SCT Conference 2024 - the Workshops

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100-I |

Systems-Centered Foundation Training for Groups and Individuals

Trainer(s): Robert Hartford , MA, LICSW ; Heather Twomey, Ph.D.

In this two-day experiential practicum, members learn to use SCT's functional subgrouping and reduce defenses in a specific sequence to develop the system's capacity for solving problems and applying common sense to everyday conflicts.

Category: Institute Track: Clinical; Organizational; General Interest Level: Open to All Levels|Foundation Level

CE credits: 11.5 Format: Experiential Day(s): Saturday & Sunday , Start: End: Saturday 5:30pm, Sunday 4:30pm

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Identify the three sources of anxiety according to SCT theory
• Describe one SCT method for undoing tension
• Identify a feeling that arises from a thought
• Describe a feeling that comes from a here-and-now experience
• Describe the difference between a stereotypical and a functional subgroup
• Demonstrate one behavior for joining others to form a functional subgroup

Presentation Content

The Foundation Training event is a learning opportunity that includes theory and experiential work that is based and builds on Agazarian’s (1997) Theory of Living Human Systems (TLHS). With its systems-centered approach to group practice, TLHS represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples.

TLHS and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

Participation in the Foundation Training group serves as an introduction to TLHS and its defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions, providing opportunity for beginners, experienced practitioners, and curious learners to implement and test the theoretical hypotheses in its practice.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P. (2018). Developing groups that change our minds and transform our brains: Systems-centered's functional subgrouping, its impact on our neurobiology, and its role in each phase of group development. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: Today's Bridge Between Psychoanalysis and the Group World [Special Issue], 38(4), 270-284. doi: 10.1080/07351690.2018.1444851

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Gantt, S.P., & Badenoch, B. (Eds.) (2013). The interpersonal neurobiology of group psychotherapy and group process. London, UK: Karnac Books.

Maher, M. (2018). From group analytic to systems-centered consulting: A comparison of experience. Journal of Social Work Practice, 32(4), 423-432. doi: 10.1080/02650533.2018.1503163

Presenters

Robert Hartford, MA, LICSW. Robert Hartford, LICSW, is a licensed psychotherapist in Washington, DC, California and New York and an Executive and Organizational Development Coach. He is a Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner, ICEEFT Certified Therapist, and a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator (CDFW). In 2001, he founded Solutions & Results, in Washington, DC, an independent therapy center focusing on emotional development and transformation. Robert received his post-master's training at the Systems Centered Training and Research Institute, and trained at San Francisco General Hospital, Psychiatric Department and Kaiser Department of Psychiatry.

Heather Twomey, Ph.D.. Heather B. Twomey, PhD., is a Clinical Psychologist who has trained in Systems-Centered Therapy (SCT) steadily since 1996. She is currently an SCT Licensed Practitioner who leads and co-leads in various SCT training contexts including conferences, workshops and training groups. Additionally, she practices in private practice where she conducts groups, individual, and couples therapy. She completed her Ph.D. in 1997 at Miami University. She completed her pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Emory University.

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201-I |

SAVI Fundamentals - Observing Behavior, Seeing Systems: At Work, In Therapy, At Home

Trainer(s): Alida Zweidler-McKay , MBA ; Kande Culver McDonald, MFA

SAVI (System for Analyzing Verbal Interactions) maps communication behaviors that contribute noise and those that build clarity in any human system: organizations, work groups, families, clients and everyday life. Learn to use communication patterns to “see” the system: how it is built by contributions from all the members -- and how to shift your own behavior to build more productive and satisfying interactions. Recognize repetitive, unproductive communication loops and explore alternative system patterns that free energy for problem-solving and work. This is a core SCT training.

Category: Institute Track: SAVI Level: Open to All Levels

CE credits: 11.5 Format: Experiential; Didactic; Demonstration Day(s): Saturday & Sunday , Start: End: Saturday 5:30pm, Sunday 4:30pm

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Define "noise" in verbal communication systems
• Produce Avoidance (noisy) behaviors and Approach (congruent) behaviors
• Produce behaviors representing the Personal, Factual and Orienting columns of the SAVI Grid
• Name three SAVI behavior sequences (Alerts) that signal emerging "noise" in the communication system
• Demonstrate strategies to reduce communication "noise" in at least three common redundant sequences
• Describe how communication is a system output, discriminating "noisy" and problem-solving patterns

Presentation Content

SAVI (System for Analyzing Verbal Interactions) maps communication behaviors that contribute noise and those that build clarity in any human system: organizations, work groups, families, clients and everyday life. Learn to use communication behavior to “see” the system: how it is built by contributions from all the members -- and how it influences what members contribute! Recognize repetitive, unproductive communication loops and explore alternative system patterns that free energy for problem-solving and work. This is a core SCT training.

Behavioral observation systems are well-established in the research and clinical fields. This particular model, System for Analyzing Verbal Interaction, has been used for research in 4 dissertations, reported as a group process tool in 4 peer-reviewed publications, and is currently used for data collection in 3 as yet unpublished ongoing studies. It has a sound theoretical base in both field theory (Kurt Lewin) and information theory (Shannon), and builds on the work of Bales and others who developed observation systems to study classroom interactions.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M., & Gantt, S.P. (2000). Autobiography of a theory: Developing a theory of living human systems and its systems-centered practice. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F.B. (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Bedwell, W.L., Wildman, J.L., DiazGranados, D., Salazar, M., Kramer, W.S., & Salas, E. (2012). Collaboration at work: An integrative multilevel conceptualization. Human Resource Management Review, 22(2), 128-145. doi: 10.1016/j.hrmr.2011.11.007

Benjamin, B., Yeager, A., & Simon, A. (2012). Conversation transformation. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Brooks, A.B., & John, L.K. (2018). The surprising power of questions. Harvard Business Review, May-June 2018, pp. 60-67. https://hbr.org/2018/05/the-surprising-power-of-questions

Gantt, S.P. (2013). Applying systems-centered theory (SCT) and methods in organizational contexts: Putting SCT to work. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 63(2), 234-258. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2013.63.2.234

Simon A., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2000). SAVI - The system for analyzing verbal interaction. In A.P. Beck & C.M. Lewis (Eds.), The process of group psychotherapy: Systems for analyzing change (pp. 357-380). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Wheelan, S. (2016). Creating effective teams: A guide for members and leaders (5th ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Presenters

Alida Zweidler-McKay, MBA. Alida has been coaching executives, entrepreneurs, and teams from small businesses to Fortune 10 companies for over 20 years. She helps clients delegate effectively, lead authentically, and build productive teams through one-on-one coaching, team coaching and workshops. She uses SAVI with teams and individuals to improve communications and problem-solving. In addition to being a certified SAVI trainer, Alida is also a SAVI Master Coder, reflecting her experience using SAVI to code conversations for research purposes. Personally, she has found SAVI to be incredibly useful in her roles as spouse, mother, daughter and community volunteer. Alida has a BA from Swarthmore College and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Kande Culver McDonald, MFA. Kande Culver McDonald has a BFA in Dance Performance and an MFA in Creative Writing; her first career was as modern dancer/yoga and pilates instructor/aspiring short story writer/waitress. She stumbled (gracefully, of course) into an HR career in 2002, which laid the groundwork for her second career as an executive and team coach, facilitator and trainer. She discovered SCT in 2014 by attending Yvonne's Monday night training group upon a coach friend’s suggestion that she check out a powerful and brilliant woman in action. In 2019, she began studying SAVI with Claudia Byram and Fran Carter and she will have completed trainer certification in Fall 2023. In 2022, she joined Susan Lange’s SCT group. She uses SAVI and principles of SCT with individual and team coaching clients, as well as in her roles as parent, spouse and daughter of aging parents.

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301-IC |

Intermediate Skills Training

Trainer(s): Lotte Paans , Msc ; Dr. Ros Wood, BSc (Hons), MBChB, MRCPsych

7-day group, meets on Institute weekend and continues Monday-Friday as full-morning training.

Intermediate skills training shifts focus from work with oneself to work with others. In this intensive 7-day training, participants are introduced to SCT protocols with an emphasis on the theoretical context for the intervention and the technical skills that make up each protocol. Participants then record their practice of each protocol and lead a small task group reviewing recorded sections in order to identify specific driving and restraining forces of their work.

By application to assess your readiness for this training (see link below). Send application to both Lotte Paans and Ros Wood.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Sunday, February 4, 2024

Note: One of the leaders of your training group (or, if in unusual circumstances, you are not part of a training group, a system mentor) should be consulted as to your readiness for this training. This is the first of the core Intermediate SCT trainings.

Participation in intermediate level training requires membership in SCTRI and actively receiving consultation from an SCT Licensed Practitioner.

See the Intermediate tab on SCT Training Curriculum for details

Category: Institute Track: Clinical; Organizational; Theory and Basics Level: Intermediate Level

CE credits: 27.5 Format: Didactic; Demonstration; Experiential Day(s): Saturday & Sunday , Start: End: Saturday 5:30pm, Sunday 4:30pm

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Demonstrate ability to introduce functional subgrouping to a group
• Demonstrate ability to use SCT protocols for undoing distractions, anxiety, tension, depression, outrages, and role locks
• Apply a basic understanding of the theoretical context for the use of SCT protocols
• Create a force field to analyze what helps or hinders the application of protocols
• Demonstrate ability to provide feedback based on facts, not opinions
• Demonstrate ability to lead a small task group

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that function as hypotheses to test both the validity of the theory and the reliability of its practice.

This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P. (2013). Applying systems-centered theory (SCT) and methods in organizational contexts: Putting SCT to work. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 63(2), 234-258. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2013.63.2.234

Gantt, S.P. (2021). Systems-centered theory (SCT) into group therapy: Beyond surviving ruptures to repairing and thriving. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 71(2), 224-252. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2020.1772073

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup 1), S60-S70 doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Gantt, S.P., & Badenoch, B. (2020). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Developing a group mind that supports right brain function and right-left-right hemispheric integration. In R. Tweedy (Ed.) The divided therapist: Hemispheric difference and contemporary psychotherapy (pp. 149-180). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Presenters

Lotte Paans, Msc. Lotte Paans runs a private practice for therapy and (team)coaching in the Netherlands. She counsels individuals, couples and teams, provides training and supervision for (team)coaches and consultants and manages change in organizations using SCT. She leads several ongoing SCT groups in the Netherlands and at SCT conferences. Lotte is a licensed SCT Practitioner, a founding member and Chair of the Dutch SCT-NL Board and member of SCTRI in the USA.

Dr. Ros Wood, BSc (Hons), MBChB, MRCPsych. Dr. Ros Wood is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner who worked in the UK for the National Health Service for 20 years before moving into private practice. She has previously led multi-disciplinary community mental health teams in South Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. She has worked with adults who suffer from mental illnesses and disorders including anxiety disorders, OCD, mood disorders, trauma and stress related disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders, comorbid addiction, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and Autistic Spectrum Conditions. She has a particular interest in the impact of complex childhood trauma in adulthood. She has taught psychiatrists, primary care physicians, therapists, nurses, social workers, junior doctors and medical students on a wide variety of clinical topics, including didactic teaching and experiential workshops. She has now retired from the NHS and works in private practice.

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401-IC |

Authority Issue Group

Trainer(s): Susan P. Gantt , Ph.D., CGP, ABPP, AGPA-DF, FAPA ; Ray Haddock, MBChB, M.MedSc, FRCPsych

7-day group, meets on Institute weekend and continues Monday-Friday as full-morning training.

This training is an ongoing event that confronts the hatred of authority, one’s own and others’. Alternating between training group practicum and review work, the program will focus on applying a Theory of Living Human Systems in exploring the issues of giving and taking authority. This training is by application only for SCTRI members who are committed to becoming a Licensed SCT Practitioner, who have completed all prerequisite intermediate training, and meet the criteria for group membership. Joining this group means committing to twice yearly meetings for the duration of the group.

See the Intermediate tab on SCT Training Curriculum for details

This is a closed group.

Participation in intermediate level training requires membership in SCTRI and actively receiving consultation from an SCT Licensed Practitioner.

Category: Institute Track: Clinical; Organizational Level: Intermediate Level

CE credits: 27.5 Format: Experiential Day(s): Saturday & Sunday , Start: End: Saturday 5:30pm, Sunday 4:30pm

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Demonstrate ability to shift from person to member in a developing group in each of its phases of system development
• Utilize leadership and membership roles working in the context of a peer task-focused group
• Apply SCT methods to weaken the restraining forces in shifting from person to member
• Describe the concept of hatred of authority
• Explain the role relationships with external authority and one’s internal authority
• Practice working in membership with leadership towards the goal of increasing awareness of the driving and restraining forces related to leadership effectiveness, both internal in relationship to the personality style, task/maintenance dimensions, and the effect of leadership behaviors on the group's membership, subgroups and the group-as-a-whole

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that function as hypotheses to test both the validity of the theory and the reliability of its practice. This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1994). The phases of development and the systems-centered group. In M. Pines, & V. Schermer (Eds.), Ring of fire: Primitive object relations and affect in group psychotherapy (pp. 36-85). London, UK: Routledge, Chapman & Hall.

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M. (1999). Phases of development in the systems-centered group. Small Group Research, 30(1), 82-107. doi: 10.1177/104649649903000105

Agazarian, Y.M. (2012). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Putting theory into practice. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 62(2) 171–195. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2012.62.2.171

Agazarian, Y.M. (2016). Contrasting interpersonal and systems-centered approaches using two observation systems to analyze the communication patterns in two videotapes of the interpersonal approach to group psychotherapy. GROUP: The Journal of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, 40(1), 71-88. doi:10.13186/group.40.1.0071

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Armington, R. (2012). Exploring the convergence of systems-centered therapy’s functional subgrouping and the principles of interpersonal neurobiology. Journal of Interpersonal Neurobiology Studies, 1, 51-55.

Brabender, V., & Fallon, A. (2008). Group development in practice: Guidance for clinicians and researchers on stages and dynamics of change. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Finlay, L.D., Abernethy, A.D., & Garrels, S.R. (2016). Scapegoating in group therapy: Insights from Girard’s mimetic theory. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 66(2), 188-204. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2015.1106174

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Moreno, J.K. (2007). Scapegoating in group psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 57(1), 93-104.

O'Neill, R.M., & Mogle, J. (2015). Systems-centered functional subgrouping and large group outcome. GROUP: The Journal of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, 39(4), 303-317. doi: 10.13186/group.39.4.0303

Presenters

Susan P. Gantt, Ph.D., CGP, ABPP, AGPA-DF, FAPA. Susan P. Gantt, Ph.D., ABPP, CGP, AGPA-DF, FAPA, is a psychologist in private practice and coordinated group psychotherapy training in psychiatry at Emory University for 29 years. She chairs the Systems-Centered Training (SCT) and Research Institute; teaches SCT in the USA, Europe and China; and leads training groups in Atlanta, San Francisco, and The Netherlands. She has co-authored four books with Yvonne Agazarian, co-edited The Interpersonal Neurobiology of Group Psychotherapy and Group Process with Bonnie Badenoch, and received the 2011 Alonso Award for Excellence in Psychodynamic Group Psychotherapy. Her latest book is Systems-Centered Training: An Illustrated Guide for Applying a Theory of Living Human Systems (Agazarian, Gantt & Carter, 2021).

Ray Haddock, MBChB, M.MedSc, FRCPsych. Ray Haddock, MBChB, M.MedSc, FRCPsych, is a licensed Systems-Centered practitioner, a Director of SCTUK, a member of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute Board of Directors and of the Board of the International Association of Group Psychotherapy and of the Institute of Group Analysis. He spent many years as a medical psychotherapist in the NHS as a therapist and training psychiatrists in therapeutic skills. As a Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner and trainer he undertakes training, consultation, personal development, mentoring and therapy in the UK and internationally.

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402-I |

Coaching Individuals and Teams: A Systems-Centered Perspective

Trainer(s): Rowena Davis , MSc ; Annie MacIver, MA, CQSW

Coaching from a Systems-Centered perspective: what does it look and feel like and what difference does it make? We will use a Theory of Living Human Systems and its Systems-Centered practice to explore what we know and discover new learning. Using participants’ live examples, we will practise and role play coaching.

Prerequisite: Completion of Intermediate Skills Training (IST) or by application (see link below) to assess your readiness. If you have not yet completed IST, send application with details of your SCT training to date to Rowena Davis and Annie MacIver.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, February 16, 2024

Participation in intermediate level training requires membership in SCTRI and actively receiving consultation from an SCT Licensed Practitioner.

See the Intermediate tab on SCT Training Curriculum for details

Category: Institute Track: Organizational; Theory and Basics; General Interest Level: Intermediate/Advanced Level

CE credits: 11.5 Format: Demonstration; Didactic; Experiential Day(s): Saturday & Sunday , Start: End: Saturday 5:30pm, Sunday 4:30pm

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• State one goal of coaching from a Systems-Centered perspective
• Apply a Theory of Living Human Systems to a coaching context
• Apply the SCT notions of role, goal and context in a coaching setting
• Use the Person-as-a-System map to take up a coach role
• Use reflection to build attunement as a coach
• Use force fields when coaching clients

Presentation Content

Systemic coaching is widely acknowledged as an effective approach to aligning individuals and the teams in which they work to the organization they work for. Systemic Coaching has its roots in principles of Organisational Development, where the individual self is viewed in relationship to others, and in relation to the larger organizational or institutional ecosystem. Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, Kurt Lewin, Edgar Schein, Peter Senge, Peter Hawkins and Otto Scharmer have contributed to the systemic view in their approaches. SCT’s unique contribution is having a theory, methods and techniques and in focusing on discriminating and integrating differences at all system levels.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Davis, R. (2020). How do we keep theory alive and use it in practice? Systems-Centered News, 28(1), 7-10.

Gantt, S.P. (2013). Applying systems-centered theory (SCT) and methods in organizational contexts: Putting SCT to work. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 63(2), 234-258. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2013.63.2.234

Gantt, S.P. (2021). Systems-centered training for group leaders: Weakening social survivor roles that undermine women (and men) in leadership. In Y.I. Kane, S.M. Masselink & A.C. Weiss (Eds.), Women, intersectionality and power in group psychotherapy leadership (pp. 236-253). London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (Eds.) (2005). SCT in action: Applying the systems-centered approach in organizations. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse. Reprint (2006). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Sundlin, A-L, & Sundlin, P. (2014). Taking up your role: How to shift between life and work without losing yourself. Cambridge, MA: Catalyst Communications Press.

Wheelan, S.A. (2016). Creating effective teams: A guide for members and leaders. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Presenters

Rowena Davis, MSc. Rowena Davis, MSc, is an organizational consultant working with public, private and not-for-profit organizations in the UK and internationally. Her work combines coaching individuals and teams; strategic marketing and planning; mapping systems; and running SCT and SAVI trainings in the US and Europe. She is a Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner, a certified SAVI trainer, a member and Research Director of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute Board, and a Director of SCTUK. She holds an MSc in Change Agent Skills & Strategies (Distinction) from the University of Surrey, a Dottore in Sociologia from the University of Trento, Italy, and a BSc (Econ) from the London School of Economics.

Annie MacIver, MA, CQSW. Annie MacIver, MA, CQSW is an organizational consultant, trainer and coach working in the public and private sectors. She has applied SCT to build effective teams and partnerships as a senior leader in large public sector organisations. She is a licensed Systems-Centred practitioner, a Director of SCTUK and a member of the SCTRI Board. She has an MA in Consultation and the Organisation and is a qualified Social Worker.

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403-I |

Observing a Systems-Centered Foundation Group: Training for Trainers and Advanced Intermediate Leaders

Trainer(s): Norma Safransky , MD ; Dayne Narretta, LCSW, BCD, CGP, AGPA-F

This task-focused training is an opportunity to observe a two-day foundation group through the first phases of system development, tracking group dynamics and phase while linking leader interventions to theory and methods.

Prerequisite: Completion of Mentor Training.

Participation in intermediate level training requires membership in SCTRI and actively receiving consultation from an SCT Licensed Practitioner.

See the Intermediate tab on SCT Training Curriculum for details

Category: Institute Track: Clinical; Organizational; Theory and Basics Level: Intermediate/Advanced Level

CE credits: 11.5 Format: Experiential; Sharing of Experience Day(s): Saturday & Sunday , Start: End: Saturday 5:30pm, Sunday 4:30pm

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Describe one leader intervention to reduce flight dynamics in an SCT group
• Describe the leader's use of methods and techniques of SCT in relation to the group's movement through the early phases of development
• Create a force field of leader behaviors as driving or restraining forces toward the development of all system levels (member, subgroup, group-as-a-whole)
• Describe one leader intervention in terms of its theoretical roots in a Theory of Living Human Systems
• Give one example of a leader intervention directed towards each system (member, subgroup, group-as-a-whole)
• Give an example of a leader intervention that supported a member moving from person to member and member to subgroup

Presentation Content

The systems-centered approach to group and organizational work has been in the field for over 25 years, presented in approximately 30 articles in peer-reviewed professional journals. Its methods incorporate techniques linked to successful strategies for improvement in group and individual psychotherapy, for example, modifying cognitive distortions, increasing group cohesion, lowering scapegoating, and reducing somatic defenses.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (2012). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Putting theory into practice. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 62(2) 171-195. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2012.62.2.171

Agazarian, Y.M. (2012). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: A theory of living human systems and its systems-centered practice. GROUP: The Journal of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, 36(1), 19-36.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P. (2021). Systems-centered training for group leaders: Weakening social survivor roles that undermine women (and men) in leadership. In Y.I. Kane, S.M. Masselink & A.C. Weiss (Eds.), Women, intersectionality and power in group psychotherapy leadership (pp. 236-253). London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

O’Neill, R.M. (2014). Systems-centered management: A brief review of theory, practice and research. Review of Public Administration and Management, 2(1). doi:10.4172/2315-7844.1000144

Presenters

Norma Safransky, MD. Norma Safransky, MD, is a Licensed SCT Practitioner in private practice in Chapel Hill, NC. Her work includes individual and group psychotherapy. She is a member of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute Board and the SCTRI Steering Group. She holds a Doctor of Medicine degree and completed a residency in psychiatry at the University of North Carolina. She holds a BS degree in zoology from Duke University.

Dayne Narretta, LCSW, BCD, CGP, AGPA-F. Dayne Narretta, LCSW, BCD, CGP, AGPA-F, is in private practice in Baton Rouge, LA. She has been facilitating groups since 1992. Most of her group training is through Systems-Centered Training Research Institute, American Group Psychotherapy Association and its affiliates and learning from the groups she leads. She does workshops and experiential groups for SCTRI, AGPA and its affiliates, universities, treatment centers and other organizations. She was introduced to Systems-Centered group work in 2004 and continues her training in the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute. Dayne is currently a Co-Director for the Systems-Centered Training annual conference. She has served on the Board for American Group Psychotherapy Association, as an AGPA conference co-chair and on the Affiliate Society Assembly. In addition, she has served in numerous roles in the Louisiana Group Psychotherapy Society, including president.

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501-I |

Exploring, Practicing and Developing a Phylogenetic Protocol

Trainer(s): Nina Klebanoff , Ed.M., LCSW, CGP ; Mike Maher, MA, PGCE

This protocol helps us identify the multiple norms that we inherit in our family role systems, developed over generations. When we see the historical contexts of our inherited survival roles we shift from personalizing them to a systems-centered understanding. We will subgroup around our own experience with this new protocol so we can integrate this into our deeper understanding and see what new insights emerge. This advanced institute will build and depend on skills and development acquired in previous SCT training.

Prerequisite: Completion of Authority Issue Group training.

Participation in advanced level training requires membership in SCTRI.

Category: Institute Track: Clinical; Organizational; Education Level: Advanced Level

CE credits: 11.5 Format: Experiential; Didactic Day(s): Saturday & Sunday , Start: End: Saturday 5:30pm, Sunday 4:30pm

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Practice the phylogenetic protocol
• Identify the multiple norms that we inherit in our family role systems, developed over generations
• Describe the influence of race, class, ethnicity, religion, culture and other factors on our family system norms
• Describe roles as systems in the context of their phylogeny
• Apply the phylogenetic protocol to my own family system norms
• Identify and assess the shift from personalized experiences of the dyadic roles of parent and child to the new understanding of roles as systems in the context of generations of family system norms

Presentation Content

Systems-centered training has been widely accepted in group psychotherapy and organizational development contexts. Its methods link to conditions that correlate with successful outcomes in group work - functional subgrouping increases group cohesion and lowers scapegoating.

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that implement and test the theoretical hypotheses in its practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis. The systems-centered approach to group and organizational work has been in the field for over 25 years, presented in more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed professional journals. Its methods incorporate techniques linked to successful strategies for improvement in work with groups and individuals.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (2012). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: A theory of living human systems and its systems-centered practice. GROUP: The Journal of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, 36(1), 19-36.

Agazarian, Y.M. (2012). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Putting theory into practice. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 62(2) 171-195. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2012.62.2.171

Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). The new SCT phylogenetic protocol. Systems-Centered News, 25(1), 9-10.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge. 

Gantt, S.P. (2018). Developing groups that change our minds and transform our brains: Systems-centered's functional subgrouping, its impact on our neurobiology, and its role in each phase of group development. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: Today's Bridge Between Psychoanalysis and the Group World [Special Issue], 38(4), 270-284. doi: 10.1080/07351690.2018.1444851

Gantt, S.P., & Badenoch, B. (2020). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Developing a group mind that supports right brain function and right-left-right hemispheric integration. In R. Tweedy (Ed.) The divided therapist: Hemispheric difference and contemporary psychotherapy (pp. 149-180). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Presenters

Nina Klebanoff, Ed.M., LCSW, CGP. Nina Klebanoff, Ed.M., LCSW, CGP, has been in private practice for over forty years, working with individuals, groups, couples' groups and organizations. Nina leads an ongoing SCT training group, provides consultation and has presented at numerous conferences.

Mike Maher, MA, PGCE. Mike Maher is an experienced psychotherapist, trainer and organizational consultant. He was formerly Deputy Director at Peper Harow Therapeutic Community and worked in and with childcare and treatment for over 30 years. He is Director of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute and is a Licensed SCT Practitioner. Mike runs SCT training groups in the Netherlands and Denmark and works in private practice in the UK and online across the world. He has presented at many international conferences and his work has been regularly published.

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502-IC |

Advanced Training for Trainers and Leaders: Tracking Group Development

Trainer(s): Dorothy Gibbons , MSS, LCSW ; Juliet Koprowska, MSW

7-day group, meets on Institute weekend and continues Monday-Friday as full-morning training.

This training observes the Authority Issue Group to track group dynamics, phase of system development, communication patterns that support the phase, leadership interventions linking interventions to theory and group functioning. Goal: To learn through observation to collect data about the impact of leader interventions in each phase of system development and, through experience, to collect data about system isomorphy.

Prerequisite: Completion of Authority Issue Group training.

This group will continue to meet through the duration of the Authority Issue Group.

Participation in advanced level training requires membership in SCTRI.
 

Category: Institute Track: Clinical; Organizational Level: Advanced Level

CE credits: 27.5 Format: Demonstration; Experiential; Sharing of Experience Day(s): Saturday & Sunday , Start: End: Saturday 5:30pm, Sunday 4:30pm

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Analyze the leader's SCT interventions as they relate to the system's phase of development
• Describe a predictable hierarchy of defense modification in the service of developing an SCT work phase group
• Relate observations to a Theory of Living Human Systems and systems-centered practice
• Develop a force field to identify the driving and restraining forces towards building a systems-centered group
• Assess effectiveness of functional subgrouping in an advanced training group (Authority Issue Group)
• Discuss examples of isomorphy between group being observed and observing group

Presentation Content

The training is rooted in the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute’s (SCTRI) long-standing commitment to advancing the field of group psychotherapy and systems-centered practice. SCTRI was presented with the 2010 Award for Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. With its empirical basis and focus on understanding group dynamics through observation, this training enhances the skills of participants working in group settings.

The training emphasizes hands-on observation, critical discussion, and practical skill-building in the context of the Authority Issue Group (AIG) and Licensing Group. By observing and analyzing leadership interventions, communication patterns, and group phases, participants will gain first-hand experience in tracking real-life group developments, integrating theory and practice.

In summary, this training event serves as an advanced learning opportunity for participants, equipping them with the knowledge and practical skills to assess and intervene in group dynamics using systems-centered principles. The methods employed are empirically supported and rooted in a deep understanding of psychological, systemic and psychoanalytic theory.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Armington, R. (2012). Exploring the convergence of systems-centered therapy’s functional subgrouping and the principles of interpersonal neurobiology. Journal of Interpersonal Neurobiology Studies, 1, 51-55.

Gantt, S.P. (2011). Systems-centered approach to groups. In J. Kleinberg (Ed.), The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of group psychotherapy (pp. 113-138). Oxford, UK: Wiley.

Gantt, S.P. (2021). Systems-centered training for group leaders: Weakening social survivor roles that undermine women (and men) in leadership. In Y.I. Kane, S.M. Masselink & A.C. Weiss (Eds.), Women, intersectionality and power in group psychotherapy leadership (pp. 236-253). London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2010). Developing the group mind through functional subgrouping: Linking systems-centered training (SCT) and interpersonal neurobiology. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 60(4), 515-544. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2010.60.4.515

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Gantt, S.P., & Badenoch, B. (2020). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Developing a group mind that supports right brain function and right-left-right hemispheric integration. In R. Tweedy (Ed.) The divided therapist: Hemispheric difference and contemporary psychotherapy (pp. 149-180). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Gantt, S.P., Carter, F.B., Gibbons, D., & Hartford, R. (2021, October 24). Systems-centered training & therapy: Seeing the system, not just people. Commemorating the work of Yvonne Agazarian. [Online event.] Systems-Centered Training & Research Institute.

 

Presenters

Dorothy Gibbons, MSS, LCSW. Dorothy Gibbons, MSS, LCSW, is a Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner. She is in private practice in Philadelphia, PA. She works with individuals, groups, and couples. She also works as an organizational consultant to a social service agency in Philadelphia. Ms. Gibbons is the former Director of the Adolescent Sex Offender Unit at the Joseph J. Peters Institute in Philadelphia and has extensive experience working with both victims and offenders of sexual abuse. She is on the Board of Directors of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute. She is also a graduate of the Gestalt Therapy Training.

Juliet Koprowska, MSW. Juliet Koprowska is a Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner. She is Honorary Fellow at the University of York where for many years she taught qualifying and registered social workers. She leads and co-leads SCT workshops and training in the UK, Italy and the US. She researches communication in social work practice and is author of "Communication and Interpersonal Skills in Social Work" (5th edition). London: Sage Learning Matters, a book widely used on social work programmes in the UK. She is co-editor with Juhila, K., Dall, T. & Hall, C. (2021), of "Interprofessional Collaboration and Service User Participation: Analysing meetings in social welfare." Bristol: Policy Press, which includes her chapter on ‘Relational agency and epistemic justice in Initial Child Protection Conferences’. She organises the annual SCT event held in York, England.

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Large Group

Trainer(s): Frances Carter , MSS, LSW ; Susan Gantt, Ph.D., ABPP, CGP, AGPA-DF, FAPA ; Ray Haddock, MBChB, M.MedSc, FRCPsych

Sunday 5:05-6:35; Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 4:20-5:50

This 90-minute conference-as-a-whole practicum starts the conference on Sunday evening and meets at the end of the day on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to explore the conference experience using functional subgrouping.

The conference starts on Sunday evening with the first meeting of the Large Group. These four Large Group meetings are open to the entire conference community and demonstrate the application of SCT methods and techniques in the Large Group setting. The dynamics and potential of large group are crucial to our understanding of social forces at a different level from the more easily accessible family and small group setting. These forces are more similar to those operating in larger social systems, and therefore our understanding of how to relate to these larger contexts is an essential skill for social work and other social change advocates and professionals.

Note: You must attend all four days of Large Group in order to earn CE credits for Large Group.

Category: Large Group Track: Theory and Basics; General Interest Level: Open to All Levels

CE credits: 6.0 Format: Experiential Day(s): Sunday Monday Tuesday Thursday

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Describe the unique challenge of relating to the Large Group context
• Apply skills in relating to the Large Group context in a way that increases the potential to include (rather than exclude) diversities
• Demonstrate a practical understanding of the unique challenge of relating to the Large Group context
• Practice using functional subgrouping to recognize and integrate differences instead of ignoring or scapegoating them
• Describe one driving and one restraining force to Large Group functioning that I observed

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that implement and test the theoretical hypotheses in its practice. This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1994). The phases of development and the systems-centered group. In M. Pines, & V. Schermer (Eds.), Ring of fire: Primitive object relations and affect in group psychotherapy (pp. 36-85). London, UK: Routledge, Chapman & Hall.

Agazarian, Y.M. (1999). Phases of development in the systems-centered group. Small Group Research, 30(1), 82-107. doi: 10.1177/104649649903000105

Agazarian, Y.M. (2012). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Putting theory into practice. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 62(2) 171–195. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2012.62.2.171

Agazarian, Y.M. (2018). The nuts and bolts of systems-centered practice. Systems-Centered News, 26(1), 5-9.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Armington, R. (2012). Exploring the convergence of systems-centered therapy’s functional subgrouping and the principles of interpersonal neurobiology. Journal of Interpersonal Neurobiology Studies, 1, 51-55.

Brabender, V., & Fallon, A. (2009). Group development in practice. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Finlay, L.D., Abernethy, A.D., & Garrels, S.R. (2016). Scapegoating in group therapy: Insights from Girard’s mimetic theory. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 66(2), 188-204. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2015.1106174

Gantt, S.P. (2018). Developing groups that change our minds and transform our brains: Systems-centered’s functional subgrouping, its impact on our neurobiology, and its role in each phase of group development. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: Today’s Bridge Between Psychoanalysis and the Group World [Special Issue]. 38(4), 270-284. doi: 10.1080/07351690.2018.1444851

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2011). Highlights from ten years of a systems-centered large group: Work in progress. Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy, 47(1), 40-50.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Maher, M. (2018). From group analytic to systems-centered consulting: A comparison of experience. Journal of Social Work Practice, 32(4), 423-432. doi: 10.1080/02650533.2018.1503163

O’Neill, R.M., Constantino, M.J., & Mogle, J. (2012). Does Agazarian’s systems-centered functional subgrouping improve mood, learning and goal achievement?: A study in large groups. Group Analysis, 45(3), 375-390. doi: 10.1177/0533316412448287

O’Neill, R.M., & Mogle, J. (2015). Systems-centered functional subgrouping and large group outcome. GROUP: The Journal of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, 39(4), 303-317. doi: 10.13186/group.39.4.0303

Whitcomb, K.E., O’Neill, R.M., Burlingame, G.M., Mogle, J., Gantt, S.P., Cannon, J.A.N., & Roney, T. (2018). Measuring how systems-centered® members connect with group dynamics: FSQ-2 construct validity. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 68(2), 163-183. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2017.1381024

Presenters

Frances Carter, MSS, LSW. Frances Carter, MSS, LSW, is a Licensed Social Worker, living and working in the Philadelphia area. She maintains a clinical and consulting practice working with individuals, couples, groups and organizations. Fran is a founding member of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute, and a Board Member and System Mentor. She continues to be interested in the development of training, curriculum and research and has contributed her time to these work groups within SCTRI. She is a Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner and a senior trainer, leading workshops, ongoing training and consultation groups and intensive training blocks throughout the US and Europe. She is also a principle in SAVI Communications and the SAVI Network where she works with others to develop training in the SAVI approach to communication. She brings to all her work the energy and creativity of her early background as an artist.

Susan Gantt, Ph.D., ABPP, CGP, AGPA-DF, FAPA. Susan P. Gantt, Ph.D., ABPP, CGP, AGPA-DF, FAPA, is a psychologist in private practice and coordinated group psychotherapy training in psychiatry at Emory University for 29 years. She chairs the Systems-Centered Training (SCT) and Research Institute; teaches SCT in the USA, Europe and China; and leads training groups in Atlanta, San Francisco, and The Netherlands. She has co-authored four books with Yvonne Agazarian, co-edited The Interpersonal Neurobiology of Group Psychotherapy and Group Process with Bonnie Badenoch, and received the 2011 Alonso Award for Excellence in Psychodynamic Group Psychotherapy. Her latest book is Systems-Centered Training: An Illustrated Guide for Applying a Theory of Living Human Systems (Agazarian, Gantt, & Carter, 2021).

Ray Haddock, MBChB, M.MedSc, FRCPsych. Ray Haddock, MBChB, M.MedSc, FRCPsych, Member of Institute of Group Analysis, Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner. He qualified in medicine in 1982, trained in Psychiatry then in Psychotherapy in Leeds (UK). He has wide experience of leading SCT training groups and workshops in UK, Europe and the USA. He has practiced as a Consultant Medical Psychotherapist in the UK for over 20 years and has also had a number of management roles in the NHS, including service development and implementation of training programs for psychiatry trainees. He taught psychotherapy based on SCT to junior psychiatrists and psychotherapy trainees for over 20 years. Clinically he uses SCT in individual and group therapy and has developed a manual to support this work. He uses a Theory of Living Human Systems in day-to-day organizational work, consultation and leadership.

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101-C |

Systems-Centered Foundation Training Group

Trainer(s): Rick Campa , Ph.D., CGP ; Patricia Aerts, BA

In this experiential training, members use functional subgrouping to learn about and explore the experience of applying systems-centered methods to build a working group. As members work together to modify personal and group constraints to growth, the group develops skills for solving problems in the uncertainty of everyday life.

Category: Early Morning Training Track: Clinical; Organizational; Education Level: Open to All Levels|Foundation Level

CE credits: 7.5 Format: Experiential; Didactic; Sharing of Experience Day(s): Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday , 8:45 - 10:15

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Apply the skill of functional subgrouping to explore experience with others
• Apply the skill of centering
• Discriminate explaining from exploring experience in the present moment
• Practice identifying and undoing anxiety-provoking thoughts about the future and move attention to here-and-now reality
• Describe how to test the reality of mindreads of others
• Practice finding curiosity in the here-and-now in the face of uncertainty

Presentation Content

System-Centered methods and techniques used to run groups produce high levels of engagement, less avoidance, less conflict, better inter-member relationships, more overall learning and goal achievement, and are more collaborative, productive and creative than groups using various other communication structures. Research specifically examining functional subgrouping has shown that group members find it to be a positive experience ss it relates to increased morale, learning, and goal achievement. See O’Neill et al (2013) research below for related references.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M. (2012). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Putting theory into practice. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 62(2), 171-195. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2012.62.2.171

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Bentzen, M. (2014). The neuroaffective picture book. Copenhagen: Hans Reitzels Forlag. Translated from Danish by Scharwiess, S. & Silver, D. H. (2015).  UK: Copyright Licensing Agency, Ltd.

Gantt, S.P. (2013). Applying systems-centered theory (SCT) and methods in organizational contexts: Putting SCT to work. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 63(2), 234-258. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2013.63.2.234

Gantt, S.P. (2018). Developing groups that change our minds and transform our brains: Systems-centered’s functional subgrouping, its impact on our neurobiology, and its role in each phase of group development. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: Today’s Bridge Between Psychoanalysis and the Group World [Special Issue], 38(4), 270-284. doi: 10.1080/07351690.2018.1444851

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Gantt, S.P., & Badenoch, B. (2013). The interpersonal neurobiology of group psychotherapy and group process. London, UK: Karnac Books.

O’Neill, R.M., Murphy, V., Mogle, J., MacKenzie, M.J., MacGregor, K.L., Pearson, M., & Parekh, M. (2013). Are systems-centered teams more collaborative, productive and creative? Journal of Team Performance Management, 19(3/4), 201-221. doi: 10.1108/TPM-04-2012-0015

Porges, S.W. (2017). The pocket guide to the polyvagal theory; the transformative power of feeling safe. New York, NY: Norton.

Presenters

Rick Campa, Ph.D., CGP. Rick Campa, Ph.D., CGP, is a licensed psychologist in Portland, Oregon and a licensed SCT practitioner and trainer. Rick earned his doctorate degree in clinical psychology in 1991 at Boston University. Following graduation, Rick moved to Austin, Texas, to open a private practice and pursue his goal of offering in-depth psychotherapy to individuals, families, and groups. He first came across SCT at a workshop offered by Yvonne Agazarian in 1998 and was irrevocably moved by the power and immediacy of subgrouping. For Rick, subgrouping and the SCT emphasis on exploring rather than explaining offered an avenue for change that has motivated and inspired his work for the past twenty-five years. As a licensed SCT practitioner and trainer, Rick brings his understanding of systems-centered principles, techniques, and applications to both his private practice and his work as a trainer and consultant to individuals, groups, and organizations.

Patricia Aerts, BA. Patricia Aerts works as a (team) coach & trainer, and has an ongoing curiosity to free up energy between people. She has about 30 years’ experience in the field of team-, leadership- and organizational development. She is partner & owner of TopTeamWerk. Earlier, Patricia gained experience in management positions and consulting firms. Besides, she graduated and was trainer in a 6-year Buddhist/Psychological training. Patricia first entered SCT in 2012, and was a member of the Dutch SCT Board for 4 years. She presents at SCT workshops, is Co-trainer at international SCTRI trainings, and recently became a licensed SCT practitioner. Patricia is currently Conference Lead of the SCTRI January 2024 OD Conference.

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302-C |

Intermediate Training: Working with Role Systems

Trainer(s): Rowena Davis , MSc ; Norma Safransky, MD

Participants will use SCT methods to build the group as a context for exploring the relationships among group-as-a-whole, member and inner-person systems. We will discover how communication outputs signal the source of the sending role-system and explore how the sending system relates to the group context.

Prerequisite: Completion of Intermediate Skills Training (IST) or by application to assess your readiness (see link below). If you have not yet completed IST, send application with details of your SCT training to date to Rowena Davis and Norma Safransky.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, February 16, 2024

Participation in intermediate level training requires membership in SCTRI and actively receiving consultation from an SCT Licensed Practitioner.

See the Intermediate tab on SCT Training Curriculum for details

Category: Early Morning Training Track: General Interest; Theory and Basics Level: Intermediate Level

CE credits: 7.5 Format: Experiential; Didactic Day(s): Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday , 8:45 - 10:15

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Describe one behavioral output of Inner-Person role-systems
• Describe one behavioral output of Inter-Person role-systems
• Describe one behavioral output of a whole system role
• Use functional subgrouping to explore survivor roles
• Describe the connection between curiosity and opening closed survival role boundaries
• Describe one behavior that supports moving from a closed survival role-system to an Inter-Person role

Presentation Content

The systems-centered approach to group and organizational work has been in the field for over 25 years, presented in more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed professional journals. Its methods incorporate techniques linked to successful strategies for improvement in group and individual psychotherapy, for example, modifying cognitive distortions, increasing group cohesion, lowering scapegoating, and reducing somatic defenses.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P. (2011). Systems-centered approach to groups. In J. Kleinberg (Ed.), The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of group psychotherapy (pp. 113-138). Oxford, UK: Wiley.

Gantt, S.P. (2018). Developing groups that change our minds and transform our brains: Systems-centered’s functional subgrouping, its impact on our neurobiology, and its role in each phase of group development. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: Today’s Bridge Between Psychoanalysis and the Group World [Special Issue], 38(4), 270-284. doi: 10.1080/07351690.2018.1444851

Gantt, S.P. (2021). Systems-centered theory (SCT) into group therapy: Beyond surviving ruptures to repairing and thriving. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 71(2), 224-252. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2020.1772073

Gantt, S.P. (2021). Systems-centered training for group leaders: Weakening social survivor roles that undermine women (and men) in leadership. In Y.I. Kane, S.M. Masselink & A.C. Weiss (Eds.), Women, intersectionality and power in group psychotherapy leadership (pp. 236-253). London, UK: Routledge.

Presenters

Rowena Davis, MSc. Rowena Davis, MSc, is an organizational consultant working with public, private and not-for-profit organizations in the UK and internationally. Her work combines coaching individuals and teams; strategic marketing and planning; mapping systems; and running SCT and SAVI trainings in the US and Europe. She is a Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner, a certified SAVI trainer, a member and Research Director of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute Board and a Director of SCTUK. She holds an MSc in Change Agent Skills & Strategies (Distinction) from the University of Surrey, a Dottore in Sociologia from the University of Trento, Italy, and a BSc (Econ) from the London School of Economics.

Norma Safransky, MD. Norma Safransky, MD, is a Licensed SCT Practitioner in private practice in Chapel Hill, NC. Her work includes individual and group psychotherapy. She is a member of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute Board and the SCTRI Steering Group. She holds a Doctor of Medicine degree and completed a residency in psychiatry at the University of North Carolina. She holds a BS degree in zoology from Duke University.

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503-C |

Advanced Training Group

Trainer(s): Frances Carter , MSS, LSW ; Mike Maher, MA, PGCE

Advanced members apply a Theory of Living Human Systems (TLHS) and SCT methods to build and develop a systems-centered group context within which they can explore intimacy phase roles that impact the capacity for member role in the group and the conference-as-a-whole.

Prerequisite: Completion of Authority Issue Group training.

Participation in advanced level training requires membership in SCTRI.

If not currently in a training context, please contact Fran Carter at carter2229@aol.com

Category: Early Morning Training Track: Clinical; Organizational Level: Advanced Level

CE credits: 7.5 Format: Experiential Day(s): Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday , 8:45 - 10:15

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Apply the concept of a member role to practice shifting from one's personal experience to one's experience in a larger context
• Use the method of functional subgrouping to test the hypothesis that discrimination and integration of difference contributes to survival, development and transformation
• Discuss the similarities and differences in experience at different system levels: person, member, subgroup and group-as-a-whole
• Identify and reduce the restraining forces appropriate to the phase of development
• Articulate fresh ways of taking up membership by exploring and reducing stereotyped habits of membership
• Discover and discuss the function of the "advanced" group in the system-as-a-whole

Presentation Content

Systems-centered training has been widely accepted in group psychotherapy and organizational development contexts. Its methods link to conditions that correlate with successful outcomes in group work - functional subgrouping increases group cohesion and lowers scapegoating.

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that implement and test the theoretical hypotheses in its practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis. The systems-centered approach to group and organizational work has been in the field for over 25 years, presented in more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed professional journals. Its methods incorporate techniques linked to successful strategies for improvement in work with groups and individuals.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M., & Gantt, S.P. (2000). Autobiography of a theory: Developing a theory of living human systems and its systems-centered practice. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P. (2011). Systems-centered approach to groups. In J. Kleinberg (Ed.), The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of group psychotherapy (pp. 113-138). Oxford, UK: Wiley.

Gantt, S.P. (2013). Applying systems-centered theory (SCT) and methods in organizational contexts: Putting SCT to work. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 63(2), 234-258. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2013.63.2.234

Gantt, S.P. (2018). Developing groups that change our minds and transform our brains: Systems-centered’s functional subgrouping, its impact on our neurobiology, and its role in each phase of group development. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: Today’s Bridge Between Psychoanalysis and the Group World [Special Issue], 38(4), 270-284. doi: 10.1080/07351690.2018.1444851

Gantt, S.P. (2021). Systems-centered theory (SCT) into group therapy: Beyond surviving ruptures to repairing and thriving. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 71(2), 224-252. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2020.1772073

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (Eds.) (2005). SCT in action: Applying the systems-centered approach in organizations. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse. Reprint (2006). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2013). Developing the group mind through functional subgrouping: Linking systems-centered training (SCT) and interpersonal neurobiology. In S.P Gantt & B. Badenoch (Eds.) The interpersonal neurobiology of group psychotherapy and group process. London, UK: Karnac Books.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

O’Neill, R.M., & Constantino, M.J. (2008). Systems-centered training groups’ process and outcome: A comparison with AGPA institute groups. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 58(1), 77-102. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2008.58.1.77

O'Neill, R.M., & Mogle, J. (2015). Systems-centered functional subgrouping and large group outcome. GROUP: The Journal of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, 39(4), 303-317. doi: 10.13186/group.39.4.0303

Presenters

Frances Carter, MSS, LSW. Frances Carter, MSS, LSW, is a Licensed Social Worker, living and working in the Philadelphia area. She maintains a clinical and consulting practice working with individuals, couples, groups and organizations. Fran is a founding member of Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute, a current Board Member and System Mentor. She is a Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner and a senior trainer, leading workshops, ongoing training and consultation groups and intensive training blocks throughout the US and Europe. She is also a principle in SAVI Communications and the SAVI Network where she works with others to develop training in the SAVI approach to communication.

Mike Maher, MA, PGCE. Mike Maher is an experienced psychotherapist, trainer and organisational consultant. He was formerly Deputy Director at Peper Harow Therapeutic Community and worked in and with childcare and treatment for over 30 years. He is Director of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute and is a Licensed SCT practitioner. Mike runs SCT training groups in the Netherlands and Denmark and works in private practice in the UK and online across the world. He has presented at many international conferences and his work has been regularly published.

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200-01-C |

Functional Subgrouping (Mon)

Trainer(s): Brian Conley S.J. , MBA, MAPR, ACPE Certified Educator ; Floor Daver, MSc

This group introduces participants to the basic elements of SCT theory, skills and practice.

Functional subgrouping is the core method used in SCT to implement the theory statement that all living systems survive, develop and transform by discriminating differences in the apparently similar and similarities in the apparently different. This group will introduce and practice the behaviors that support functional subgrouping.

Category: Drop-in Group Track: Theory and Basics Level: Open to All Levels|Foundation Level

CE credits: 1.5 Format: Demonstration; Experiential Day(s): Monday , 10:35 - 12:05

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Describe how functional subgrouping helps systems to integrate, rather than split off differences
• Apply two behaviors that support functional subgrouping
• Describe how functional subgrouping helps to activate one's observing system

Presentation Content

The systems-centered approach to group and organizational work has been in the field for over 25 years, presented in more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed professional journals. Functional subgrouping has been shown to increase group cohesion and decrease scapegoating. Developing a functional subgroup requires a set of verbal behaviors/skills which, once learned, facilitate exploration and conflict resolution in any context. Joining with similarities includes identifying authentic resonance within oneself, matching or slightly increasing the intensity of affect, adding new bits to build the subgroup without bringing in too big a difference.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (2012). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Putting theory into practice. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 62(2) 171-195. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2012.62.2.171

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F.B. (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P., & Adams, J.M. (2010). Systems-centered training for therapists: Beyond stereotyping to integrating diversities into the change process. Women & Therapy, 33(1), 101-120. doi: 10.1080/02703140903404812

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2010). Developing the group mind through functional subgrouping: Linking systems-centered training (SCT) and interpersonal neurobiology. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 60(4), 515-544. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2010.60.4.515

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Gantt, S.P., (2018). Developing groups that change our minds and transform our brains: Systems-centered’s functional subgrouping, its impact on our neurobiology, and its role in each phase of group development. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: Today’s Bridge Between Psychoanalysis and the Group World [Special Issue], 38(4), 270-284. doi: 10.1080/07351690.2018.1444851

O'Neill, R.M., & Mogle, J. (2015). Systems-centered functional subgrouping and large group outcome. GROUP: The Journal of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, 39(4), 303-317. doi: 10.13186/group.39.4.0303

Presenters

Brian Conley S.J., MBA, MAPR, ACPE Certified Educator. Brian Conley has over 20 years experience as a chaplain, chaplain educator, and Roman Catholic priest. He currently serves as Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Hope Parish where he works with individuals and groups. He has been active in SCTRI since 2006 and recently completed the Authority Issue Group. He also serves as Chaplain to the faculty and staff at Cheverus High School in Portland, ME where he works with faculty to develop and integrate Ignatian spirituality into their personal and professional lives.

Floor Daver, MSc. Floor Daver is an Organizational Psychologist, working with leaders and teams in Organizational Development (OD) Contexts for 20 years. She is a member of SCT Licensing group VIII and a member of the SCT community since 2012.

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200-02-C |

Introduction to a Theory of Living Human Systems and Its Basis for Systems-Centered Practice (Mon)

Trainer(s): Norma Safransky , MD ; Janneke Maas, MSc

This session introduces participants to the basic elements of SCT theory, skills and practice.

Introduction to the fundamentals of a Theory of Living Human Systems, including basic neurobiology and links to systems-centered methods.

Category: Drop-in Group Track: Theory and Basics Level: Open to All Levels|Foundation Level

CE credits: 1.5 Format: Experiential; Didactic Day(s): Monday , 10:35 - 12:05

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Describe the fundamental concepts of a Theory of Living Human Systems (TLHS)
• Define how SCT methods relate to a Theory of Living Human Systems
• Summarize basic neurobiological concepts that link to the theory

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that implement and test the theoretical hypotheses in its practice. This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

There is also an increasing body of research and writing that is integrating neurobiology and human development to the theory and practice of working with groups.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M. (2012). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Putting theory into practice. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 62(2) 171–195. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2012.62.2.171

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P. (2015). Systems-centered group therapy. In E.S. Neukrug (Ed.), Encyclopedia of theory in counseling and psychotherapy (pp. 991-996). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Gantt, S.P. (2018). Developing groups that change our minds and transform our brains: Systems-centered’s functional subgrouping, its impact on our neurobiology, and its role in each phase of group development. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: Today’s Bridge Between Psychoanalysis and the Group World [Special Issue], 38(4), 270-284. doi: 10.1080/07351690.2018.1444851

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Gantt, S.P., & Badenoch, B. (Eds.) (2013). The interpersonal neurobiology of group psychotherapy and group processes. London, UK: Karnac Books.

Presenters

Norma Safransky, MD. Norma Safransky, MD, is a Licensed SCT Practitioner in private practice in Chapel Hill, NC. Her work includes individual and group psychotherapy. She is a member of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute Board and the SCTRI Steering Group. She holds a Doctor of Medicine degree and completed a residency in psychiatry at the University of North Carolina. She holds a BS degree in zoology from Duke University.

Janneke Maas, MSc. Janneke Maas, MSc, works as a teamcoach and leadership development trainer in the Netherlands. She works with teams, individuals, and organizations. The core of her work is freeing up energy for work and relations that support work and fun. She also educates people that want to become a teamcoach and learn the trade. Janneke is part of the SCT Conference system as Co-Director and leader of the Program Planning Group.

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200-03-C |

Explain/Explore - The Fork-in-the-Road (Tue)

Trainer(s): Mike Maher , MA, PGCE, UKCP

This group introduces participants to the basic elements of SCT theory, skills and practice.

Explaining is necessary for survival; it operates within a narrow, survival-enhancing range. It constructs the world for us; our survival roles and biases determines the kind of world we see. Explaining stabilises us by using what we already know. Exploring moves us into the unknown where something new can emerge. Using the fork-in-the-road we will explore experience at the edge of the unknown and see what difference it makes and what we discover.

Category: Drop-in Group Track: Theory and Basics; General Interest Level: Open to All Levels|Foundation Level

CE credits: 1.5 Format: Didactic; Experiential; Sharing of Experience Day(s): Tuesday , 10:35 - 12:05

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Describe the fork-in-the-road as a method to vector energy
• Apply explaining versus exploring as a fork-in-the-road
• Practice using the fork-in-the road method

Presentation Content

Through didactic and experiential learning, this workshop will provide initial training to participants in understanding and using the systems-centered method of vectoring (specifically the fork-in-the-road intervention). The systems-centered approach has been in the field of group psychotherapy for over 25 years. More than 30 articles in peer-reviewed journals and multiple books in the fields of psychotherapy and organizational development have been published. The systems-centered approach has been studied and linked to successful strategies for increasing the effectiveness of leadership interventions in individual and group psychotherapy and in organizational contexts.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (2010). Systems-centered theory and practice: The contribution of Yvonne Agazarian (Edited by SCTRI). Livermore, CA: WingSpan Press. Reprint (2011). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M. (2012). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: A theory of living human systems and its systems-centered practice. GROUP: The Journal of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, 36(1), 19-36.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F.B. (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P. (2015). Systems-centered group therapy. In E.S. Neukrug (Ed.), Encyclopedia of theory in counseling and psychotherapy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Gantt, S.P. (2018). Developing groups that change our minds and transform our brains: Systems-centered's functional subgrouping, its impact on our neurobiology, and its role in each phase of group development. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: Today's Bridge Between Psychoanalysis and the Group World [Special Issue], 38(4), 270-284. doi: 10.1080/07351690.2018.1444851

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Presenters

Mike Maher, MA, PGCE, UKCP. Mike Maher is an experienced psychotherapist, trainer and organisational consultant. He was formerly Deputy Director at Peper Harow Therapeutic Community and worked in and with childcare and treatment for over 30 years. He is Director of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute and is a Licensed SCT practitioner. Mike runs SCT training groups in the Netherlands and Denmark and works in private practice in the UK and online across the world. He has presented at many international conferences and his work has been regularly published.

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200-04-C |

Seeing Systems (Tue)

Trainer(s): Claudia Byram , Ph.D., CGP ; Neal Spivack, Ph.D., CGP, AGPA-F

This group introduces participants to the basic elements of SCT theory, skills and practice.

Learning to see systems and not just people is the heart of applying systems thinking. Participants will explore how to apply the constructs of a theory of living human systems in looking at human systems as small as a person and as big as the world.

Category: Drop-in Group Track: Theory and Basics Level: Open to All Levels|Foundation Level

CE credits: 1.5 Format: Didactic; Sharing of Experience Day(s): Tuesday , 10:35 - 12:05

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• State the connection between theory (TLHS) and practice (SCT)
• Practice thinking systems and not just people
• Describe and diagram the essential system variables identified in a theory of living human systems

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that function as hypotheses to test both the validity of the theory and the reliability of its practice. This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F.B. (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Armington, R. (2012). Exploring the convergence of systems-centered therapy’s functional subgrouping and the principles of interpersonal neurobiology. Journal of Interpersonal Neurobiology Studies, 1, 51-55.

Gantt, S.P. (2015). Systems-centered group therapy. In E.S. Neukrug (Ed.), Encyclopedia of theory in counseling and psychotherapy (pp. 991-996). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Gantt, S.P., & Badenoch, B. (2020). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Developing a group mind that supports right brain function and right-left-right hemispheric integration. In R. Tweedy (Ed.) The divided therapist: Hemispheric difference and contemporary psychotherapy (pp. 149-180). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Presenters

Claudia Byram, Ph.D., CGP. Claudia Byram, Ph.D., CGP, has worked since 1980 as a clinician and trainer, developing with the emergence of systems-centered theory and practice in Philadelphia. Currently she is a licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner with a clinical practice in Philadelphia. She leads Systems-Centered training events, both in Philadelphia and as a lead trainer in the annual SCT Conferences. She is editor of the SCTRI Newsletter and on the Board of Directors of SCTRI. She, along with Frances Carter, leads trainings in the SAVI (System for Analyzing Verbal Interaction) model of verbal communication. SAVI is one of the tools that helps systems-centered practitioners monitor both their own system inputs and the state of the working system.

Neal Spivack, Ph.D., CGP, AGPA-F. Neal Spivack, Ph.D., CGP, AGPA-F is a clinical psychologist for the Veterans Administration (VA) at the Manhattan Campus of the New York Harbor Healthcare System. He is also in private practice. He recently completed the SCT Authority Issue Group and is a Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP) and a Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA-F). He is a Past President of Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society (EGPS) and Program Co-chair of the EGPS Annual Conference.

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200-05-C |

Undoing Anxiety (Wed)

Trainer(s): Jennifer Langdon , MS, Organization Development ; Jane Steinberg, LMFT

This group introduces participants to the basic elements of SCT theory, skills and practice.

SCT identifies three sources of anxiety. These will be introduced and normalized at the same time as recognizing that anxiety is often a barrier between the individual and authentic experience. The group will enable people to consider the discrimination between anxiety and sitting at the edge of the unknown.

Category: Drop-in Group Track: Theory and Basics; General Interest Level: Open to All Levels|Foundation Level

CE credits: 1.5 Format: Didactic; Experiential Day(s): Wednesday , 10:35 - 12:05

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• List the three sources of anxiety identified in SCT
• Describe the discrimination between mindreads and negative predictions
• Describe the discrimination between anxiety that defends against experience and anxiety at the edge of the unknown

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that implement and test the theoretical hypotheses in its practice. This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

The systems-centered approach to group and organizational work has been in the field for over 25 years, presented in more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed professional journals. Its methods incorporate techniques linked to successful strategies for improvement in group and individual psychotherapy, for example, modifying cognitive distortions, increasing group cohesion, lowering scapegoating, and reducing somatic defenses.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P. (2013). Applying systems-centered theory (SCT) and methods in organizational contexts: Putting SCT to work. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 63(2), 234-258. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2013.63.2.234

Gantt, S.P. (2015). Systems-centered group therapy. In E.S. Neukrug (Ed.), Encyclopedia of theory in counseling and psychotherapy (pp. 991-996). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Gantt, S.P. (2019). Implications of neuroscience for group psychotherapy. In F.J. Kaklauskas & L.R. Greene (Eds.), Core principles of group psychotherapy: An integrated theory, research, and practice training manual (pp. 156-170). New York, NY: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Wheelan, S.A. (2016). Creating effective teams: A guide for members and leaders. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage..

Presenters

Jennifer Langdon, MS, Organization Development. Jennifer Langdon is a dynamic and innovative consultant with over 25 years of experience in corporations, associations and not-for-profit organizations. She specializes in building highly effective interdisciplinary teams through a combination of systems-centered methods including leader and team coaching, and organizational development consulting. As a trainer/facilitator, Jennifer has designed and delivered skill building workshops for front line managers, senior executives, and HR colleagues seeking to build consultancy skills. She is a member of SCT Licensing Group VIII.

Jane Steinberg, LMFT. Jane Steinberg is a licensed MFT in private practice in San Francisco and the Bay Area providing psychotherapy to adults, teens and couples combining a Kleinian analytical and systems-centered lens. With kindness, compassion and empathy, she helps clients using SCT methods and tools to get free of their anxiety and depression so they can freely be themselves in work and in relationships. She is a member of the SCT Licensing Group VIII.

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200-06-C |

SCT Consultation (Wed)

Trainer(s): Frances Carter , MSS, LSW ; Janneke Maas, MSc

This group introduces participants to the basic elements of SCT theory, skills and practice.

This drop-In offers the opportunity to learn more about the SCT method for consultation called "My problem is I..." and its theoretical underpinnings. Participants will have the opportunity to practice this model and explore their experiences.

Category: Drop-in Group Track: Theory and Basics Level: Open to All Levels|Foundation Level

CE credits: 1.5 Format: Didactic; Experiential; Demonstration Day(s): Wednesday , 10:35 - 12:05

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Describe the steps of the consultation method "My problem is I..."
• Practice the consultation method "My problem is I..."
• Describe the theoretical underpinnings of this consultation method

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) Theory of Living Human Systems, with its Systems-Centered approach, represents a comprehensive systems theory that can be applied to groups, individuals and couples. The theory has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that implement and test the theoretical hypotheses in its practice. In this group we will be experimenting with an SCT consultation method used in working with individuals.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F.B. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Davis, R. (2014). Working across organisational boundaries: Shifting from complaining and blaming to problem-solving. e-O&P Journal of the Association for Management Education and Development, 21(3), 22-37.

Gantt, S.P. (2013). Applying systems-centered theory (SCT) and methods in organizational contexts: Putting SCT to work. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 63(2), 234-258. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2013.63.2.234

Gantt, S.P. (2015). Systems-centered group therapy. In E.S. Neukrug (Ed.), Encyclopedia of theory in counseling and psychotherapy (pp. 991-996). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2007). Phases of system development in organizational work groups: The systems-centered approach for intervening in context. Organisational & Social Dynamics, 7(2), 253-291.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

O’Neill, R.M., Murphy, V., Mogle, J., MacKenzie, M.J., MacGregor, K.L., Pearson, M., & Parekh, M. (2013). Are systems-centered teams more collaborative, productive and creative? Journal of Team Performance Management, 19(3/4), 201-221. doi: 10.1108/TPM-04-2012-0015

Sundlin, A.L., & Sundlin, P. (2014). Taking up your role: How to shift between life and work without losing yourself. Cambridge, MA: Catalyst Communication Press.

Presenters

Frances Carter, MSS, LSW. Frances Carter, MSS, LSW, is a Licensed Social Worker, living and working in the Philadelphia area. She maintains a clinical and consulting practice working with individuals, couples, groups and organizations. Fran is a founding member of Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute, a current Board Member and System Mentor. She is a Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner and a senior trainer, leading workshops, ongoing training and consultation groups and intensive training blocks throughout the US and Europe. She is also a principle in SAVI Communications and the SAVI Network where she works with others to develop training in the SAVI approach to communication.

Janneke Maas, MSc. Janneke Maas, MSc, works as a teamcoach and leadership development trainer in the Netherlands. She works with teams, individuals, and organizations. The core of her work is freeing up energy for work and relations that support work and fun. She also educates people that want to become a teamcoach and learn the trade. Janneke is part of the SCT Conference system as Co-Director and leader of the Program Planning Group.

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200-07-C |

Distraction Exercise (Thu)

Trainer(s): Floor Daver , MSc ; Jennifer Langdon, MS, Organizational Development

This group introduces participants to the basic elements of SCT theory, skills and practice.

This group offers the opportunity to learn more about the theory behind the SCT distraction exercise. Participants will have the opportunity to practice undoing distractions and explore their experiences using the distraction protocol.

Category: Drop-in Group Track: Theory and Basics; General Interest Level: Open to All Levels|Foundation Level

CE credits: 1.5 Format: Experiential; Didactic; Sharing of Experience Day(s): Thursday , 10:35 - 12:05

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Describe the impact of distraction on a system
• Describe the "undoing distractions" protocol
• Describe how undoing distractions contributes to system development

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that implement and test the theoretical hypotheses in its practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice (which includes the protocol for undoing distractions), as published in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis. The protocol for undoing distractions is used most frequently at the beginning of a clinical session, as well as any point where distractions arise, to ensure that the client’s energy and focus is directed as far as possible towards the goal of the session. It is also useful in work groups for focusing the energy of the individual members on the task in hand.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M. (1999). Phases of development in the systems-centered group. Small Group Research, 30(1), 82-107. doi: 10.1177/104649649903000105

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P. (2013). Applying systems-centered theory (SCT) and methods in organizational contexts: Putting SCT to work. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 63(2), 234-258. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2013.63.2.234

Gantt, S.P. (2015). Systems-centered group therapy. In E.S. Neukrug (Ed.), Encyclopedia of theory in counseling and psychotherapy (pp. 991-996). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2011). The group mind, systems-centred functional subgrouping, and interpersonal neurobiology. In E. Hopper & H. Weinberg (Eds.), The social unconscious in persons, groups, and societies: Volume 1: Mainly theory (pp. 99-123). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Gantt, S.P., & Badenoch, B. (2020). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Developing a group mind that supports right brain function and right-left-right hemispheric integration. In R. Tweedy (Ed.) The divided therapist: Hemispheric difference and contemporary psychotherapy (pp. 149-180). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Gantt, S.P., Carter, F.B., Gibbons, D., & Hartford, R. (2021, October 24). Systems-centered training & therapy: Seeing the system, not just people. Commemorating the work of Yvonne Agazarian. [Online event.] Systems-Centered Training & Research Institute.

Presenters

Floor Daver, MSc. Floor Daver is an Organizational Psychologist, working with leaders and teams in Organizational Development (OD) Contexts for 20 years. She is a member of SCT Licensing group VIII and member of the SCT community since 2012.

Jennifer Langdon, MS, Organizational Development. Jennifer Langdon is a dynamic and innovative consultant with over 25 years of experience in corporations, associations and not-for-profit organizations. She specializes in building highly effective interdisciplinary teams through a combination of systems-centered methods including leader and team coaching, and organizational development consulting. As a trainer/facilitator, Jennifer has designed and delivered skill building workshops for front line managers, senior executives, and HR colleagues seeking to build consultancy skills. She is a member of SCT Licensing Group VIII.

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200-08-C |

Phases of System Development (Thu)

Trainer(s): Susan P. Gantt , Ph.D., CGP, ABPP, AGPA-DF, FAPA

This group introduces participants to the basic elements of SCT theory, skills and practice.

SCT work is always in the context of the phases of system development. Each phase of development is operationally defined as a force field of driving and restraining forces. This enables identifying phase-specific interventions that weaken the restraining forces relevant to the phase. Aligning change strategies that link to the phase of development enables releasing the driving forces of the phase.

Category: Drop-in Group Track: Theory and Basics Level: Open to All Levels|Foundation Level

CE credits: 1.5 Format: Didactic; Experiential Day(s): Thursday , 10:35 - 12:05

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Explain the phases of system development defined by SCT
• Describe at least one developmental challenge inherent in each phase
• Describe and apply the hierarchy of defense modification weakening restraining forces relevant to the phases of system development

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that function as hypotheses to test both the validity of the theory and the reliability of its practice. This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1994). The phases of development and the systems-centered group. In M. Pines, & V. Schermer (Eds.), Ring of fire: Primitive object relations and affect in group psychotherapy (pp. 36-85). London, UK: Routledge, Chapman & Hall.

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M. (1999). Phases of development in the systems-centered group. Small Group Research, 30(1), 82-107. doi: 10.1177/104649649903000105

Agazarian, Y.M. (2012). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Putting theory into practice. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 62(2) 171–195. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2012.62.2.171

Agazarian, Y.M. (2018). The nuts and bolts of systems-centered practice. Systems-Centered News, 26(1), 5-9.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Armington, R. (2012). Exploring the convergence of systems-centered therapy’s functional subgrouping and the principles of interpersonal neurobiology. Journal of Interpersonal Neurobiology Studies, 1, 51-55.

Finlay, L.D., Abernethy, A.D., & Garrels, S.R. (2016). Scapegoating in group therapy: Insights from Girard’s mimetic theory. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 66(2), 188-204. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2015.1106174

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Maher, M. (2018). From group analytic to systems-centered consulting: A comparison of experience. Journal of Social Work Practice, 32(4), 423-432. doi: 10.1080/02650533.2018.1503163

Presenters

Susan P. Gantt, Ph.D., CGP, ABPP, AGPA-DF, FAPA. Susan P. Gantt, Ph.D., ABPP, CGP, AGPA-DF, FAPA, is a psychologist in private practice and coordinated group psychotherapy training in psychiatry at Emory University for 29 years. She chairs the Systems-Centered Training (SCT) and Research Institute; teaches SCT in the USA, Europe and China; and leads training groups in Atlanta, San Francisco, and The Netherlands. She has co-authored four books with Yvonne Agazarian, co-edited The Interpersonal Neurobiology of Group Psychotherapy and Group Process with Bonnie Badenoch, and received the 2011 Alonso Award for Excellence in Psychodynamic Group Psychotherapy. Her latest book is Systems-Centered Training: An Illustrated Guide for Applying a Theory of Living Human Systems (Agazarian, Gantt & Carter, 2021).

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200-09-C |

Force Field Development and Application (Fri)

Trainer(s): Perri Franskoviak , Ph.D. ; Jim Peightel, MD

This group introduces participants to the basic elements of SCT theory, skills and practice.

The force field, as developed by Kurt Lewin, is the SCT map for collecting information about the forces that drive systems towards their goals (driving forces) and the forces that get in the way (restraining forces). Building a force field related to a particular goal helps identify which restraining forces to reduce so the driving forces can be released. The group will use force fields to clarify goals, identify driving and restraining forces, identify solutions to problems, and make decisions in various contexts.

Category: Drop-in Group Track: Theory and Basics; Clinical; Organizational Level: Open to All Levels|Foundation Level

CE credits: 1.5 Format: Didactic; Demonstration Day(s): Friday , 10:35 - 12:05

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Demonstrate a basic theoretical understanding of force fields through group discussion
• Construct a force field by identifying a goal, and the driving and restraining forces to that goal
• Use the force field in gathering data to move toward a goal

Presentation Content

Force fields were developed by Kurt Lewin in 1947, and have been used in many social applications since then. They are an important tool used in SCT to aid in collecting data about the driving and restraining forces in human systems. Force fields have found applications in many other fields where they are used in a similar way. Several articles listed below describe and demonstrate the value and application of force fields to SCT and other fields.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., Carter, F.B. (2021). Energy, information and communication. In Y.M. Agazarian, S.P. Gantt & F.B. Carter (Eds.), Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. (pp. 44-72). Routledge: New York.

Davis, R. (2014). Working across organisational boundaries: Shifting from complaining and blaming to problem-solving. e-O&P Journal of the Association for Management Education and Development, 21(3), 22-37.

Gantt, S.P. (2013). Applying systems-centered theory (SCT) and methods in organizational contexts: Putting SCT to work. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 63(2), 234-258. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2013.63.2.234

Gantt, S.P. (2015). Systems-centered group therapy. In E.S. Neukrug (Ed.), Encyclopedia of theory in counseling and psychotherapy (pp. 991-996). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Lewin, K. (1951). Field theory in social science. New York, NY: Harper & Row.

Siegel, D.J. (2023). IntraConnected + mwe (me + we) as the integration of self, identity, and belonging. New York, NY: Norton.

Presenters

Perri Franskoviak, Ph.D.. Perri Franskoviak, Ph.D., has been working in community settings for over 34 years, developing and delivering low-threshold services to individuals living with mental illness, unstable housing, and drug and alcohol illnesses. In addition to a private practice with a focus on working with individuals with complex trauma as well as couples, she also works for a community-based agency in Oakland, CA training other therapists in the practice of ketamine-assisted therapy.

Jim Peightel, MD. Jim Peightel, MD, is a general and addiction psychiatrist with over 25 years experience serving Philadelphia in a wide range of treatment settings. He has a BA in Physics, and completed his medical training at Temple University and remains on the teaching faculty there. His work has focused on team-based treatment approaches, novel program development, and systems-oriented integration of services for the chronic mentally ill, homeless, and disenfranchised. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Leadership Council, a fellow in the APA, and a recipient of Philadelphia Psychiatric Society’s Robert Jones award honoring a psychiatrist for lifelong commitment and service to the chronically mentally ill. He has participated in health system cultural exchange contingents in various locales including Hungary, Cuba, China, Russia, South Africa, and Myanmar. He began training with Yvonne during residency in 1989, became a member of SCTRI in 1996, and is a current member of the SCTRI board.

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200-10-C |

Basics of SAVI - What It Is and What It Can Do (Fri)

Trainer(s): Alida Zweidler-McKay , MBA ; Verena Murphy, Ph.D., LISW

This group introduces participants to the basic elements of SCT theory, skills and practice.

SAVI (System for Analyzing Verbal Interactions) maps communication behaviors that contribute noise and those that build clarity in any human system: organizations, work groups, families, clients and everyday life. You will be introduced to the SAVI GRID and learn to use communication patterns to “see” the system not just the people and recognize repetitive, unproductive communication loops and explore alternative system patterns that free energy for problem-solving and work.

Category: Drop-in Group Track: SAVI; Theory and Basics Level: Open to All Levels|Foundation Level

CE credits: 1.5 Format: Didactic; Sharing of Experience Day(s): Friday , 10:35 - 12:05

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Define "noise" in verbal communication systems
• Name three SAVI behavior sequences (Alerts) that signal emerging noise in the communication system
• Describe how communication is a system output, discriminating "noisy" and problem-solving patterns

Presentation Content

SAVI (System for Analyzing Verbal Interactions) maps communication behaviors that contribute noise and those that build clarity in any human system: organizations, work groups, families, clients and everyday life. Learn to use communication behavior to “see” the system: how it is built by contributions from all the members -- and how it influences what members contribute! Recognize repetitive, unproductive communication loops and explore alternative system patterns that free energy for problem-solving and work. This is a core SCT training.

Behavioral observation systems are well-established in the research and clinical fields. This particular model, System for Analyzing Verbal Interaction, has been used for research in 4 dissertations, reported as a group process tool in 4 peer-reviewed publications, and is currently used for data collection in 3 as yet unpublished ongoing studies. It has a sound theoretical base in both field theory (Kurt Lewin) and information theory (Shannon), and builds on the work of Bales and others who developed observation systems to study classroom interactions.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M., & Gantt, S.P. (2000). Autobiography of a theory: Developing a theory of living human systems and its systems-centered practice. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Bedwell, W.L., Wildman, J.L., DiazGranados, D., Salazar, M., Kramer, W.S., & Salas, E. (2012). Collaboration at work: An integrative multilevel conceptualization. Human Resource Management Review, 22(2), 128-145. doi: 10.1016/j.hrmr.2011.11.007

Benjamin, B., Yeager, A., & Simon, A. (2012). Conversation transformation. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Brooks, A.B., & John, L.K. (2018). The surprising power of questions. Harvard Business Review, May-June 2018, pp. 60-67. https://hbr.org/2018/05/the-surprising-power-of-questions

Gantt, S.P. (2018). Developing groups that change our minds and transform our brains: Systems-centered’s functional subgrouping, its impact on our neurobiology, and its role in each phase of group development. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: Today’s Bridge Between Psychoanalysis and the Group World [Special Issue], 38(4), 270-284. doi: 10.1080/07351690.2018.1444851

Gantt, S.P. (2019). Implications of neuroscience for group psychotherapy. In F.J. Kaklauskas & L.R. Greene (Eds.), Core principles of group psychotherapy: An integrated theory, research, and practice training manual (pp. 156-170). New York, NY: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

O’Neill, R.M., Gantt, S.P., Burlingame, G.M., Mogle, J., Johnson, J., & Silver, R. (2013). Developing the systems-centered functional subgrouping questionnaire-2. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 17(4), 252-269. doi: 10.1037/a0034925

Simon, A., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2000). SAVI - The system for analyzing verbal interaction. In A.P. Beck & C.M. Lewis (Eds.), The process of group psychotherapy: Systems for analyzing change (pp. 357-380). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Presenters

Alida Zweidler-McKay, MBA. Alida has been coaching executives, entrepreneurs, and teams from small businesses to Fortune 10 companies for over 20 years. She helps clients delegate effectively, lead authentically, and build productive teams through one-on-one coaching, team coaching and workshops. She uses SAVI with teams to improve communications and problem-solving. In addition to being a certified SAVI trainer, Alida is also a SAVI Master Coder, reflecting her experience using SAVI to code conversations for research purposes. She has a BA from Swarthmore College and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Verena Murphy, Ph.D., LISW. Verena Murphy, Ph.D., LISW, began training with Yvonne Agazarian in 1993, and the co-originator of SAVI, Anita Simon, in 1997. She has used SCT theory and practice, as well as SAVI, in her personal development, as a partner, mother and grandmother, as a clinical Social Worker in inpatient and outpatient settings, as former assistant professor in Management and Information Systems, and as organizational consultant and trainer in Europe. She is a re-certified SAVI Trainer, and resides in Oregon, where she is in private practice online.

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404-C |

Force Field Training: Integrating Force Field Development with Theory and Practice

Trainer(s): Dayna Burnett , Ph.D. ; Jesper Hermansson, MS, Licensed Psychologist

SCT uses force field analysis to track driving and restraining forces to system development and to identify the explicit and implicit goals at any system level. In this 5-day intermediate/advanced training, we will use data from experiential work to build force fields. We will focus on gathering data (vs. opinions) and weakening restraining forces to sustainable change.

Prerequisite: Completion of Intermediate Skills Training (IST).

Participation in intermediate/advanced level training requires membership in SCTRI and actively receiving consultation from an SCT Licensed Practitioner.

See the Intermediate tab on SCT Training Curriculum for details

Category: Late Morning Training Track: Theory and Basics; Organizational; Clinical Level: Intermediate Level|Advanced Level

CE credits: 7.5 Format: Experiential; Didactic; Sharing of Experience Day(s): Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday , 10:35 - 12:05

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Describe the theory behind SCT's use of Lewin's force field
• Describe the difference between an opinion-based and a description-based force field
• Use force fields to identify the implicit goals of a system
• Use the force field to identify the phase of system development
• Discriminate inter-person system output from inner-person output
• Describe one’s own leading edge in creating and using a force field

Presentation Content

Accurate assessment and intervention are key elements of developing psychological change in human systems – groups, individuals, families, teams, organizations, and communities. Observations tools for analyzing group dynamics have informed contemporary theories of phases of group development. The systems-centered approach developed by Yvonne Agazarian is considered by APA as a contribution to the knowledge of the boundaries between clinical and social psychology. Systems-centered training draws on a comprehensive systems theory, that is implemented by specific, theory-derived methods and techniques. The core method, functional subgrouping, is indicated by peer-reviewed research to improve group functioning. We will use force fields to collect data from the experiential work and track the impact of leader interventions on the phases of human system development.

Force fields were developed by Kurt Lewin in 1947. They are an important tool used in SCT to aid in collecting data about the driving and restraining forces in any human system. Lewin’s Field Theory (1947) and the method of collecting data to identify forces within the field laid the groundwork for scientifically studying experiential group dynamics.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Davis, R. (2014). Working across organisational boundaries: Shifting from complaining and blaming to problem-solving. e-O&P Journal of the Association for Management Education and Development, 21(3), 22-37.

Gantt, S.P. (2015). Systems-centered group therapy. In E.S. Neukrug (Ed.), Encyclopedia of theory in counseling and psychotherapy (pp. 991-996). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Kunneman, P., & Nordhauzen, P. (2022). Leve het team. Groepsdynamiek: van boosdoener naar bondgenoot. Amsterdam: Boomuitgevers.

Lewin, K. (1951). Field theory in social science. New York, NY: Harper & Row.

Shirey, M. (2013). Lewin’s theory of planned change as a strategic resource. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 43(2), 69–72.

Presenters

Dayna Burnett, Ph.D.. Dayna Burnett, Ph.D., has a clinical psychology private practice in Austin, Texas working with individuals and couples. In addition she is a Licensed SCT Practitioner, Certified SAVI trainer, a SAVI Master Coder, and a member of the SCT Conference system. She has over 20 years experience in SCT and SAVI. She obtained her doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. She conducts communication coaching and training with individuals and teams internationally.

Jesper Hermansson, MS, Licensed Psychologist. Jesper Hermansson is an organizational psychologist, trained and working with SCT methods with individual clients, teams and organizational change. He is a Licensed Psychologist with an MS in Psychology as well as an MS in Economics & Busisness Administration, and a Specialist in Group & Organizational Psychology. He has completed the AIG and is completing the licensing track for SCT practitioners. In his management role, he uses SCT as a primary discipline within his own organization. His interest lies in the integration of business and human dynamics.

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405-C |

Intermediate Advanced Theory to Practice: Building a Systems-Centered Group

Trainer(s): Rowena Davis , MSc ; Annie MacIver, MA, CQSW

Building a Systems-Centered group: how do we do it in practice? We will use a Theory of Living Human Systems to guide our thinking as we practice building an SCT group in different contexts. Using the resources in the group, we will role play introducing SCT core methods and learn from what we discover. Our goal is to build a working climate where we free up experimental energy and have fun!

Prerequisite: Completion of Intermediate Skills Training (IST).

Participation in intermediate/advanced level training requires membership in SCTRI and actively receiving consultation from an SCT Licensed Practitioner.

See the Intermediate tab on SCT Training Curriculum for details

Category: Late Morning Training Track: General Interest; Theory and Basics Level: Intermediate/Advanced Level

CE credits: 7.5 Format: Demonstration; Didactic; Experiential Day(s): Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday , 10:35 - 12:05

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Describe how the goal and process of functional subgrouping is derived from a Theory of Living Human Systems
• Practice introducing functional subgrouping
• Use the Person-As-A-System map to state how the distraction exercise is designed to bring energy into here-and-now reality
• Practice introducing the distraction exercise
• Apply the Time Travelling Map to identify how the explain/explore fork offers the choice between exploring the impulse to explain or exploring reality
• Practice offering the fork-in-the-road between explaining and exploring

Presentation Content

The Systems-Centered approach developed by Yvonne Agazarian is considered by APA a contribution to the knowledge of the boundaries between clinical and social psychology. Systems-centered training draws on a comprehensive systems theory, that is implemented by specific, theory-derived methods and techniques. The core method, functional subgrouping, is indicated by peer-reviewed research to improve group functioning

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M. (2018). The nuts and bolts of systems-centered practice. Systems-Centered News, 26(1), 5-9.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F.B. (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Davis, R. (2020). How do we keep theory alive and use it in practice? Systems-Centered News, 28(1), 7-10.

Gantt, S.P. (2015). Systems-centered group therapy. In E.S. Neukrug (Ed.), Encyclopedia of theory in counseling and psychotherapy (pp. 991-996). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Gantt, S.P. (2021). Systems-centered theory (SCT) into group therapy: Beyond surviving ruptures to repairing and thriving. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 71(2), 224-252. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2020.1772073

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Presenters

Rowena Davis, MSc. Rowena Davis, MSc, is an organizational consultant working with public, private and not-for-profit organizations in the UK and internationally. Her work combines coaching individuals and teams; strategic marketing and planning; mapping systems; and running SCT and SAVI trainings in the US and Europe. She is a Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner, a certified SAVI trainer, a member and Director of Research of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute Board and a Director of SCTUK. She holds an MSc in Change Agent Skills & Strategies (Distinction) from the University of Surrey, a Dottore in Sociologia from the University of Trento, Italy, and a BSc (Econ) from the London School of Economics.

Annie MacIver, MA, CQSW. Annie MacIver MA, CQSW is an organizational consultant, trainer and coach working in the public and private sectors. She has applied SCT to build effective teams and partnerships as a senior leader in large public sector organizations. She is a licensed Systems-Centred practitioner, a Director of SCTUK and a member of the SCTRI Board. She has an MA in Consultation and the Organization and is a qualified Social Worker.

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301-IC |

Intermediate Skills Training (8:30-12:05)

Trainer(s): Lotte Paans , Msc ; Dr. Ros Wood, BSc (Hons), MBChB, MRCPsych

7-day group, meets on Institute weekend and continues Monday-Friday as full-morning training.

Intermediate skills training shifts focus from work with oneself to work with others. In this intensive 7-day training, participants are introduced to SCT protocols with an emphasis on the theoretical context for the intervention and the technical skills that make up each protocol. Participants then record their practice of each protocol and lead a small task group reviewing recorded sections in order to identify specific driving and restraining forces of their work.

By application to assess your readiness for this training (see link below). Send application to both Lotte Paans and Ros Wood.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Sunday, February 4, 2024

Note: One of the leaders of your training group (or, if in unusual circumstances, you are not part of a training group, a system mentor) should be consulted as to your readiness for this training. This is the first of the core Intermediate SCT trainings.

Participation in intermediate level training requires membership in SCTRI and actively receiving consultation from an SCT Licensed Practitioner.

See the Intermediate tab on SCT Training Curriculum for details

Category: Whole Morning Training Track: Clinical; Organizational; Theory and Basics Level: Intermediate Level

CE credits: 27.5 Format: Didactic; Demonstration; Experiential Day(s): Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday , 8:30 - 12:05

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Demonstrate ability to introduce functional subgrouping to a group
• Demonstrate ability to use SCT protocols for undoing distractions, anxiety, tension, depression, outrages, and role locks
• Apply a basic understanding of the theoretical context for the use of SCT protocols
• Create a force field to analyze what helps or hinders the application of protocols
• Demonstrate ability to provide feedback based on facts, not opinions
• Demonstrate ability to lead a small task group

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that function as hypotheses to test both the validity of the theory and the reliability of its practice.

This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P. (2013). Applying systems-centered theory (SCT) and methods in organizational contexts: Putting SCT to work. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 63(2), 234-258. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2013.63.2.234

Gantt, S.P. (2021). Systems-centered theory (SCT) into group therapy: Beyond surviving ruptures to repairing and thriving. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 71(2), 224-252. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2020.1772073

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup 1), S60-S70 doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Gantt, S.P., & Badenoch, B. (2020). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Developing a group mind that supports right brain function and right-left-right hemispheric integration. In R. Tweedy (Ed.) The divided therapist: Hemispheric difference and contemporary psychotherapy (pp. 149-180). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Presenters

Lotte Paans, Msc. Lotte Paans runs a private practice for therapy and (team)coaching in the Netherlands. She counsels individuals, couples and teams, provides training and supervision for (team)coaches and consultants and manages change in organizations using SCT. She leads several ongoing SCT groups in the Netherlands and at SCT conferences. Lotte is a licensed SCT Practitioner, a founding member and Chair of the Dutch SCT-NL Board and member of SCTRI in the USA.

Dr. Ros Wood, BSc (Hons), MBChB, MRCPsych. Dr. Ros Wood is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner who worked in the UK for the National Health Service for 20 years before moving into private practice. She has previously led multi-disciplinary community mental health teams in South Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. She has worked with adults who suffer from mental illnesses and disorders including anxiety disorders, OCD, mood disorders, trauma and stress related disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders, comorbid addiction, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and Autistic Spectrum Conditions. She has a particular interest in the impact of complex childhood trauma in adulthood. She has taught psychiatrists, primary care physicians, therapists, nurses, social workers, junior doctors and medical students on a wide variety of clinical topics, including didactic teaching and experiential workshops. She has now retired from the NHS and works in private practice.

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401-IC |

Authority Issue Group (8:30-12:05)

Trainer(s): Susan P. Gantt , Ph.D., CGP, ABPP, AGPA-DF, FAPA ; Ray Haddock, MBChB, M.MedSc, FRCPsych

7-day group, meets on Institute weekend and continues Monday-Friday as full-morning training.

This training is an ongoing event that confronts the hatred of authority, one’s own and others’. Alternating between training group practicum and review work, the program will focus on applying a Theory of Living Human Systems in exploring the issues of giving and taking authority. This training is by application only for SCTRI members who are committed to becoming a Licensed SCT Practitioner, who have completed all prerequisite intermediate training, and meet the criteria for group membership. Joining this group means committing to twice yearly meetings for the duration of the group.

See the Intermediate tab on SCT Training Curriculum for details

This is a closed group.

Participation in intermediate level training requires membership in SCTRI and actively receiving consultation from an SCT Licensed Practitioner.

Category: Whole Morning Training Track: Clinical; Organizational Level: Intermediate Level

CE credits: 27.5 Format: Experiential Day(s): Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday , 8:30 - 12:05

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Demonstrate ability to shift from person to member in a developing group in each of its phases of system development
• Utilize leadership and membership roles working in the context of a peer task-focused group
• Apply SCT methods to weaken the restraining forces in shifting from person to member
• Describe the concept of the hatred of authority
• Explain the role relationships with external authority and one’s internal authority
• Practice working in membership with leadership towards the goal of increasing awareness of the driving and restraining forces related to leadership effectiveness, both internal in relationship to the personality style, task/maintenance dimensions, and the effect of leadership behaviors on the group's membership, subgroups and the group-as-a-whole

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that function as hypotheses to test both the validity of the theory and the reliability of its practice. This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1994). The phases of development and the systems-centered group. In M. Pines, & V. Schermer (Eds.), Ring of fire: Primitive object relations and affect in group psychotherapy (pp. 36-85). London, UK: Routledge, Chapman & Hall.

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M. (1999). Phases of development in the systems-centered group. Small Group Research, 30(1), 82-107. doi: 10.1177/104649649903000105

Agazarian, Y.M. (2012). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Putting theory into practice. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 62(2) 171–195. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2012.62.2.171

Agazarian, Y.M. (2016). Contrasting interpersonal and systems-centered approaches using two observation systems to analyze the communication patterns in two videotapes of the interpersonal approach to group psychotherapy. GROUP: The Journal of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, 40(1), 71-88. doi:10.13186/group.40.1.0071

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Armington, R. (2012). Exploring the convergence of systems-centered therapy’s functional subgrouping and the principles of interpersonal neurobiology. Journal of Interpersonal Neurobiology Studies, 1, 51-55.

Brabender, V., & Fallon, A. (2008). Group development in practice: Guidance for clinicians and researchers on stages and dynamics of change. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Finlay, L.D., Abernethy, A.D., & Garrels, S.R. (2016). Scapegoating in group therapy: Insights from Girard’s mimetic theory. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 66(2), 188-204. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2015.1106174

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Moreno, J.K. (2007). Scapegoating in group psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 57(1), 93-104.

O'Neill, R.M., & Mogle, J. (2015). Systems-centered functional subgrouping and large group outcome. GROUP: The Journal of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, 39(4), 303-317. doi: 10.13186/group.39.4.0303

Presenters

Susan P. Gantt, Ph.D., CGP, ABPP, AGPA-DF, FAPA. Susan P. Gantt, Ph.D., ABPP, CGP, AGPA-DF, FAPA, is a psychologist in private practice and coordinated group psychotherapy training in psychiatry at Emory University for 29 years. She chairs the Systems-Centered Training (SCT) and Research Institute; teaches SCT in the USA, Europe and China; and leads training groups in Atlanta, San Francisco, and The Netherlands. She has co-authored four books with Yvonne Agazarian, co-edited The Interpersonal Neurobiology of Group Psychotherapy and Group Process with Bonnie Badenoch, and received the 2011 Alonso Award for Excellence in Psychodynamic Group Psychotherapy. Her latest book is Systems-Centered Training: An Illustrated Guide for Applying a Theory of Living Human Systems (Agazarian, Gantt & Carter, 2021).

Ray Haddock, MBChB, M.MedSc, FRCPsych. Ray Haddock, MBChB, M.MedSc, FRCPsych, is a licensed Systems-Centered practitioner, a Director of SCTUK, a member of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute Board of Directors and of the Board of the International Association of Group Psychotherapy and of the Institute of Group Analysis. He spent many years as a medical psychotherapist in the NHS as a therapist and training psychiatrists in therapeutic skills. As a Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner and trainer he undertakes training, consultation, personal development, mentoring and therapy in the UK and internationally.

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406-C |

Container Training (8:45-12:05)

Trainer(s): Heather Twomey , Ph.D. ; Peter Slenders, MSc

Participants will work in the Foundation group, exploring containing and using their own experience to support the work of the group. This is an important building block toward SCT leadership in any system. This experiential training is open by application for intermediate/advanced members. This training starts with containers working in the Foundation group. After the break, we will review and process our work. The process work provides a context to integrate one’s own learnings and development.

Prerequisite: Completion of Intermediate Skills Training (IST).

By application (see link below). Send application to both Heather Twomey (heather.twomey@gmail.com) and Peter Slenders (peterslenders1974@gmail.com)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, February 09, 2024

Participation in intermediate/advanced level training requires membership in SCTRI and actively receiving consultation from an SCT Licensed Practitioner.

See the Intermediate tab on SCT Training Curriculum for details

Category: Whole Morning Training Track: Clinical; Organizational Level: Intermediate/Advanced Level

CE credits: 15.0 Format: Experiential Day(s): Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday , 8:45 - 12:05

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Use knowledge of phase of development as evidenced by container role contributions that serve to weaken phase-relevant restraining forces
• Identify and then plan to reduce person-system outputs thus enabling greater container role functionality
• Demonstrate the ability to contain and explore authority issues aroused in self and group as evidenced by consistently making inputs (verbal and non-verbal) that support the current leadership vector(s)
• Demonstrate ability to subgroup internally with all voices of the subgroup/group-as-a-whole as evidenced by functional joins
• Utilize ability to lighten or deepen exploration appropriately in context
• Utilize own experience as member of training group, contribute with container role behavior and inputs that support the development of the group

Presentation Content

The systems-centered approach to group and organizational work has been in the field for over 25 years, presented in approximately 30 articles in peer-reviewed professional journals. Its methods incorporate techniques linked to successful strategies for improvement in group and individual psychotherapy, for example, modifying cognitive distortions, increasing group cohesion, lowering scapegoating, and reducing somatic defenses. This training focuses on the Container role to support functional subgrouping, group development and the group leader.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M. (2012). Attunement, empathy, and the triune brain. Systems-Centered News, 24(1), 5-8.

Agazarian, Y.M., & Gantt, S.P. (2005). The systems perspective. In S. Wheelan (Ed.), Handbook of group research and practice (pp. 187-200). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P. (2015). Systems-centered group therapy. In E.S. Neukrug (Ed.), Encyclopedia of theory in counseling and psychotherapy (pp. 991-996). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Gantt, S.P. (2018). Developing groups that change our brains: Systems-centered's functional subgrouping, and its role in each phase of group development. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 38(4), 270-284. https://10.1080/07351690.2018.1444851

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (Eds.) (2005). SCT in action: Applying the systems-centered approach in organizations. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse. Reprint (2006). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Gantt, S.P., & Badenoch, B. (2020). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Developing a group mind that supports right brain function and right-left-right hemispheric integration. In R. Tweedy (Ed.) The divided therapist: Hemispheric difference and contemporary psychotherapy (pp. 149-180). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Sundlin, A.L,. & Sundlin, P. (2014). Taking up your role: How to shift life and work without losing yourself. Cambridge, MA: Catalyst Communications Press.

Presenters

Heather Twomey, Ph.D.. Heather B. Twomey, PhD., is a Clinical Psychologist who has trained in Systems-Centered Therapy (SCT) steadily since 1996. She is currently an SCT Licensed Practitioner who leads and co-leads in various SCT training contexts including conferences, workshops and training groups. Additionally, she practices in private practice where she conducts groups, individual, and couples therapy. She completed her Ph.D. in 1997 at Miami University. She completed her pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Emory University.

Peter Slenders, MSc. Peter Slenders, MSc, is a certified coach in the Netherlands (PHBO) and has worked as trainer, coach and (group) therapist with adults and children since 2003. Peter runs a private practice in individual coaching and couples therapy in the Netherlands. He has been studying SCT since 2009; has completed the Authority Issue Group; and is presently in the process of becoming a licensed SCT practitioner. He is a Board member of SCT-NL and a member of SCTRI. He has specific expertise with applying a psychophysical approach in programs that address bullying and group development in the classroom, as well as specific expertise with interdisciplinary, cognitive-behavioral interventions for clients with medically unexplained somatic symptoms. He uses a systems orientation to support interdisciplinary, self-organizing teams with their challenges in collaboration and effectiveness.

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502-IC |

Advanced Training for Trainers and Leaders: Tracking Group Development (8:30-12:05)

Trainer(s): Dorothy Gibbons , MSS, LCSW ; Juliet Koprowska, MSW

7-day group, meets on Institute weekend and continues Monday-Friday as full-morning training.

This training observes the Authority Issue Group to track group dynamics, phase of system development, communication patterns that support the phase, leadership interventions linking interventions to theory and group functioning. Goal: To learn through observation to collect data about the impact of leader interventions in each phase of system development and, through experience, to collect data about system isomorphy.

Prerequisite: Completion of Authority Issue Group training.

This group will continue to meet through the duration of the Authority Issue Group.

Participation in advanced level training requires membership in SCTRI.

Category: Whole Morning Training Track: Clinical; Organizational Level: Advanced Level

CE credits: 27.5 Format: Demonstration; Experiential; Sharing of Experience Day(s): Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday , 8:30 - 12:05

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Analyze the leader's SCT interventions as they relate to the system's phase of development
• Describe a predictable hierarchy of defense modification in the service of developing an SCT work phase group
• Relate observations to a Theory of Living Human Systems and systems-centered practice
• Develop a force field to identify the driving and restraining forces towards building a systems-centered group
• Assess effectiveness of functional subgrouping in an advanced training group (Authority Issue Group)
• Discuss examples of isomorphy between group being observed and observing group

Presentation Content

The training is rooted in the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute’s (SCTRI) long-standing commitment to advancing the field of group psychotherapy and systems-centered practice. SCTRI was presented with the 2010 Award for Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. With its empirical basis and focus on understanding group dynamics through observation, this training enhances the skills of participants working in group settings.

The training emphasizes hands-on observation, critical discussion, and practical skill-building in the context of the Authority Issue Group (AIG) and Licensing Group. By observing and analyzing leadership interventions, communication patterns, and group phases, participants will gain first-hand experience in tracking real-life group developments, integrating theory and practice.

In summary, this training event serves as an advanced learning opportunity for participants, equipping them with the knowledge and practical skills to assess and intervene in group dynamics using systems-centered principles. The methods employed are empirically supported and rooted in a deep understanding of psychological, systemic and psychoanalytic theory.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Armington, R. (2012). Exploring the convergence of systems-centered therapy’s functional subgrouping and the principles of interpersonal neurobiology. Journal of Interpersonal Neurobiology Studies, 1, 51-55.

Gantt, S.P. (2011). Systems-centered approach to groups. In J. Kleinberg (Ed.), The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of group psychotherapy (pp. 113-138). Oxford, UK: Wiley.

Gantt, S.P. (2021). Systems-centered training for group leaders: Weakening social survivor roles that undermine women (and men) in leadership. In Y.I. Kane, S.M. Masselink & A.C. Weiss (Eds.), Women, intersectionality and power in group psychotherapy leadership (pp. 236-253). London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2010). Developing the group mind through functional subgrouping: Linking systems-centered training (SCT) and interpersonal neurobiology. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 60(4), 515-544. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2010.60.4.515

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Gantt, S.P., & Badenoch, B. (2020). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Developing a group mind that supports right brain function and right-left-right hemispheric integration. In R. Tweedy (Ed.) The divided therapist: Hemispheric difference and contemporary psychotherapy (pp. 149-180). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Gantt, S.P., Carter, F.B., Gibbons, D., & Hartford, R. (2021, October 24). Systems-centered training & therapy: Seeing the system, not just people. Commemorating the work of Yvonne Agazarian. [Online event.] Systems-Centered Training & Research Institute.

Presenters

Dorothy Gibbons, MSS, LCSW. Dorothy Gibbons, MSS, LCSW, is a Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner. She is in private practice in Philadelphia, PA. She works with individuals, groups, and couples. She also works as an organizational consultant to a social service agency in Philadelphia. Ms. Gibbons is the former Director of the Adolescent Sex Offender Unit at the Joseph J. Peters Institute in Philadelphia and has extensive experience working with both victims and offenders of sexual abuse. She is on the Board of Directors of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute. She is also a graduate of the Gestalt Therapy Training.

Juliet Koprowska, MSW. Juliet Koprowska is a Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner. She is Honorary Fellow at the University of York where for many years she taught qualifying and registered social workers. She leads and co-leads SCT workshops and training in the UK, Italy and the US. She researches communication in social work practice and is author of "Communication and Interpersonal Skills in Social Work" (5th edition). London: Sage Learning Matters, a book widely used on social work programmes in the UK. She is co-editor with Juhila, K., Dall, T. & Hall, C. (2021), of "Interprofessional Collaboration and Service User Participation: Analysing meetings in social welfare." Bristol: Policy Press, which includes her chapter on ‘Relational agency and epistemic justice in Initial Child Protection Conferences’. She organises the annual SCT event held in York, England.

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01 |

Using Force Field Analysis in Leadership Development Coaching to Sustain Change

Trainer(s): Irene McHenry, Ph.D. and Michelle Lynskey, Ph.D.

This workshop explores the application of Force Field Analysis in coaching executive-level leaders and teams with the goal of sustainable behavior change in the context of their organizational systems. Force field theory can be an innovative approach to working toward sustainable change in improving leadership performance and executive team performance. We will review the force field method, provide examples of this application, and do interactive, experiential activities for participants to apply force field to themselves and in their work with clients.

Category: Conference Afternoon Workshop Track: Organizational; Education; General Interest Level: Open to All Levels

CE credits: 2.0 Format: Experiential; Demonstration; Sharing of Experience Day(s): Monday , 2:00 - 4:00

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Describe the theory of change that underlies SCT's use of Lewin's force field
• Describe how the use of force field analysis works to make change in individual leadership and in organizational systems
• Describe one restraining force and one or more action steps to modify it in your personal or professional life
• Describe an advantage for using force field analysis in leadership development work and executive team work

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that implement and test the theoretical hypotheses in its practice. This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

In social science, force field analysis provides a framework for looking at the factors ("forces") that influence a situation. The analysis looks at forces that are either driving the movement toward a goal or blocking movement toward a goal. The principle, developed by Kurt Lewin in 1947, is a significant contribution to the fields of social science, psychology, organizational development, and change management. Force fields are an important tool used in SCT to aid in collecting data about the driving and restraining forces in any human system toward an explicit goal or to surface an implicit goal.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Agazarian, Y.M. (2018). The nuts and bolts of systems-centered practice. Systems-Centered News, 26(1), 5-9.

Sundlin, A.L. & Sundlin, P. (2014). Taking up your role: How to shift between life and work without losing yourself. Cambridge, MA: Catalyst Communications Press.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2005). SCT in action: Applying the systems-centered approach in organizations. London, UK: Routledge. Reprint (2006). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Lewin, K. (1951). Field theory in social science. New York, NY: Harper & Row.

Shirey, M. (2013). Lewin’s theory of planned change as a strategic resource. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 43(2), 69–72.

Sundlin, A-L, & Sundlin, P. (2014). Taking up your role: How to shift between life and work without losing yourself. Cambridge, MA: Catalyst Communications Press.

Wheelan, S.A. (2016). Creating effective teams: A guide for members and leaders (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Presenters

Irene McHenry, Ph.D.. Irene brings decades of experience in leadership development, board governance, and executive coaching to this workshop. She has a passion for human development and for developing leadership programs for diverse populations. Irene was a founding faculty member of Fielding Graduate University's doctoral program in Educational Leadership and Change, the founding Head of Delaware Valley Friends School for students with learning disabilities, and a co-founder of Greenwood Friends School, the only independent school in its rural region. She served as adjunct faculty at Lincoln University, an historically Black college, as a Senior Investigator for the Mind and Life Summer Research Institute, and was Lead Investigator on the National Moral Education Research Project. Irene has a Ph.D. in human and organizational development from Fielding Graduate University. She served on the board of managers for Haverford College, the founding board of the Mindfulness in Education Network, and is past president of the board of the Council for American Private Education. She is a licensed psychologist, a psychotherapist in private practice, a certified SAVI trainer, a member of SCTRI Board of Directors, and is an OD consultant and executive leadership coach.

Michelle Lynskey, Ph.D.. Michelle’s expertise and insight into people and organizations are grounded in her 25+ years of experience in external and internal coaching and consulting. She is passionate about helping individuals and groups develop key insights that, when acted on, lead to powerful personal change and performance improvements. She has coached and consulted to senior leaders and leadership teams during significant change such as CEO transitions, mergers, restructuring, and turnarounds. Michelle received her Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Rice University and holds a variety of professional certifications in support of her coaching practice. She is certified in the SAVI communication method, a licensed Psychologist, and member of SCTRI, APA, SIOP, and Society for Consulting Psychologists

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02 |

Nature, Nurture and SCT: Developing Our Understanding of Phylogenesis, Epigenetics and SCT Practice

Trainer(s): Juliet Koprowska, MSW, Licensed SCT Practitioner and Jim Peightel, MD

Family therapy has explored transgenerational trauma for decades. Recent work in neurobiology focuses on the impact of trauma. SCT grapples with how our predecessors’ experiences influence us (phylogenesis), and how our environment and behavior may change us neurologically and genetically (epigenetics). In this workshop we explore these concepts in relationship to a theory of living human systems (TLHS), share experiences of family survival roles, and clarify what is considered scientifically known and what is metaphor.

Category: Conference Afternoon Workshop Track: General Interest; Clinical; Research Level: Open to All Levels

CE credits: 2.0 Format: Sharing of Experience; Experiential; Didactic Day(s): Monday , 2:00 - 4:00

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Define phylogenesis and epigenetics
• Identify one of my own familial survival roles and consider whether SCT has modified its impact, and if so, how
• Name two ways in which the concepts of phylogenesis and epigenesis change the understanding of the genesis of survival roles

Presentation Content

The workshop will present the concepts of phylogenesis and epigenetics, and introduce theoretical and research material about transgenerational phenomena, drawing on the work of Boszormenyi-Nagy & Spark (1973), Agazarian, Gantt & Carter (2021), Baldwin, D.V. (2013) and Dekel, S., Mandl, C. & Solomon, Z. (2013), among others.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F.B. (2021). Systems-Centered Training: An illustrated guide for applying a Theory of Living Human Systems, Oxford & New York, Routledge.

Baldwin, D.V. (2013). Primitive mechanisms of trauma response: An evolutionary perspective on trauma-related disorders Neuroscience and Behavioral Reviews, 37:1549-1566

Boszormenyi-Nagy, I., & Spark, G.M. (1973). Invisible Loyalties: Reciprocity in Intergenerational Family Therapy. New York: Harper & Row.

Dekel, S., Mandl, C., & Solomon, Z. (2013). Is the Holocaust implicated in post-traumatic growth on second-generation Holocaust survivors? A prospective study. Journal of Traumatic Stress 26: 530-533.

Gantt, S.P. (2018). Developing groups that change our minds and transform our brains: Systems-centered's functional subgrouping, its impact on our neurobiology, and its role in each phase of group development. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: Today's Bridge Between Psychoanalysis and the Group World [Special Issue], 38(4), 270-284. doi: 10.1080/07351690.2018.1444851

Gantt, S.P., & Badenoch, B. (2020). Systems-centered group psychotherapy: Developing a group mind that supports right brain function and right-left-right hemispheric integration. In R. Tweedy (Ed.) The divided therapist: Hemispheric difference and contemporary psychotherapy (pp. 149-180). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Presenters

Juliet Koprowska, MSW, Licensed SCT Practitioner. Juliet Koprowska, MSW, is a Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner. She is Honorary Fellow at the University of York where for many years she taught qualifying and registered social workers. She leads and co-leads SCT workshops and training in the UK, Italy and the US. She researches communication in social work practice and is author of "Communication and Interpersonal Skills in Social Work" (6th edition). London: Sage Learning Matters, a book widely used on social work programmes in the UK. She is co-editor with Juhila, K., Dall, T. & Hall, C. (2021), of "Interprofessional Collaboration and Service User Participation: Analysing meetings in social welfare." Bristol: Policy Press, which includes her chapter on "Relational agency and epistemic justice in Initial Child Protection Conferences." She organises the annual SCT event held in York, England, is on the Board of SCTRI, the Board of SCTUK, and chairs the Board of Trustees of GAPS (promoting psychodynamic, systemic and relationship-based approaches to social work practice).

Jim Peightel, MD. Dr. Peightel is a general and addiction psychiatrist with over 25 years experience serving Philadelphia in a wide range of treatment settings. He has a BA in Physics, and completed his medical training at Temple University and remains on the teaching faculty there. His work has focused on team-based treatment approaches, novel program development, and systems-oriented integration of services for the chronic mentally ill, homeless, and disenfranchised. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Leadership Council, a fellow in the APA, and a recipient of Philadelphia Psychiatric Society’s Robert Jones award honoring a psychiatrist for lifelong commitment and service to the chronically mentally ill. He has participated in health system cultural exchange contingents in various locales including Hungary, Cuba, China, Russia, South Africa, and Myanmar. He began training with Yvonne during residency in 1989, became a member of SCTRI in 1996, and is a current member of the SCTRI Board.

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03 |

Building a Safe Place for Your Old Survivor Role

Trainer(s): Kati Taunt, Social Work MA, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy PGDip, Systemic Therapy PGDip and Jane Steinberg, LMFT

Our survivor roles were once useful to us. They arose in order to develop or maintain an attachment in a specific context and which functioned to protect the person system and stabilize the interpersonal system. Survivor roles learn to respond to a trigger and organise person energy in order to survive. These old roles can then be triggered by familiar stimulae in contexts where they have no function and instead stop us relating to the world as it is now. By building a system that attunes to old survival roles using reflection and subgrouping we can enable an opening of boundaries to curiosity and exploration. In this workshop we will be using craft and art to create an environment where we can bring enough stability for our old survival roles to open their boundaries to curiosity and exploration.

Category: Conference Afternoon Workshop Track: General Interest; Clinical Level: Open to All Levels

CE credits: 2.0 Format: Experiential Day(s): Monday , 2:00 - 4:00

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Describe one familiar survivor role
• Describe at least one way to show compassion towards a survivor role
• List three behaviors that show attunement to a survivor role

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that implement and test the theoretical hypotheses in its practice. This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

The systems-centered approach to group and organizational work has been in the field for over 25 years and presented in more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed professional journals as well as numerous books. Its methods incorporate techniques linked to successful strategies for improvement in group and individual psychotherapy, for example, modifying cognitive distortions, increasing group cohesion, lowering scapegoating, and reducing somatic defenses.

It is widely recognised by trauma theorists including Stephen Porges (Polyvagal Theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing), Bessel van der Kolk, Dan Siegel and Bruce Perry (Neuro-Sequential Model of Therapeutics), that before processing traumatic experiences and in order to integrate these experiences, the first step is to establish a sense of internal safety, before any curiosity is possible.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P. (2019). Implications of neuroscience for group psychotherapy. In F.J. Kaklauskas & L.R. Greene (Eds.), Core principles of group psychotherapy: An integrated theory, research, and practice training manual (pp. 156-170). New York, NY: Routledge.

Porges, S.W. (2017). The pocket guide to the polyvagal theory: The transformative power of feeling safe. New York, NY: Norton.

Van der Kolk, B. (2015). The body keeps the score: Mind, brain and body in the transformation of trauma. London, UK: Penguin Books.

Presenters

Kati Taunt, Social Work MA, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy PGDip, Systemic Therapy PGDip. Kati Taunt is a Clinical Social Worker, Trauma Therapist, Consultant and Trainer with 25 years of experience working in specialist CAMHS, a children’s mental health charity, specialist provision for children and families with complex trauma, private practice, and residential childcare. As the only Europe based licenced ARC (Attachment, Regulation and Competency www.arcframework.org) she has been working to introduce trauma-informed practice and provides onging consultation for schools, residential care, foster care, youth offending, adolescent psychiatric in patient services, youth offending teams, adolescent drug and alcohol services, charities, secure units, CAMHS, early help teams and specialist adolescent teams within social care in locations throughout the UK, Malta and Ireland for the past 12 years. Kati also works clinically offering therapy for clients with PTSD and complex trauma trauma, using EMDR and CBT to a small number of clients. She provides processing groups to organizations working with trauma in a variety of contexts. She has completed the Authority Issue Group and been training in SCT for 11 years. www.trauma-informedpractice.com

Jane Steinberg, LMFT. Jane Steinberg is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area for the last 22 years. She specializes in treating trauma, depression and anxiety using SCT methods and tools, EMDR, and somatic and mindful self-compassion within a psychoanalytic foundation. She previously worked in an agency for the City and County of San Francisco performing mental health assessments to aid students with behavioral and emotional problems to access treatment. She has completed the Authority Issue Group, AIG VIII, and has been studying and training in SCT for over 15 years and is continuing to learn about her survivor roles, relate to them with compassion and build a supportive environment for them to grow and develop. www.janesteinbergmft.com

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04 |

Exploring the Collective Cognitive Distortions in Racism

Trainer(s): Verena Murphy, Ph.D., LISW and Debbie Woolf, MSS, LCSW, PHR

"Misconstructed Mental Maps" create and prolong racism. This irreality results in stereotypical hierarchies based on judgments and opinions about: race, color, gender, income, education, etc. Using functional subgrouping and Agazarian's Theory of Living Human Systems, we will explore the collective cognitive distortions in racism and how the world looks when we're living in the irreality of cognitive distortions versus how it looks when we're in reality.

Category: Conference Afternoon Workshop Track: General Interest Level: Open to All Levels

CE credits: 2.0 Format: Didactic; Experiential; Sharing of Experience Day(s): Monday , 2:00 - 4:00

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Give an example of a cognitive distortion
• Use the systems-centered method of functional subgrouping to open curiousity and name prejudices and judgments in racism
• Give an example of how a judgment, based on fears or wishes, can interfere with being in reality

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that implement and test the hypotheses in its practice. This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

The systems-centered approach to group and organizational work has been in the field for over 25 years, presented in approximately 30 articles in peer-reviewed professional journals. Its methods incorporate techniques linked to successful strategies for improvement in group and individual psychotherapy, for example, modifying cognitive distortions, increasing group cohesion, lowering scapegoating, and reducing somatic defenses. A Theory of Living Human Systems states that living human systems survive, develop and transform from simple to complex by discriminating and integrating differences. Frequently, differences are attacked, scapegoated, or avoided by us as humans. The awareness of one’s impulse to scapegoat, attack or avoid differences, e.g., by thinking “us vs. them,” thus creating a role lock, gives us data which can lead to insight and alternative choices when we respond to differences. Ultimately the ability to undo role locks and integrate the differences leads to development, learning and transformation.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Amadio, D.M. (2014). The neuroscience of prejudice and stereotyping. Nature/Neuroscience, 15, 670-682. doi:10.1038nrn3800

Banaji, M.R., & Greenwald, A.G. (2016). Blindspot: Hidden biases of good people. New York, NY: Bantam Books.

Eberhardt, J.L. (2019). Biased. New York, NY: Viking.

Fiske, S.T. (2015). Intergroup biases: A focus on stereotype content. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 3, 45-50. doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2015.01.010

Ponsi, G., Panasiti, M.S., Rizza, G., & Aglioti, S.M. (2017). Thermal facial reactivity patterns predict social categorization bias triggered by unconscious and conscious emotional stimuli. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 284: 20170908 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2017.0908

Presenters

Verena Murphy, Ph.D., LISW. Verena Murphy, Ph.D., LISW, began training in 1993 with Yvonne Agazarian in Philadelphia, and has used SCT theory and practice in her personal development, as a partner, mother and grandmother, as a clinical Social Worker in inpatient and outpatient settings, as assistant professor in Management and Information Systems. She is a re-certified SAVI Trainer and resides in Oregon, where she has a private, systems-oriented online practice.

Debbie Woolf, MSS, LCSW, PHR. Deborah Woolf, MS, MSS, LCSW, PHR, has been training in Systems-Centered Theory (SCT) since 1999 and been a member of Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute since 2001. She is a clinician working in an outpatient setting with individuals and groups. She has worked in Human Resources and in Organizational Development and applies SCT to that work as well. Psychoanalytic theory as well as other theories have also influenced her. She has trained in the use of the System for Analyzing Verbal Interactions (SAVI) since 2001 and has presented workshops and trainings on Diversity, Mentoring and SCT.

Dayne Narretta , LCSW, BCD, CGP, AGPA-F. Dayne Narretta, LCSW, BCD, CGP, AGPA-F, is in Private Practice in Baton Rouge, LA. She has been facilitating groups since 1992. Most of her group training is through Systems-Centered Training Research Institute, American Group Psychotherapy Association, its affiliates and learning from the groups she leads. She does workshops and experiential groups for SCTRI, AGPA and its affiliates, universities, treatment centers and other organizations. She was introduced to Systems-Centered group work in 2004 and continues her training in the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute. Dayne is currently a co-director for the Systems-Centered Training annual conference. She has served on the Board for American Group Psychotherapy Association, as an AGPA conference co-chair and on the Affiliate Society Assembly. In addition, she is a past president for Louisiana Group Psychotherapy Society and has served in other leadership roles.

Eriko Kopp-Makinose, HPP, SEP, MHT. Eriko Kopp-Makinose, HPP, SEP, MHT works in Heidelberg, Germany and leads groups in personal development entitled: “The Sage Experience” and “Warrior with Heart.” She has been a coach and consultant in Organizational Development since 1996. Since 2015 she has had a Private Practice specialized in Trauma Healing. She founded and led a Montessori Primary and Secondary School as managing director for 12 years. In 1998 she was trained by Jane Elliot facilitating the “Blue Eye/Brown Eye” workshop. She got in touch with the work of Yvonne Agazarian in 2015 and has been a member of SCTRI since 2020. She is in SCT on an intermediate level, now a member of the AIG IX.

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05 |

The Overlooked Importance of Membership to System Development in Organizations

Trainer(s): Patricia Aerts , BA ; Janneke Maas, MSc, BA

In this workshop we will explore the importance of developing membership as a catalyst for system development. We will explore what is the member role, what helps us show up and what holds us back. Identifying restraining forces to taking up our member role, we will explore what options are available to reduce the restraining forces using SCT skills. The presenters will share their experiences as OD practitioners.

 

Category: Conference Afternoon Workshop Track: General Interest; Organizational Level: Open to All Levels

CE credits: 2.0 Format: Sharing of Experience; Experiential; Didactic Day(s): Tuesday , 2:00 - 4:00

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Identify at least one restraining force in taking up my member role
• Describe at least one behavioral next step to take up my member role
• Discuss restraining forces in taking up membership in at least one phase of development

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that implement and test the theoretical hypotheses in its practice. This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

The systems-centered approach to group and organizational work has been in the field for over 25 years, presented in more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed professional journals. Its methods incorporate techniques linked to successful strategies for improvement in group and individual psychotherapy, for example, modifying cognitive distortions, increasing group cohesion, lowering scapegoating, and reducing somatic defenses.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P. (2013). Applying systems-centered theory (SCT) and methods in organizational contexts: Putting SCT to work. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 63(2), 234-258. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2013.63.2.234

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Wheelan, S.A. (2016). Creating effective teams: A guide for members and leaders. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Presenters

Patricia Aerts, BA. Patricia Aerts is a team, leadership & organizational coach/consultant in organizations for about 30 years. She works with (management) teams, boards, leaders and professionals on building a climate for collaboration, leadership and system development. She has an eye for unlocking potential in people and systems. As a Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner, she is staff in training in the EU, as well as at the Annual Conference in the United States. Patricia is part of the 2024 SCTRI OD online Conference System as Conference Lead.

Janneke Maas, MSc, BA. Janneke Maas, MSc, works as a team coach and leadership system development trainer in the Netherlands. She works with teams, individuals, and organizations. The core of her work is freeing up energy for work and relations that support work and fun while working. She also educates people that want to become a team coach and learn the trade. Janneke is part of the SCT Conference system as Co-director and leader of the Program Planning group and is part of the Licensing group to become a Licensed practitioner.

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06 A-B |

Playing for Justice: Exploring Inequality Through Game Playing (Tue & Thu)

Trainer(s): Brian Conley S.J. , ACPE Certified Educator, MBA, MAPR ; Angelika Zollfrank , M.Div., BCC, ACPE, HEC-C ; Cayce Ramey, D.Min.

How might SCTRI apply the tools of the TLHS to begin undoing the impacts of white supremacy in our system and our wider contexts? This two-day afternoon workshop will explore this question through playing the game Inequality-opoly (a diversity equity and inclusion training game that transforms recent U.S. national studies into an engaging, personalized, and educational experience - https://www.inequalityopoly.com/). Participants will experience a system in which resources are not equally divided and unequal access to resources are a part of the system norms. In response to the experience of inequality, participants will work to build a system authorized and equipped to undo inequality within the game and the irreality of assumed equality in SCTRI and wider contexts. The first session will focus on role systems evoked by inequality. Participants will experience how identifying and undoing survival roles might influence the system-as-a-whole. In the second session, participants will subgroup around how the game-based experiences apply to SCTRI and other systems. Participants will explore how a systems-centered approach can be used to develop ways of being in the game (as a model for other systems) that allow for equitable and restorative redistribution of those same resources. NOTE: THIS IS A TWO-DAY WORKSHOP AND PARTICIPANTS ARE EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN BOTH DAYS. In order to reduce turbulence associated with building a new group and learning a new game while exploring intense topics like anti-white supremacy, participants will be provided a brief description of the rules and process of game play prior to the workshop.

You must attend both sessions to receive CE Credits for this 2-part workshop.

Category: Conference Afternoon Workshop Track: General Interest Level: Open to All Levels

CE credits: 4.0 Format: Experiential; Didactic; Sharing of Experience Day(s): Tuesday Thursday , 2:00 - 4:00

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Describe two driving and two restraining forces to managing experience in an inherently unequal context
• Discuss role systems triggered in an unequal context
• Discuss one driving/restraining force to potential modifications to an unequal system
• Describe how functional subgrouping is driving to potential modifications to the unequal system

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that implement and test the theoretical hypotheses in its practice. This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

The systems-centered approach to group and organizational work has been in the field for over 20 years, presented in approximately 30 articles in peer-reviewed professional journals. Its methods incorporate techniques linked to successful strategies for improvement in group and individual psychotherapy, for example, modifying cognitive distortions, increasing group cohesion, lowering scapegoating, and reducing somatic defenses.

In this workshop we will explore using the SCT theory and methods how members experience a socially unequal situation, using Inequality Monopoly. Sociologists have used Inequality Monopoly to teach about social classes and inequalities.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge

Davis, R. (2013). Creating the conditions for all voices to be heard: Strategies for working with differences. e-O&P Journal of the Association for Management Education and Development, 20(1), 23-29.

Eberhardt, J.L. (2019). Blindspot: Hidden biases of good people. New York, NY: Bantam Books.

Elliot, K.K. Khan Academy, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/colonial-america/early-chesapeake-and-southern-colonies/v/jamestown-bacons-rebellion

Ender, M.G. (2004). Modified Monopoly: Experiencing social class inequality. United States Military Academy. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 8(2).

Eng, D. (2019). Games for adult learning. https://medium.com/@davengdesign/games-for-adult-learning-7810fa861600, (December 17, 2019).

Fisher, E.M. (2008). USA stratified Monopoly: A simulation game about social class stratification. Teaching Sociology, 36(3), 272-282. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20491245

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Piff, P. https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_piff_does_money_make_you_mean

Popescu, M., Romero, M., & Usart, M. (2012). Using serious games in adult education. Serious business for serious people - the MetaVals game case study. ICVL 2012-7th International Conference on Virtual Learning.

Presenters

Brian Conley S.J. , ACPE Certified Educator, MBA, MAPR . Brian has over 20 years experience as a chaplain, chaplain educator, and Roman Catholic priest. He currently serves as Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Hope Parish where he works with individuals and groups. He has been active in SCTRI since 2006 and recently completed the Authority Issue Group. He also serves as Chaplain to the faculty and staff at Cheverus High School in Portland, ME where he works with faculty to develop and integrate Ignatian spirituality into their personal and professional lives.

Angelika Zollfrank , M.Div., BCC, ACPE, HEC-C. Angelika has worked as a chaplain, certified CPE educator, and Lutheran Pastor for 22 years. She is currently offering spiritual care and education at McLean Hospital, the Harvard-affiliated Psychiatric Hospital in Belmont, MA. She also has a small private practice in which she offers clinical spiritual consultation.

Cayce Ramey, D.Min.. The Rev. Dr. Cayce Ramey is an Episcopal priest, anti-white supremacy educator, and author. He holds a Doctor of Ministry from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in sacramental theology and transatlantic slavery, a Master of Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary, and a S.B. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has written for The Arts in Religion and Theological Studies and exhibited photo essays on art as prophetic witness.

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07 |

Systems-Centered Writing: A Creative Writing Group Experience

Trainer(s): Joseph Hovey , LCSW, CGP

In this interactive workshop, members will discover the value of writing creatively within a group, and participate in a live experience of the same. Building on the presenter’s experience in a long-running creative writing group of clinicians, participants will write and share, following their energy onto the page. We’ll use functional subgrouping as a structure both to share our writing, and to explore our experience.

Category: Conference Afternoon Workshop Track: General Interest; Clinical Level: Open to All Levels

CE credits: 2.0 Format: Experiential Day(s): Tuesday , 2:00 - 4:00

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Name one driving and one restraining force toward the goal of writing creatively in a group context
• Describe how creative writing can help individuals and groups develop in professional and personal contexts
• Compare the impact of survival roles with that of curious observer roles on my creativity and my creative output

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that implement and test the hypotheses in its practice. This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

The systems-centered approach to group and organizational work has been in the field for over 25 years, presented in approximately 30 articles in peer-reviewed professional journals. Its methods incorporate techniques linked to successful strategies for improvement in group and individual psychotherapy, for example, modifying cognitive distortions, increasing group cohesion, lowering scapegoating, and reducing somatic defenses.

Reflective and creative writing has been shown to have value throughout history. For example, as researched by Pennebaker (1997) in a therapeutic process: In helping put words to our human experiences, and in clinical contexts, to support in healing and growth. By integrating the tools and insight of SCT into the context of creative and/or clinical writing, we might develop richer and deeper awareness of ourselves, our relationships, our groups, and broader systems.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Gantt, S.P. (2015). Systems-centered group therapy. In E.S. Neukrug (Ed.), Encyclopedia of theory in counseling and psychotherapy (pp. 991-996). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Gantt, S.P., & Adams, J. (2010). Systems-centered training for therapists: Beyond stereotyping to integrating diversities into the change process. Women & Therapy, 33(1), 101–120. doi: 10.1080/02703140903404812

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Pennebaker, J.W. (1997). Writing about emotional experiences as a therapeutic process. Psychological Science, 8(3), 162–166. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1997.tb00403.x

Presenters

Joseph Hovey, LCSW, CGP. Joseph Hovey, LCSW, CGP, is a psychotherapist and supervisor in Brooklyn, NY. He provides individual and relationship therapy through his private practice, runs a gay men’s therapy group, and serves on the faculty of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society (EGPS) Group Therapy Training Program. He has been training in SCT since 2015, and is a Certified SAVI Trainer. He serves as the treasurer on the board of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society. He has presented at multiple workshops and events, and has been part of an ongoing creative clinical writing group with other therapists for eight years.

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08 |

Using SCT to Make More Humor, Fun and Flow in Your Work and Life

Trainer(s): Richard O’Neill , Ph.D., FAClinP, CGP, ABPP

Rich O'Neill will discuss how he uses SCT methods to center himself, undo his own anxiety, assess the context, generate flow and allow fun and potentially funny thoughts and feelings to pop up and then decide whether to pop them out of his mind via his mouth and into the world (work, or life, or both). Members will use SCT methods to undo inhibitions to flow, fun and being funny as we create a space to enjoy.

Category: Conference Afternoon Workshop Track: General Interest Level: Open to All Levels

CE credits: 2.0 Format: Experiential; Didactic; Demonstration Day(s): Tuesday , 2:00 - 4:00

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Apply the skill of functional subgrouping to develop a group and life space for flow, fun and humor
• Apply the skill of centering myself to prepare for having flow, fun and exploring and expressing humor
• Apply the skill of undoing anxiety to become curious and creative in the here-and-now in the face of uncertainty about the outcome of flowing and humorous expression

Presentation Content

O’Neill and colleagues have shown that groups run with SCT methods are more collaborative, productive and creative, and have higher engagement, less avoidance, less conflict, better inter-member relationships, and more overall learning and goal achievement than groups using various other communication structures. Research specifically examining functional subgrouping has shown that group members find it a positive experience and that it relates to better morale over time, more overall learning and more goal achievement. See O’Neill et al. (2013) research below for related references.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Csikszentmihalyi, M., Abuhamdeh, S., & Nakamura, J. (2014). Flow. In M. Csikszentmihalyi, Flow and the foundations of positive psychology (pp. 227-238). Springer Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9088-8_15 

Gantt, S.P. (2013). Applying systems-centered theory (SCT) and methods in organizational contexts: Putting SCT to work. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 63(2), 234-258. doi: 10.1521/ijgp.2013.63.2.234

O’Neill, R.M., Murphy, V., Mogle, J., MacKenzie, M.J., MacGregor, K.L., Pearson, M., & Parekh, M. (2013). Are systems-centered teams more collaborative, productive and creative? Journal of Team Performance Management, 19(3/4), 201-221. doi: 10.1108/TPM-04-2012-0015

Sundlin, A.-L., Söderhjelm, T.M., & Sandahl, C. (2022). Making rapid shifts in work roles – an essential teamwork skill. An exploratory study of facilitating and inhibiting factors. Team Performance Management, 28(7/8), 461-475. https://doi.org/10.1108/TPM-01-2022-0003

Presenters

Richard O’Neill, Ph.D., FAClinP, CGP, ABPP. Rich O'Neill, Ph.D., FAClinP, CGP, ABPP, has presented in the media since 1985 including 10 years with his "Checkup from the Neckup" radio and YouTube spots, 5 years with his "Healthy Decisions" weekly TV segment, and 16 seasons with the PBS-affiliated TV show he launched, hosts and co-produces--"Cycle of Health" (wcny.org/cycleofhealth). He consults now with individuals, partners, and groups on achieving greater health, happiness, and success.

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06 A-B |

Playing for Justice: Exploring Inequality Through Game Playing (Tue & Thu)

Trainer(s): Brian Conley S.J. , ACPE Certified Educator, MBA, MAPR ; Angelika Zollfrank , M.Div., BCC, ACPE, HEC-C ; Cayce Ramey, D.Min.

How might SCTRI apply the tools of the TLHS to begin undoing the impacts of white supremacy in our system and our wider contexts? This two-day afternoon workshop will explore this question through playing the game Inequality-opoly (a diversity equity and inclusion training game that transforms recent U.S. national studies into an engaging, personalized, and educational experience - https://www.inequalityopoly.com/). Participants will experience a system in which resources are not equally divided and unequal access to resources are a part of the system norms. In response to the experience of inequality, participants will work to build a system authorized and equipped to undo inequality within the game and the irreality of assumed equality in SCTRI and wider contexts. The first session will focus on role systems evoked by inequality. Participants will experience how identifying and undoing survival roles might influence the system-as-a-whole. In the second session, participants will subgroup around how the game-based experiences apply to SCTRI and other systems. Participants will explore how a systems-centered approach can be used to develop ways of being in the game (as a model for other systems) that allow for equitable and restorative redistribution of those same resources. NOTE: THIS IS A TWO-DAY WORKSHOP AND PARTICIPANTS ARE EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN BOTH DAYS. In order to reduce turbulence associated with building a new group and learning a new game while exploring intense topics like anti-white supremacy, participants will be provided a brief description of the rules and process of game play prior to the workshop.

You must attend both sessions to receive CE Credits for this 2-part workshop.

Category: Conference Afternoon Workshop Track: General Interest Level: Open to All Levels

CE credits: 4.0 Format: Experiential; Didactic; Sharing of Experience Day(s): Tuesday Thursday , 2:00 - 4:00

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Describe two driving and two restraining forces to managing experience in an inherently unequal context
• Discuss role systems triggered in an unequal context
• Discuss one driving/restraining force to potential modifications to an unequal system
• Describe how functional subgrouping is driving to potential modifications to the unequal system

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that implement and test the theoretical hypotheses in its practice. This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

The systems-centered approach to group and organizational work has been in the field for over 20 years, presented in approximately 30 articles in peer-reviewed professional journals. Its methods incorporate techniques linked to successful strategies for improvement in group and individual psychotherapy, for example, modifying cognitive distortions, increasing group cohesion, lowering scapegoating, and reducing somatic defenses.

In this workshop we will explore using the SCT theory and methods how members experience a socially unequal situation, using Inequality Monopoly. Sociologists have used Inequality Monopoly to teach about social classes and inequalities.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge

Davis, R. (2013). Creating the conditions for all voices to be heard: Strategies for working with differences. e-O&P Journal of the Association for Management Education and Development, 20(1), 23-29.

Eberhardt, J.L. (2019). Blindspot: Hidden biases of good people. New York, NY: Bantam Books.

Elliot, K.K. Khan Academy, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/colonial-america/early-chesapeake-and-southern-colonies/v/jamestown-bacons-rebellion

Ender, M.G. (2004). Modified Monopoly: Experiencing social class inequality. United States Military Academy. Academic Exchange Quarterly, 8(2).

Eng, D. (2019). Games for adult learning. https://medium.com/@davengdesign/games-for-adult-learning-7810fa861600, (December 17, 2019).

Fisher, E.M. (2008). USA stratified Monopoly: A simulation game about social class stratification. Teaching Sociology, 36(3), 272-282. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20491245

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Piff, P. https://www.ted.com/talks/paul_piff_does_money_make_you_mean

Popescu, M., Romero, M., & Usart, M. (2012). Using serious games in adult education. Serious business for serious people - the MetaVals game case study. ICVL 2012-7th International Conference on Virtual Learning.

Presenters

Brian Conley S.J. , ACPE Certified Educator, MBA, MAPR . Brian has over 20 years experience as a chaplain, chaplain educator, and Roman Catholic priest. He currently serves as Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Hope Parish where he works with individuals and groups. He has been active in SCTRI since 2006 and recently completed the Authority Issue Group. He also serves as Chaplain to the faculty and staff at Cheverus High School in Portland, ME where he works with faculty to develop and integrate Ignatian spirituality into their personal and professional lives.

Angelika Zollfrank , M.Div., BCC, ACPE, HEC-C. Angelika has worked as a chaplain, certified CPE educator, and Lutheran Pastor for 22 years. She is currently offering spiritual care and education at McLean Hospital, the Harvard-affiliated Psychiatric Hospital in Belmont, MA. She also has a small private practice in which she offers clinical spiritual consultation.

Cayce Ramey, D.Min.. The Rev. Dr. Cayce Ramey is an Episcopal priest, anti-white supremacy educator, and author. He holds a Doctor of Ministry from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in sacramental theology and transatlantic slavery, a Master of Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary, and a S.B. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has written for The Arts in Religion and Theological Studies and exhibited photo essays on art as prophetic witness.

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Exploring Negotiating in SCT Groups

Trainer(s): Allan Rubin , BS, MBA ; Paula Nordhauzen, BA ; Annie MacIver, MA, CQSW

Negotiating during subgrouping is a common occurrence in systems-centered groups. There is not currently a Functional Subgrouping Negotiation Protocol in the SCT Foundation Manual and little to no documentation about it elsewhere in our system. What are the driving and restraining forces? This workshop will use subgrouping, the SCT Task group structure and force fields in service of exploring negotiating.

Category: Conference Afternoon Workshop Track: Clinical; Organizational Level: Open to All Levels

CE credits: 2.0 Format: Didactic; Experiential; Sharing of Experience Day(s): Thursday , 2:00 - 4:00

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Describe 2 driving forces for how the SCT task structure helps to achieve a group goal
• Describe 1 way in which the person-as-a-system map and the SAVI grid can be used to navigate the negotiation process
• Describe 2 challenges in negotiating who speaks next in a group

Presentation Content

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice and organizational change, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that implement and test the theoretical hypotheses in its practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

A theory of living human systems defines a hierarchy of isomorphic systems that are energy-organizing, goal-directing, and self-correcting. Every system exists in the context of the system above it and is the context for the system below it. This workshop will explore negotiating, using inner-person, inter-person, group-as-a-whole, and SAVI perspectives.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (2014). Emerging theory: A theory of living human systems, 2014. Systems-Centered News, 22(1), 3-9.

Agazarian, Y.M. (2015). De-personalizing “personalizing.” Systems-Centered News, 23(1), 4-6.

Agazarian, Y.M. (2015). Our person-as-a-system revisited. Systems-Centered News, 23(1), 7-13.

Agazarian, Y.M. (2018). The nuts and bolts of systems-centered practice. Systems-Centered News, 26(1), 5-9.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Agazarian, Y.M., & Simon, A. “Sequential Analysis of Verbal Interaction, Concepts I.” Part I of a series of three papers presented at the Annual Convention of the American Association of Humanistic Psychology, New York, September, 1966.

Agazarian, Y.M., & Simon, A. “Sequential Analysis of Verbal Interaction, Mechanics I.” Part II of a series of three papers presented at the Annual Convention of the American Association of Humanistic Psychology, New York, September, 1966.

Gantt, S.P. (2021). Systems-centered theory (SCT) into group therapy: Beyond surviving ruptures to repairing and thriving. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 71(2), 224-252. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2020.1772073

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (Eds.) (2005). SCT in action: Applying the systems-centered approach in organizations. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse. Reprint (2006). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Simon, A., & Agazarian, Y.M. “Sequential Analysis of Verbal Interaction, Applications I.” Part III of a series of three papers presented at the Annual Convention of the American Association of Humanistic Psychology, New York, September, 1966.

Presenters

Allan Rubin, BS, MBA. Allan Rubin has been an organizational consultant for the past 32 years. He spent 12 years as an external consultant with an emphasis on continuous improvement and change management for client companies in the U.S., Asia, and South America. Allan has worked the past 20 years as an internal OD consultant focusing on analyzing and diagnosing business systems and designing and executing interventions that maximize individual and team performance. He is an Intermediate Level practitioner in his eighth year as a member of an SCT training group.

Paula Nordhauzen, BA. Paula Nordhauzen, BA, studied Communication at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences. She is passionate about communication, team development, and self-organization. She is a SAVI certified trainer. In her work, she provides training and is a project manager and coach in organizational development. She is the co-author (with Peter Kunneman) of a Dutch book about SCT in organizations.

Annie MacIver, MA, CQSW. Annie MacIver, MA, CQSW, is an organisational consultant, trainer and coach working in the public and private sectors. She has applied SCT to build effective teams and partnerships as a senior leader in large public sector organisations. She is a licensed Systems-Centered practitioner, a Director of SCTUK and a member of the SCTRI Board. She has an MA in Consultation and the Organisation and is a qualified Social Worker.

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Reflect This: Listening for the Heart, Seeing the Context, and Finding the Words in Subgrouping Reflections

Trainer(s): Jim Peightel , MD

This workshop will use the lens of role, goal, and context to maximize the power of reflection. Reflective Listening has been a component of the therapeutic change process from Carl Rogers, to Motivational Interviewing to Yvonne Agazarian's later refinement of Functional Subgrouping. It has been critiqued as inauthentic and inefficient. Through the magic of film, participants will virtually "enter Jim's Brain" to observe the calculation of small choice points generating an effective reflection.

Category: Conference Afternoon Workshop Track: Clinical; Organizational; General Interest Level: Open to All Levels

CE credits: 2.0 Format: Didactic; Demonstration; Experiential Day(s): Thursday , 2:00 - 4:00

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Describe the inherent problem with the tain in Carl Roger's mirror metaphor
• Give 3 examples of reflections as described in Motivational Interviewing techniques
• Describe 2 TLHS-based rationales for the technique of reflection in Functional Subgrouping

Presentation Content

Rogerian reflective listening is considered a fundamental therapeutic practice but it is often misunderstood or condensed in high school texts as parroting back the same words. Roger grappled with the tension between the therapist’s reflection and their inner experience while reflecting. He revised his conceptualization several times during his career. Bill Miller and Stephen Rollick added complexity to reflections and a slight nudge from ambivalence toward change. These concepts will be discussed and demonstrated in the workshop.

Reflection in SCT Functional Subgrouping is not essential but can add the experience of being truly joined and heard, or have the reality-tested confirmation of being understood. Those training in SCT probably know or know of the phases of group development, plus the in-between phases, and on top of that the leader interventions to match the phase. We have less understanding of the style of reflection that matches the role, goal, and context of a working group or individual. For example when to use exact wording, when to keep it short, when to highlight the feeling, when to reflect not the journey but where they land, and when to confirm understanding of a concept with different better words. Some say SCT likes to add complexity, I say lets go for it, then we can build informed muscle memory, and go back in a new way to keeping it simple. The process of seeing the context and choosing the style and words for a reflection will be demonstrated at the source, deep inside Jim's Brain.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M. (1997). Systems-centered therapy for groups. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Re-printed in paperback (2004). London, UK: Karnac Books.

Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). The nuts and bolts of systems-centered practice. Systems-Centered News, 26(1), 5-9.

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Arnold, K. (2014). Behind the mirror: Reflective listening and its tain in the work of Carl Rogers. The Humanistic Psychologist, 42, 354-369. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/08873267.2014.913247

Emery, R.L., & Wimmer, M. (2023). Motivational Interviewing. Treasure Island, FL: StatPerals Publishing.

Gantt, S.P., & Agazarian, Y.M. (2017). Systems-centered group therapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S60-S70. doi: 10.1080/00207284.2016.1218768

Miller, R.M., & Rollick, S. (2013) Motivational interviewing: Helping people change, 3rd Ed. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Rogers, C.R. (1951). Client-centered therapy: Its current practice, implications and theory. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Presenters

Jim Peightel, MD. Jim Peightel MD, is a general and addiction psychiatrist with over 25 years experience serving Philadelphia in a wide range of treatment settings. He has a BA in Physics, and completed his medical training at Temple University and remains on the teaching faculty there. His work has focused on team-based treatment approaches, novel program development, and systems-oriented integration of services for the chronic mentally ill, homeless, and disenfranchised. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Leadership Council, a fellow in the APA, and a recipient of Philadelphia Psychiatric Society’s Robert Jones award honoring a psychiatrist for lifelong commitment and service to the chronically mentally ill. He has participated in health system cultural exchange contingents in various locales including Hungary, Cuba, China, Russia, South Africa, and Myanmar. He began training with Yvonne during residency in 1989, became a member of SCTRI in 1996, and is a current member of the SCTRI Board.

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Beyond Survival to Developing and Transforming Our Closed Survivor Roles in Each Phase of Development: Exploring How Phase-Specific Closed Survivor Role Outputs Maintain Systemic Racism

Trainer(s): Susan Gantt , Ph.D., ABPP, CGP, AGPA-DF, FAPA ; Joan Adams, MSW, LCSW-R ; Fran Carter, MSS, LSW ; isra’ abd el fattah, MA ; Claudia Byram, Ph.D., CGP

Seeing our closed survivor roles in the context of phases of system development is vital in working with survivor role outputs. By identifying and then weakening the phase-specific restraining force outputs that signal our survivor roles, we can impact our survivor role systems and free the energy for developing and transforming our survivor roles.

We will work in small groups with cross racial leadership teams to collect data on the phase-related restraining forces that signal closed survivor roles that maintain racism and work as a large group to integrate what we discover. 

Category: Leading Edges in SCT Track: General Interest; Clinical; Organizational Level: Open to All Levels

CE credits: 2.0 Format: Experiential; Sharing of Experience; Didactic Day(s): Friday , 2:00 - 4:00

Learning Objectives

Based on attending this event, I know, or am able to:

• Recognize the phase-context of closed survivor roles and their outputs and describe how these roles help maintain the equilibrium of the phase and ensure survival of what is
• Describe how closed survivor role outputs induce reciprocal roles and how these role-locks maintain the context in survival at the expense of development
• Apply SCT’s person-as-a-system map in looking at all system levels to weaken the system outputs that maintain racism
• Discuss how exploring our closed survivor roles frees energy for weakening the reiteration of racism and frees energy for developing more functional systems

Presentation Content

Addressing how racism is relevant for psychotherapists, coaches and consultants is well illustrated in the American Psychoanalytic Association’s three-part special section of The American Psychoanalyst (TAP) entitled “Conversations on Psychoanalysis and Race” (Winter/Spring 2017 issue) with articles by Beverly J. Stoute on “Race and Racism in Psychoanalytic Thought: Are There Ghosts in Our Nursery?,” Anton Hart on “From Multicultural Competence to Radical Openness: A Psychoanalytic Engagement of Otherness,” and Dorothy Holmes on “The Fierce Urgency of Now: Will Institutional Psychoanalysis Answer the Call to Psychoanalytic Understanding and Treatment of Racial Disturbances among Us?”

Agazarian’s (1997) theory of living human systems, with its systems-centered approach to group practice, represents a developed and comprehensive systems theory applied to groups, individuals and couples. A theory of living human systems has defined theoretical constructs and operational definitions that implement and test the theoretical hypotheses in its practice. This theory and its methods are accepted among group practitioners as evidenced by SCTRI’s 2010 recognition for “Outstanding Contributions in Education and Training in the Field of Group Psychotherapy” awarded by the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists. SCT methods are regularly cited or included in handbooks and reviews of group psychotherapy practice. There is also significant peer-reviewed published support for the theory and its practice, including articles in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Group Dynamics, Small Group Research, Organizational Analysis, and Group Analysis.

Supporting References

Agazarian, Y.M., Gantt, S.P., & Carter, F. (Eds.) (2021). Systems-centered training: An illustrated guide for applying a theory of living human systems. London, UK: Routledge.

Coates, T. (2015). Between the world and me. New York, NY: Spiegel & Grau.

Gantt, S.P., Ashley, W., Adams, J., & Carter, F. (in press). Addressing power dynamics in systems-centered training groups: Undoing racialized enactments by developing a decolonizing group culture and weakening closed survivor-roles. In A.D. Abernathy, L. Greene, R. MacNair-Semands & C. Marmarosh (Eds.), Addressing diversity dynamics in group therapy: Clinical and training applications. London, UK: Taylor & Francis.

Hannah-Jones, N. (2021). The 1619 project: A new origin story. New York, NY: One World.

Menakem, R. (2017). My grandmother’s hands: Racialized trauma and the pathway to mending our hearts and bodies. Las Vegas, NV: Central Recovery Press.

Presenters

Susan Gantt, Ph.D., ABPP, CGP, AGPA-DF, FAPA. Susan P. Gantt, Ph.D., ABPP, CGP, AGPA-DF, FAPA, is a psychologist in private practice and coordinated group psychotherapy training in psychiatry at Emory University for 29 years. She chairs the Systems-Centered Training (SCT) and Research Institute; teaches SCT in the USA, Europe and China; and leads training groups in Atlanta, San Francisco, and The Netherlands. She has co-authored four books with Yvonne Agazarian, co-edited The Interpersonal Neurobiology of Group Psychotherapy and Group Process with Bonnie Badenoch, and received the 2011 Alonso Award for Excellence in Psychodynamic Group Psychotherapy. Her latest book is Systems-Centered Training: An Illustrated Guide for Applying a Theory of Living Human Systems (Agazarian, Gantt, & Carter, 2021).

Joan Adams, MSW, LCSW-R. Joan Adams, MSW, LCSW-R, is a licensed clinical social worker who maintains a private practice of psychotherapy and clinical supervision in Harlem, New York City; and provides training and consulting on racial equity, anti-racism and anti-oppression, and cultural competency for individuals, groups and organizations. Ms. Adams is an independent consultant/trainer for several groups. Ms. Adams completed the Undoing Racism Workshop™ led by The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond and participates in the work of the Anti-racist Alliance, which is the New York area organizing group of The People’s Institute. She has participated in the Workshop and served as a Resource Facilitator numerous times.

Fran Carter, MSS, LSW. Frances Carter, MSS, LSW, is a Licensed Social Worker, living and working in the Philadelphia area. She maintains a clinical and consulting practice working with individuals, couples, groups and organizations. Fran is a founding member of the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute, and a Board Member and System Mentor. She continues to be interested in the development of training, curriculum and research and has contributed her time to these work groups within SCTRI. She is a Licensed Systems-Centered Practitioner and a senior trainer, leading workshops, ongoing training and consultation groups and intensive training blocks throughout the US and Europe. She is also a principle in SAVI Communications and the SAVI Network where she works with others to develop training in the SAVI approach to communication. She brings to all her work the energy and creativity of her early background as an artist.

isra’ abd el fattah, MA. isra' is a queer Egyptian immigrant who has made the commitment to dismantle systems of oppression and exploitation through the process of decolonization and the building of dual power. They come from a diverse work background, including EMS, mental health, customer service, teaching, as well as building teams and launching products in Silicon Valley. Their varied lived experience paved the path that led to the decision to fully commit their time, energy, and resources to manifest their dream of being free in a liberated world. isra’ uses psychology, group dynamics, and anthropology to explore the ways in which systems of domination and oppression shape and condition our soma. They use their knowledge and experience to educate and support others in de-conditioning and reshaping their somas to align with the goals and values of liberation.

isra’ abd el fattah, Ph.D., CGP. isra' is a queer Egyptian immigrant who has made the commitment to dismantle systems of oppression and exploitation through the process of decolonization and the building of dual power. They come from a diverse work background, including EMS, mental health, customer service, teaching, as well as building teams and launching products in Silicon Valley. Their varied lived experience paved the path that led to the decision to fully commit their time, energy, and resources to manifest their dream of being free in a liberated world. isra’ uses psychology, group dynamics, and anthropology to explore the ways in which systems of domination and oppression shape and condition our soma. They use their knowledge and experience to educate and support others in de-conditioning and reshaping their somas to align with the goals and values of liberation.