Build your group therapy skills.
Group therapy requires specific expertise and on-the-spot decision making.
The Brookline Center invites Boston-area clinicians to observe and learn from our most seasoned group therapists in this enriching professional development series.
The Center hosts two Observation Groups that run throughout the year as part of our group therapy program. For clinicians seeking to become more skilled in group therapy, the Observation Groups offer the opportunity to witness, discuss, and better understand how to lead process-oriented groups. Each Observation Group is led by senior clinicians who are recognized experts in the field.
OG2 (Tuesdays) operates in a hybrid fashion (i.e., every other week in-person and online). OG1 (Thursdays) holds in-person sessions full-time. Please know that the in-person sessions take place in The Brookline Center’s conference room, which is completely ADA accessible. Please review the observation agreement for more information, or contact program director Jeff Brand, PsyD, CGP, with questions.
Registration required
Interested providers or learners in the field may submit an Interest Form to initiate the registration process.
How it works
Each session runs for 75 minutes weekly. Observers sit silently to the side during the group session or on Zoom. After the clients leave, the observers and group leaders spend an additional 30 minutes discussing the choices and interventions the leaders made, as well as the reactions these choices generated. (All of the members in these groups have consented to being observed).
Continuing Education Credits (CEUs)
Continuing education credits are available for a small additional fee of $5 per session. Per regulations, observers cannot earn credit for the observation period, but can earn credits for the discussion (30 minutes). Sign-in and evaluations are required. Please speak with our administration department upon registering in order to complete CEU requirements.
Observer commitments
For the comfort and confidentiality of clients in the group, observers must commit to a minimum 10-week period. This ensures both the integrity of the learning process and is done for the comfort of the group members. The Center offers Observation Groups on Tuesdays and Thursdays; clinicians commit to attending on the same day for the full series to provide stability and continuity to the experience.
Observers are able to commit to longer periods of time and/or renew their commitment as long as space is available. Please know that we do not offer any options for single-session observations.
Choice of sessions
Group 1: Thursdays, 10-11:45am
Leaders: Jeff Brand Psy.D. and Amy Matias, LICSW, Ph.D.
Group 2: Tuesdays, 10:15am-12pm
Leaders: Joel Krieg, LICSW, CGP, and Julie Anderson, PhD, CGP
Fees
The fee is $200 for a 10-week observation period payable in full at or before the first session. There is a 50 percent discount available for members of the Northeast Society for Group Psychotherapy (NSGP). More information about NSGP is available here.
