"Loving oneself begins with confronting the archetypal force within the psyche and unseating the wounded child's authority over us. If unhealed, wounds keep us living in the past."
-- Caroline Myss
"Please grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and
wisdom to know the difference."
-- Reinhold Niebuhr
ABOUT SYSTEMS THEORY AND GROUP AND FAMILY THERAPY
Systems Theory proposes that individuals do not operate in isolation, but are influenced by the relationships, groups, communities and environments of which they are a part. It teaches that if one member of a system changes, the rest of the system must adapt and change too. This can be a useful insight in helping people take responsibility for their individual choices, accept things that may be beyond their control and see new opportunities for change that they may not have appreciated before.
In GROUP THERAPY, a caring and supportive environment is created in which to understand the complexity of our needs and our relations with one another. There are benefits simply to giving and getting support in a group. Interactions among group members may also bring up feelings and reactions that echo those experienced in other important relationships in their lives. As these responses, also known as "transference," arise, group members have an opportunity to explore the dynamics and become mindful of things that “trigger” reactivity and habitual feelings. Participants can gain insight into their relationships and unhealed wounds from their past. They can then experiment with alternative responses and discover ways to operate that are healthier and more satisfying. Using action methods like psychodrama, sociometric exploration and mind-body practices furthers the process and helps integrate the group members' experiences of themselves.
Similarly, in FAMILY and COUPLES THERAPY, a Systemic perspective helps individuals pay attention to the boundaries between themselves and their family members (or the lack thereof) and raise their awareness of how their behavior affects their loved ones. Through respectful encounter, family members develop empathy, learn communication skills and consider new possibilities to address their problems and raise their satisfaction with their relationships.
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In GROUP THERAPY, a caring and supportive environment is created in which to understand the complexity of our needs and our relations with one another. There are benefits simply to giving and getting support in a group. Interactions among group members may also bring up feelings and reactions that echo those experienced in other important relationships in their lives. As these responses, also known as "transference," arise, group members have an opportunity to explore the dynamics and become mindful of things that “trigger” reactivity and habitual feelings. Participants can gain insight into their relationships and unhealed wounds from their past. They can then experiment with alternative responses and discover ways to operate that are healthier and more satisfying. Using action methods like psychodrama, sociometric exploration and mind-body practices furthers the process and helps integrate the group members' experiences of themselves.
Similarly, in FAMILY and COUPLES THERAPY, a Systemic perspective helps individuals pay attention to the boundaries between themselves and their family members (or the lack thereof) and raise their awareness of how their behavior affects their loved ones. Through respectful encounter, family members develop empathy, learn communication skills and consider new possibilities to address their problems and raise their satisfaction with their relationships.
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Below: FIERCE GODDESS by Ruth Epstein PAST GROUP WORKSHOPS
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>Can We Talk? Better Communication for Better Relationships
>Couples Work for New and Expectant Parents >Couples Work for One: A Systems Approach to Changing Your Relationship >Holiday Support Groups >Creativity, Community Development and Personal Growth >Introduction to Psychodrama >New to NY: Make It Here, Make It Anywhere >Non-Traditional Choices (A group for women w/ no children) >Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Suicide Prevention >Psychodrama for Actors >Reflecting on the Psychological Uses and Meanings of Money >Relationship Issues: Dealing with the Past, Staying in the Present >The Sociometry of Breastfeeding |