Friday, February 26

All-Day Workshops

10:00 A.M. - 12:30 P.M. & 2:30 - 5:00 P.M.

Workshop 40a

Group Psychotherapy Applications for Returning Veterans

Presented under the auspices of the AGPA Community Outreach Task Force

Chairs:

Shirley M. Glynn, Ph.D., Clinical Research Psychologist, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, Los Angeles, California

Barbara L. Niles, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts

Melissa S. Wattenberg, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts

We will present several group approaches to combat-related trauma, with emphasis on application to treatment of returning veterans. These manualized treatments include: Trauma-Focus and Present-Centered Therapies; specific short-term skills-based groups; models for wellness; mindfulness, and spirituality. Topics include: facilitating community  reintegration/transition from combat role; validating combat trauma; destigmatizing distress; supporting family/couples relationships; encouraging  self-care, self-acceptance, and healthy behaviors.  The overall aim is to address veterans' needs for rejoining the world post-combat.

didactic-demonstration-sharing of work experiences-experiential

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:

1. Detect combat-related themes and patterns in group therapy.

2. Identify emergence of PTSD symptoms and trauma triggers in the group process, and utilize group techniques to intervene in these instances.

3. Define the power and limitations of group therapy as applied to treatment of returning veterans (advantages and barriers to treatment).

4. Identify variety of approaches to group treatment of trauma.

5. Identify Health Risks common in combat veterans.

6. Identify potential spiritual issues in combat veterans.

Course References:

Friedman, M. J. (2006). Posttraumatic stress disorder among military returnees from Afghanistan and Iraq. Am J Psychiatry 163:4, April 2006.

Unger, W., Wattenberg, M. S., Foy, D. W., and Glynn, S. M., Trauma-Focus Group Therapy (TFGT): An Evidence-based Approach to Trauma with Adults.  In Psychological Effects of Catastrophic Disasters: Group Approaches to Treatment, eds, Shein et al., Haworth Press, Binghamton, NY, 2006.

Wattenberg, M. S., Foy, D. W., Unger, W., and Glynn, S. M., Present-Centered Group Therapy (PCGT): An Evidence-based Approach to Trauma with Adults In Psychological Effects of Catastrophic Disasters: Group Approaches to Treatment, eds, Shein et al., Haworth Press, Binghamton, NY, 2006.