On November 12, 2010, RAGPS welcomed Gail Brown, MA who presented on “The Power of the Present – An In Vivo Approach to Group Therapy” at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Rochester. The foci of the conference included differentiating between present and past feelings, discussing aspects of the verbal contract, demonstrating techniques to establish immediacy (such as bridging), exploring resistance to immediacy, and differentiating between self and object feelings. Ms. Brown began the conference by sharing information related to Modern Group Therapy, the group “frame,” immediacy, and resistance to immediacy. She spoke about the importance of verbalizing feelings and exploring the origin of these feelings and their relationship to the group. She stressed the power of the present moment and she described how group members’ histories are often reenacted in the group. She also shared that while we may not be able to control the feelings we have, we are able to make choices about how we behave in the moment and it is these conscious choices that are associated with psychological growth. Ms. Brown also noted that knowledge of group dynamics and group theory is not only valuable for psychotherapists but it is also valuable for members of all types of groups including work groups, community groups, and families. This point was especially relevant to our audience as there were many people at the conference who hailed from roles and careers other than those found in the mental health professions. After the morning presentation, Ms. Brown led a small group demonstration (fishbowl), which was followed by a discussion and exploration of the demonstration. The fishbowl demonstrated the power of sharing one’s feelings in the moment and the skillful use of humor as an intervention. The demonstration also showed how group members’ histories become reenacted in the group as members found themselves interacting with others as if they were people in their lives outside of the group. In the afternoon session, Ms. Brown spoke about the leader’s role in the group. Ms. Brown then led a large group demonstration, which allowed everyone at the conference to experience the power of the here and now. Many participants were surprised to find that participating in the large group experience was as poignant as participating in a small group. Participants expressed appreciation for Ms. Brown’s genuine and active style and they noted how anxiety provoking but enlightening it can be to recognize, verbalize, and explore feelings as they occur. Participants from diverse disciplines said that the conference changed both their personal and professional lives and that they found a fresh perspective on group at the conference.

Janette Funk, PhD