First Group Therapy Experiences
Amanda Acevedo-Morales Psy.D.
Do you remember your first group therapy session? In this issue, Amanda Acevedo-Morales, PsyD will share their first experiences conducting group therapy and what led her to join Division 49.
Everyone is here, now what do I do?
It was a Thursday afternoon in the month of September 2020 at a residential facility, when I was informed that I would be leading the group therapy session. One of the staff members handed me a manual and said, “Here you go.” The room was at full capacity with ten clients waiting for me. With one hand holding the manual and another one holding my phone, I put both things aside and said to myself, “Dear Irwin Yalom, come to me now.” At the university, you practice with peers and receive feedback; however, this was the real deal, and clients were waiting for me. There was an inner voice telling me, “Put the manual away and just be present”.
All that came to my mind was how to make this a welcoming and safer environment to elicit healing and growth. As the weeks went by, the group members began making connections, caring for, and encouraging each other.
This first experience led me to join Division 49 as a student in 2021. Later in the Spring of 2025, I became involved with a training group led by Dr. Vinny Malik Dehili, PhD, LP-HSP, CGP, ABPP, each group session rotated through 12 unique Non-Traditional Group Theories. Through my participation and mentorship in the division, I have learned and expanded my skills to prepare as a future licensed clinician.
Dr. Amanda Acevedo-Morales works at Salt River Schools as a certified school psychologist. In her doctoral training, she facilitated groups focused on DBT, substance use prevention, mindfulness, and psychoeducation on eating disorders and executive functioning skills. This year, she began her term as the new Early Career Psychologist Representative (ECP) for Division 49.