How We Grow
Dawn Taylor, Associate Director of Conferences
While Jen Bissell takes on the challenge of motherhood, I have decided to take on the position of AD for Conferences. Jen, Eleanor Howe and Nancy Der jumped in and introduced me to the intricacies of planning and coordinating our events. I’m enjoying learning about, and helping shape, the direction our Board wants us to go: retaining a focus on cutting edge theory and deepening our understanding of diversity.
My first hands-on experience was in preparing for Suzanne Iasenza’s conference in September. I made a decision to reframe my thinking from “What am I going to say to her when we meet?” to “Wow, what an opportunity to get access to a renowned expert!” Dinner with her the night before the conference was all I had hoped it would be, with members of the faculty, training program graduates and Suzanne eagerly discussing sex therapy and couples work.
The day of the event went extremely well with Jen showing me the ropes. Membership feedback has been positive via Survey Monkey and the trainee luncheon with Suzanne after the presentation was well attended and appreciated. A great deal of work by Michael Wannon, Rachel Miller, Jen Bissell and Nancy Der contributed to this incredibly satisfying success, And I have a new appreciation for how much care, thought, and energy goes into each conference.
As I focus on the next seven conferences coming up in 2018-2020, it becomes clear that few of us are willing to chair a conference. Why? I believe the reason is what initially made me hesitant about taking on this position: “That sounds like a lot of work! And where is the fun?” I am growing to appreciate my role and what I’m gaining in the process.
I would like to clarify the expectations of a conference chair and encourage you to reframe it as an opportunity to connect with, and learn from, some of the top experts in our field. As AD I look forward to meeting all the speakers, but the chair is the original contact and ongoing liaison between ICP+P and our speakers.
Ideally, the chair is someone knowledgeable about the speaker’s specialty and is comfortable discussing the speaker’s clinical theories. The chair has the opportunity to explore with the speaker how a presentation would be tailored for our organization. For example, the chair lets the speaker know that ICP+P wants speakers to include diversity awareness.
The chair takes on the role of personal host once the speaker comes to DC, so gets opportunities to spend time with them one-on-one. The chair truly serves as a face for ICP+P. While Nancy and I may be making arrangements at the venue and preparing for the event administratively, the chair gets the chance for a closer connection with the presenter.
Very exciting speakers are lined up for these next two years, and I’m looking forward to understanding their work more deeply through their visits to ICP+P. So, if you receive a call in the future from me or another member of the board, I hope you will say yes to chairing a conference and working with me to ensure that we all get the most out of each one!
Upcoming Training + Education
Sunday, December 2, 2018 from 12:30-5:30 pm immediately followed by reception for Rosemary
The Georgetown University Conference Center, Washington, DC
About the Conference:
Group therapy adds a broadened perspective to individual treatment. Expanding beyond an emphasis on the client’s inner experience as well as their immediate environment to their engagement with larger and more complex worlds offers the therapist and client increasing awareness of the impact of these larger contexts.
Conference attendees will have the opportunity to consider the impact of a combined treatment model of individual and group therapy. A panel of group experts will discuss the value of such a model and how it can be implemented.
Small and large groups will be part of the program, giving participants the opportunity to discuss the panel’s presentations as well as processing their own experiences in both the small and large groups. There will be an emphasis on the relational dimensions of group therapy.
At the conclusion of this conference, participants will be able to:
1. Describe when it may be beneficial to the patient to incorporate group psychotherapy into an individual treatment.
2. Discuss the pros and cons of working in a combined treatment model of individual and group psychotherapy.
3. Compare treatment outcomes between individual treatment and a combined treatment model.
4. Effectively utilize both individual and group therapy theories to create an individualized combined treatment model.
5. Utilize large group experiences in order to gain greater awareness of relevant social contexts such as race, gender, culture etc.
About the Reception:
November 2018 marks the 80th birthday of Rosemary Segalla. In honor of Rosemary’s passion for groups, we celebrate this occasion as a large group — As the warm professional community Rosemary co-founded and actively sustains. Your registration includes the champagne/wine and hors d’oeuvres reception that directly follows the conference.
Register Here!
Other 2018-2019 Training
- December 2, 2018, Conference – Contextualized Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis: Creative Input from Groups, Large and Small and 80th Birthday Celebration for Rosemary Segalla, Georgetown University Conference Center, from 12:30-5:30 pm immediately followed by reception for Rosemary, 4 CEs. Click here to register.
- January 26, 2019, Conference – Attackments: Subjugation, Shame, and the Attachment to Painful Affects & Objects, with Richard Chefetz, MD, Silver Spring Civic Building, 9:00am-12:30pm, 3 CEs.
- February 8, 2019, Short Course – To Group or Not To Group: Assessment and Preparation of Potential Group Members, with Rob Williams, LICSW, CGP, ICP+P Office, 12:30-3:45pm, 3 CEs.
- May 4, 2019, Annual Conference, with Steven Stern, Chevy Chase, MD, 9:00am-4:30pm, 6 CEs.
- September 28, 2019, Conference with Mark J. Blechner, PhD, Silver Spring Civic Building, 9:00am-12:30pm, 3 CEs.
Leave A Comment