Groups for Children or Adolescents

As part of my practice, I offer groups for children or adolescents.

Alongside work with parents, work with young people has been central to my experience. Over the course of my sixteeen years of running groups, I have moved toward a style sometimes referred to as a process group.

The purpose of the group is multi-faceted, and somewhat different from member to member. However, one aim is to provide participants with the opportunity to experiment and learn socially, and interpersonally.

How does the group provide this opportunity? One way to think of it: The social stakes are low.  Typically, you don’t have pre-existing relationships with other members of the group. This lowers the social stakes. If you make what feels like an interpersonal misstep, you won’t experience the consequences at home, or at school with friends. Group members are less constrained by these concerns, and it’s possible to have what I call a heightened conversation.

This provides an unparalleled opportunity to learn about yourself, and your impact on others.  Social missteps become rich opportunities for gaining self-awareness, as the group is able to offer valuable perspectives. Healthy interpersonal risks occur frequently, and when successful in our low-stakes environment, the experience can be internalized and eventually brought outside the group.

This type of group might be particularly appealing to a young person who wants to develop interpersonal awareness, or social skills, but would not benefit from a didactic, pragmatic approach.

Please contact me if you have questions, or if you or someone you know may be interested in being a member of such a group. I’d be happy to talk to you about it.