Dear colleagues,
Welcome to the Fall issue of The Group Psychologist. As we move into the changing season, we are reflecting on the role of ourselves as relational beings. Indeed, taking a critical eye towards the name of this publication, you’ll find articles in this issue that are centering the experience of each of us as human beings, as psychologists (or those in training), who are focused on groups. We encourage you to read Drs. Kaklauskas and Canales who reflected on running a group therapy training recently. As they described, “Group leadership and membership require us to expand our ability to consider and take new perspectives. Not only do we learn about how and why other people experience their feelings, thoughts, relationships, and lives, but we expand into worlds we may have otherwise never encountered.” Being a group leader requires us to constantly stretch our empathy muscles, bringing humility and sensitivity hand in hand on the journey.
We are delighted to introduce a new column by Dr. Haim Weinburg, who provided both a scholarly review of his work, but describes his desire to ground his upcoming columns with us in his personal perspectives. As he writes “My approach will be personal rather than detached—I’ll share not only what I see but also how I experience and am affected by it.” This level of personal exploration, vulnerability, and ways of connecting are essential to our role as group psychologists, and we are looking forward to his upcoming columns.
As group psychologists, we believe in the power of groups. Yet we are often called on to educate others as to why groups should be offered, or reimbursed when in fee for services settings. Dr. Zukor writes about the psychological and physiological benefits of social connection and belonging, stating that they “provide a framework for a meaningful life. It is not simply a feel-good accessory; it is an essential human requirement for psychological stability, physical health, cognitive acuity, and a thriving, resilient society.”
And finally, we close this column with highlighting the words of Dr. Songco. He writes about moral injuries and describes how “we’re living in a crisis of epistemology, where evidence-based care is under assault and scientific literacy is framed as elitism (Freed, 2023). This assault cuts especially deep for group psychologists. Our work is fundamentally relational—it depends on shared truth, mutual vulnerability, and collective accountability. What happens when the institutions we work within actively undermine these principles?” As we all navigate the current systems we operate in, we encourage you to reach out to colleagues from the Society of Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy. Allow the power of our group to help sustain you through the times we are living through.
Tom & Leann
Tom Treadwell, Ed.D. T.E.P C.G.P.
Editor
Leann Terry Diederich, Ph.D.
Associate Editor
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