Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy for Good
Joe Miles, Ph.D.
I am writing this column on a beautiful, sunny, 70 degree February day in Knoxville. It is nice to be getting a preview of spring, even if only temporarily, and it is a far cry from month ago when the Board met for the Midwinter Meeting. The meeting took place virtually on January 24, 2026, when much of the country was being slammed with a winter storm that snarled travel for some time. So, while the choice to move to a virtual meeting was in initially made in an effort to save money, it ended up being fortuitous. And even though we could not be together in person, it was good to be with the Board to get reenergized for another year and to connect over our passion for the theory, research, and practice of group psychology and group psychotherapy.
At the meeting, we had the opportunity to welcome our several Board members: Amanda Acevedo-Morales, Domain Representative for Early Career Psychologists; Ale” DeSilva, APA Council of Representatives Rep.; Dennis Kivlinghan, Treasurer; Ernest Park, Secretary; Megan Prass, Student Representative (2026-2027); and Kodee Walls, Incoming Program Chair (2027 – 2028). I am looking forward to working with you all and thank you for your service to our division!
The second year of my term begins at a time of tremendous social and political strife and ongoing polarization. These challenges are on my mind daily as my current day job tasks me, in part, with developing and maintaining a welcoming and inclusive climate where all members of our college (students, staff, and faculty) can thrive. As I said in my previous column, the theory, research, and practice of group psychology and group psychotherapy hold so much potential to help us navigate the challenges of our time. It is with this in mind that I would like to use this year to highlight the ways in which members of our division are using group work (broadly defined) for good. That is, what are the unique ways that group psychologists and group psychotherapists are responding to the challenges of our times? At the Midwinter Meeting, Tom Treadwell made a generous offer to edit and help develop ideas for publication in The Group Psychologist. This would be a wonderful venue to highlight the use of group for good. The idea was also presented of developing a special issue for the division’s journal, Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, on the use of groups for bringing about positive social change. If you have ideas about how the division might promote the work of group psychologists and group psychotherapists doing good and addressing the challenges of our times, I’d love to hear them!
Other things to have on your radar this year: Kristin Miserocchi, our amazing Program Chair (with the support of Kodee Walls, our incoming program chair!), is hard at work building an engaging program for this year’s APA Convention in Washington, DC, August 6-8. Registration for the Convention opens April 22. If you are able to attend, I hope you will plan to join Division 49 for our programs, posters, business meeting, and (of course!) our social hour. Please be on the lookout for information about the Division 49 program in the coming months! Please also be on the lookout for information from Michele Ribeiro on awards and consider nominating someone (or yourself!). The deadline for awards is June 1, 2026.