in-person and virtual
Group Therapy &
Training for Therapists
Frequently Asked Questions about Group Therapy
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During a Group Therapy session, members work to express all their thoughts and feelings as well as what gets in the way of them being free to talk more directly. Members talk about emotionally significant things happening in their life and their past. However, the larger focus is on the relationships and reactions arising in the present moment in the group. This approach allows members the chance to understand themselves and others at a deeper level by studying how they interact in the group and getting real-time feedback. As ready, the leader and fellow group members support each other in taking risks to try new more satisfying methods of having the types of connections they’d like.
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Groups have anywhere from 4-8 members and depending on the group a fair amount of diversity in areas of identity, personality, psychological orientation to the world, and treatment goals. The right group for you will have enough people similar to you that you won’t feel too different (and some people wouldn’t want to be in a group where they are the ‘only one’ of a certain group) and enough people different from you that you feel challenged. Group placement is a careful and collaborative process that happens during the pre-group intakes. Additionally, we offer a majority BIPOC group and majority LGBTQIA group for interested folks.
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We ask all members of the group to give the group three months to see if it's the right fit for them, and then four weeks to say goodbye when they are ready to leave. Process oriented groups are usually most effective when members are able to approach them from a long-term perspective, as relationships and trust deepens in the group over time.
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Start with filling out the interest form, we will follow up with you to book an initial free 15 minute phone consultation. If you are still interested in the groups at the end of that call, your prospective group leader will book a full 50-minute session so you can see what it may be like to work together as well as explore more in depth which group be right for you. At the end of that session, you will have either a plan to start one of our groups and begin pre-group prep or referrals for other groups that may be a better fit for you.
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Groups are 80-85 dollars a week, paid at the beginning of each month, so usually 320-340 dollars a month. We have some limited sliding scale options determined on a case by case basis. The 15 minute pre-group consultation is free and then the pre-group assessment and preparation meetings are sliding scale 125-225 dollars a session. If you have out-of-network mental health coverage we provide superbills and you can seek reimbursement. Bay Area Group Therapy Center is not an in-network insurance provider.
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Most clients at Bay Area Group Therapy Center receive individual therapy from other providers. We are happy to provide referrals for individual therapy as requested.
A select number of individual therapy slots become available for folks looking to work both individually and in group with the same therapist. If you are interested in this, please inquire about current availability.
At times issues come up in group that members desire more one on one attention from their group therapist to work through. Members can request an individual group integration session to check in about their goals for group or dive deeper into a piece of work that is emerging in the course of group.
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Our groups are for adults 25+ and each group has its unique generational makeup. In some situations we see folks 21+, but do not have groups for teens or young adults at this time. In your consult call you can express a preference for a group that has folks in your same age range if that is important to you.
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Book a free consultation and we will answer any questions you have.
Frequently Asked Questions about Group Training and Consultation
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We ask all members of the group to give the group three months to see if it's the right fit for them, and then four weeks to say goodbye when they are ready to leave. Process oriented groups are usually most effective when members are able to approach them from a long-term perspective, as relationships and trust deepens in the group over time. In general, new members enter a group no more than once a year.
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Training groups are 80-85 dollars a week, and the consultation group is 100 a week, paid at the beginning of each month for all the groups that month even if you have to miss one. The 15 minute pre-group consultation is free and then the pre-group assessment and preparation meetings are sliding scale 125-225 dollars a session. You should consult your tax accountant, but many private practice practitioners are able to write off training group as an educational expense.
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Process training group is grounded in a process group experience for therapists, but unlike a pure process group there is also space in training group to bring your professional self, questions to the leader about theory and technique, and clinical dilemmas to the group. We will explore these areas grounded in deep knowledge of each other and a process orientation.
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Whether you are contemplating starting a group or deep in a process with existing groups, it can be a gift to have a highly trained person help you hold and think through all you and your group(s) is experiencing. Consultation can involve business coaching, developing your confidence and voice as a group therapist, holding thorny sociocultural dynamics, and developing a coherent theoretical stance to help orient you in the work.
Email Info@BayAreaGroupCenter.com to inquire about current availability
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This ongoing group will be led by Alexandra Jamali, LCSW. In this consultation group for BIPOC-identified therapists, we will explore how to approach clinical work through a relational and social unconscious lens, as well as explore how we understand what these terms mean in ways that can be useful and deepen our clinical approaches and understanding. As a group, we will present individual therapy cases, read assigned articles, investigate countertransference issues that arise and study our groups' process in terms of how it relates to the clinical material explored. Group will be capped to allow for an intimate learning environment. You can read more about Alexandra Jamali here.
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Start with filling out the interest form, we will follow up with you to book an initial free 15 minute phone consultation where you can share more about what you are interested in and our therapist will provide more information about all the groups. If you are still interested in training group or consultation group series at the end of that call, your prospective group leader will book a full 50-minute session so you can see what it may be like to work together as well as explore more in depth what your goals would be in joining group. At the end of that session, you will have either a plan to start a training group or referrals for other groups that may be a better fit for you.