Participation in a peer study group can be one of the most effective ways to nurture and enhance professional awareness and competence. This is true in any field, and there is a long tradition of peer study and consultation groups for therapists.
At the time of writing (March, 2005), there are two CAPP study groups, meeting in Hinsdale and Evanston. The Hinsdale group has been meeting for about six years, and was organized by Nancy Huntzinger. There are nine active members. The group meets monthly through the fall, winter and spring, on Sundays, at 11:30 AM., and focuses entirely on case presentations and consultations. The members are mostly private therapists, and all have a private caseload. It doesn't have a leader or facilitator as such, but has evolved a certain way of doing things. The members try to focus on the case in front of them, to share and offer different perspectives on the experience of the client and therapist, and to be sensitive to countertransference issues; all while remaining open to new ideas. The group doesn't have a set number of participants, but feels pretty full, at the time of writing. Therapists who are interested in joining this group, if an opportunity occurs, or forming part of a new west suburban group, should contact Nancy Huntzinger at 630-336-6172.
The Evanston group has been meeting for about nine months, and was organized by Jay Einhorn, who facilitates it. The group decided to close its membership at nine members, and is closed at the time of writing. It meets every six weeks, on Tuesday mornings, from 10:00 to 11:30 AM. The group originally aimed for an approximately even split between discussing articles and cases, but has tended toward spending about 2/3 of its time focusing on articles (which are selected by a different member each time and mailed to the other members), and 1/3 on case presentations and consultation. The group is open to studying ideas and practices from throughout the spectrum of psychoanalytic psychotherapy, while keeping a sort of anthropologically aware eye on the culture of psychoanalysis, which its sacred cows, turf wars, etc. The members are mostly private therapists, and our agency therapists mostly have private caseloads. For further information about the group, contact Jay Einhorn (see below).
As CAPPs Peer Study Group Chair, Jay is interested in supporting these groups, and helping others start.. CAPP members who are interested in joining or starting a peer study group are invited to contact Jay at 847-491-1191, or jay@psychatlarge.com. If a group is not available at the time a member calls, an opening might occur later in an existing group, or eventually there might be enough interested people on a waiting list for a new group to form.
For more information contact by e-mail.
