lights, separate exit, wireless.

(310) 281-8681or

andrew@westsidetherapist.com

*$10 additional charge for any part of any additional 10 word increment. The first 30 words of the first classified ad are free and each word over the 30 is $1.00, so a 40 word ad would be $10.Any additional ads over the first one are paid for by the number of words. It’s one free 30 word ad per person.

All ads need to be submitted exactly as they are to appear in the newsletter. -- no exceptions.Ads are submitted via email, no ads will be accepted through snail mail. Ads will be accepted as-is. Ads will not be altered in any way. No ad is ever retyped.

Classified ads are for group announcements or office space for rent. Some ads are “display” ads, the kind with graphics/pictures etc.Ads can be set up to run for the full year of issues.

When making a pdf please embed all type.Save in “print quality” format or as a PDF/X-1a for best results.All artwork should be 300ppi or higher for best results.

Payments are to be sent to:GPALA PO Box 661609, Los Angeles, CA 90066

sUPPOrt GrOUP

Bereavement community support groups in WLA and SFV

for individuals grieving the loss of a spouse or other family member.

H.O.P.E. Unit Foundationwww.hopeunit.org

818-788-4673

tHeraPY GrOUP

FOr interns & trainees

This sensitively facilitated interactive therapy group creates an affordable, safe and supportive environment for

learning about yourself in relation to others, all while sharpening your skills

as a therapist.Contact:

Jonathan Flier, MFT310- 552- 5338

sUPPOrt GrOUP

Starting a new evening group6:30-8:00 pm.

Irene HarwoodMFC, LCSW, PhD, PsyD, FAGPA1081 Westwood Blvd., #234

Los Angeles, CA 90024(310) 824-1355

Iharwood@ucla.edu

Type of Ad Size Member Rate Non-Member Rate

Full page display 7.5” x 9.5” $85.00 $120.00

3/4 page display 5.0” x 7.0” $70.00 $100.00

1/2 page display 7.5” x 4.75” $50.00 $70.00

1/4 page display 4.75” x 4.75” $40.00 $60.00

1/8 page display 4.75” x 2.25” $25.00 $45.00

1/16 page display 2.5” x 2.25” $20.00 $40.00

Business Card 3.5” x 2.0” $15.00 $30.00

Classifi ed Ads

30 words*

FREE

$25.00 + $1.50 eachadditional word

GPALA NEwSLETTER AdvERTISING RATES & INFORMATIONMember rates apply to current GPALA members only.

Newsletter Editor William B. Whitney | Assistant Editor Andrew Sears | Graphic Designer Margaret Miyuki