Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles Presents The Harvey Institute

Sexual Health and Healing in Group Therapy
Featuring: Douglas Braun-Harvey, LMFT, CGP, CST & Patti Britton, PhD, MPH, ACSE, ABS

SHIFTING GROUP LEADER PARADIGMS
Developing Treatment Frameworks: Integrating Contemporary Views on Sexual Health and Healing

This workshop introduces sexual health based group psychotherapy principles and practices for group work that supports leader’s willingness, ability and confidence to address sexuality within group development and process. Attendees will learn fundamental principles of sexual health that provide a clinical treatment framework for group discussions about sexual worries, problems and disorders. Mr. Braun-Harvey will facilitate a demonstration group to model sexual health group leader facilitation.

Within group theory and treatment how is it that sexuality, central to the lives of group members, remains largely unspoken? Group members may withhold sexual health worries and problems because they fear their own self-judgment, the judgmental responses from the leader and/or other members. This is a common barrier to sexual concerns emerging in groups. This workshop promotes the integration of six fundamentals of sexual health as a basic container for exploring sex and sexuality in groups.

This workshop provides a map for leaders to guide their group members toward increasing self-efficacy and confidence when discussing sex. Improving sexual health conversation skills within groups can significantly decrease disapproving comments and harsh right or wrong thinking that is a common barrier to group’s willingness to deeply explore sexual content. This didactic and experiential workshop will provide a map for therapists to increase group leaders’ and members’ confidence, willingness and ability to navigate the world of sexual desire and pleasure.

• Attendees will:
• Evaluate psychotherapist comfort and willingness to engage in sexual health group work.
• Identify and integrate definitions of sexual health within treatment frame for group psychotherapy.
• Identity key sexual intervention within in group work.
• Demonstrate integration of sexual health approaches to group work through participation and/or observation of group leader facilitation.
• 6 CEUs will be given for attendance.

Important Disclosure for All Learners: None of the planners and presenters of this CE program have any relevant financial relationships to disclose. The Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles (GPALA) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists, LCSWs and MFCCs/MFTs. GPALA maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Full attendance is required for psychologists to receive credit; partial credit may not be awarded based on APA guidelines. Psychologists report directly to the MCEP using the certificates of attendance awarded at the completion of the course.