An Interview with Elliot Zeisel, Phd, CGP, DFAGPA
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The From the President Strategic Work Fall 2014 Les Greene, PhD, CGP, LFAGPA Group ummer is over. The Snurseries are displaying their har- vest-hued rows of chrysanthemums; peaches and nec- tarines have been Circle replaced by tougher The Newsletter of the skinned apples and American Group Psychotherapy Association gourds at my favorite farmers’ mar- and the International Board for Certification of ket; and an assortment of LLBean- Group Psychotherapists type catalogues, replete with pho- tos of golden retrievers lying near cozy fireplaces, are beginning to pile up on my coffee table. Time to get back to work after an all too brief hiatus. To Be Bold at the AGPA Institute: Not that AGPA takes much down time. In the past year, some An Interview with Elliot Zeisel, PhD, CGP, DFAGPA of its many achievements have included further tweaking of our Hank Fallon, PhD, CGP, FAGPA, Co-Chair, Annual Meeting Committee state-of-the art technologies—web- site, online directories, and next the database to enhance the members- Editor’s Note: Elliot Zeisel, PhD, CGP, DFAGPA, is relationships, I was convinced only website area—and holding our the Institute Opening Plenary speaker at AGPA’s 2015 that I was in need of treat- highly successful Annual Meeting in Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California. A vet- ment if I was to live the life I Boston. Hardly skipping a beat, a broad eran AGPA Annual Meeting speaker, Dr. Zeisel was the envisioned. I wanted to find array of new projects have been leader of the One Day Special Institute in 2009 and out how to be more confident, completed or are being developed the Louis R. Ormont Speaker at the 2013 AGPA Annual have a successful relation- and implemented, including: the Meeting. He has served on the Boards of Directors of ship, and feel less depressed. updating of new scientific studies on the effectiveness of our craft; AGPA, the Group Foundation for Advancing Mental Fortunately, in my first week constructing new long-distance edu- Health, and the International Board for Certification of social work graduate school, cational offerings; completion and of Group Psychotherapists. He served as Vice Chair a classmate introduced me to dissemination of our latest train- of the Group Foundation, where he led the effort to a Modern Analyst, Dr. Dolores ing manual on process addictions; approving a plan to revise our core reach outside of the group clinician community with Welber, and I started individual treatment. principles manual; and planning an unparalleled ability to convey his enthusiasm for Sometime later, she suggested that I join her for what promises to be an excit- group therapy and create support for the organizations’ therapy group. I told her that I wanted to be part of ing 2015 Annual Meeting in San community outreach, education and research goals. Dr. a group, but I didn’t want to work with her; I wanted Francisco, as well as what I hope will be a truly peak experience that Zeisel is an in-demand teacher in the field of group to go work with someone named Lou Ormont. Her marks our 75th anniversary celebra- psychotherapy, having trained hundreds of professionals response was “Why him?” I understood that I needed tion in 2017. in the theory and practice of group psychotherapy and to work with a woman and a man: I needed to do The next really big project modern psychoanalytic theory from New York City to reparative work with my mother and father; and I moving to the front burner is hon- ing our Strategic Plan—that set of Rochester to Austin to Israel. He is an honorary mem- needed to know both the woman in me and the man four overarching goals reflecting ber of the Israeli Institute of Group Analysis and has in me. After a lot of talking, she agreed and I went to our organizational values and mis- worked to create training partnerships between Israeli work with Lou. sion, the delineation of conceptual and Palestinian clinicians. He is a founding member of I was 24 when I first met Louis Ormont, PhD, strategies for achieving them, the action-based tactics for carrying out the Center for Group Studies. DFAGPA, in a screening interview prior to entering these strategies, and, new to this group. He took my history and asked about the earli- current revision, a set of measures HF: Will you share with our readers how and est memory I had of my mother and father. At the for evaluating the effectiveness of when you first became interested in group time, I had no clue why he was asking those particular our organization-wide efforts. We want to talk the talk, but more psychotherapy? How did the Modern Analytic questions. It was only later that I understood that Lou importantly, we want to walk the approach become your theoretical home? was attempting to anticipate what the transference/ walk by delivering meaningful and The answers to these two questions are excerpted from countertransference experience would be. He was try- continued on page 6 an interview by AGPA member, William Whitney, PhD, ing to understand what parts of his female(ness) and that appeared in the Group Psychotherapy Association male(ness) would be engaged as we worked together. of Los Angeles’ Spring 2014 newsletter. I came to group from a relatively cloistered experi- ence. I was born in New York City, but raised in the What’s Inside EZ: As a young man, I came to understand that I country, and although it was only 35 miles from the From the Editor 2 needed help to grow up and mature. I didn’t know city, it felt very remote. My family was part of a Modern 2015 Annual Meeting 2 much about group therapy, but I knew I needed help. Orthodox Jewish enclave surrounded by a sometimes It was the sixties, and the importance of searching for anti-semitic community (it was just a few years post Member News 3 identity was high on the list of the counterculture’s WWII and there was menace in the air). I grew up not In Memoriam 4 creed. There was an emphasis on finding meaning knowing much about the outside world. Letter to the Editor 5 in work and love. In my early twenties, after a few Group Assets Insert continued on page 3 Consultation, Please 7 Affiliate Society News 8 The Group Circle is Promoting Secure Attachments Through Group Psychotherapy published four times a year by the American Group Psychotherapy Theme of AGPA’s 2015 Annual Meeting Association, Inc. and the International Board for Certification of Group an Francisco will be the place to be February 23-28, Association. Psychotherapists. Swhen AGPA gathers for its 2015 Annual Meeting at 1. The Golden Gate Bridge manages to impress even Editor the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Hotel at Embarcadero the most experienced travelers with its stunning 1.7-mile Steven Van Wagoner, PhD, CGP, FAGPA Center. Among the highlights is the Special Institute, span. A pedestrian walkway allows the crossing on foot, Editorial Staff where attendees will have the opportunity to choose from and bikes are allowed on the western side. Hank Fallon, PhD, CGP, FAGPA one of two Special Institute presentations on Monday, 2. Cable cars have been transporting people around Michael Hegener, MA, LCP, FAGPA Kathy Reedy, MSW, MFT, BCD, CADC, CGP February 23. Stephanie Covington, PhD, LCSW, will dis- San Francisco since the late 19th century. Tickets ($5) cuss Why Gender Matters: Creating Trauma Services for may be purchased at the cable car turnarounds at the ends Managing Editor Women and Men, and David Wallin, PhD, will present The of each route. Each one-way ride will provide spectacular Marsha Block, CAE, CFRE Therapist as a New Attachment Figure: How Our History views of the city’s celebrated hills as well as exhilarating Editorial/Production Managers Affects our Efforts to ‘Raise’ Secure Patients. transportation. Nicole Millman-Falk, CAE Angela Stephens, CAE The Institute also offers more than 40 sessions devoted 3. Alcatraz, the notorious former prison, is located on AGPA to small group experiential teaching. Both Process Group an island of the same name in the middle of San Francisco 25 East 21st Street, 6th floor Experiences (PGE) and Specific Interest Sections will be Bay. Though several tried, no inmate ever made a success- New York, NY 10010 held. The three-day Conference offers a variety of formats, ful escape from The Rock. Recorded cell-house tours are phone: 212-477-2677 toll-free: 877-668-AGPA including limited registration workshops, as well as open available, allowing visitors to learn about the prison as fax: 212-979-6627 session panels on special topics and original scientific they explore the buildings and grounds. Advance reserva- e-mail: [email protected] paper sessions. tions are required. www.agpa.org For complete details on the Institute and the entire 4. Fisherman’s Wharf is home to Pier 39, a festive Advertising Rates Annual Meeting, including how to register, visit AGPA’s waterfront marketplace that is one of the city’s most popu- website at www.agpa.org/home/continuing-ed-meetings- lar attractions. From there it’s a short walk to the Wax Display Ad Sizes events-training/annual-meeting. Museum, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and the famous crab Width/Height Cost Full Page vendors selling walk-away crab and shrimp cocktails. 83/4 x 133/4 $ 1,250 10 Things To See in San Francisco 5. Union Square, where major department stores Half Page Vertical Of course, another highlight of the Annual Meeting is its and exclusive boutiques line the streets, is the place 41/4 x 133/4 $ 625 location.