67th Annual Conference

Saturday, February 27

Afternoon Workshops

1:30 - 4:00 P.M.

Workshop 91

Making Time to Say Goodbye

Chairs:                

Jeffrey V. Mendell, M.D., M.P.H., CGP, Medical Director, Outpatient Mental Health Clinic Center, Allegany County Health Department Cumberland, Maryland

Marsha Vannicelli, Ph.D., CGP, LFAGPA, Associate Clinical Professor, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Salient aspects of termination and loss, as well as resistance to experiencing the attendant sadness, regret and disappointment, will be elucidated. A structured experiential format will help participants explore the meaning of endings in their own lives, as well as in the groups that they lead, as they say good-bye at the end of the conference.

experiential-sharing of work experiences-demonstration-didactic

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:

1. Describe salient aspects of termination, grieving and loss as it relates to their own personal experience.

2. Enumerate the complicated feelings associated with endings.

3. Describe the work that gets done as people are faced with the task of saying goodbye.

4. Prepare their patients more effectively for the work of termination.

Course References:

Schermer V. L. & Klein R. (1996). Termination in Group Psychotherapy from the perspectives of contemporary object relations theory and self psychology. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy 46 (1) 99-115.

Vannicelli, M. (1992). Removing the final patient roadblock: Termination. In Removing the roadblocks: Group Psychotherapy with substance abusers and family members. NY: Guilford Press.

Vannicelli, M. (2005). Commentary on therapist initiated termination. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 55, 311-15.