Haim Weinberg, PhD, CGP
I’m Haim Weinberg—a group analyst, certified group psychotherapist, and licensed psychologist in both California and Israel. I want to begin by thanking Tom Treadwell for inviting me to write this column for The Group Psychologist. Through these columns, I’ll share reflections on our profession, stories from group therapy conferences worldwide, and observations about the social processes that shape us, all informed by my experience in group theory and large-group dynamics.
This will not be a formal or academic column. I publish in peer-reviewed journals, and I fully appreciate the importance of research and theory. But I also believe that, in our field, personal perspectives, lived experiences, and honest reflections are equally valuable. These are my opinions. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. In fact, I hope you won’t always agree. I invite you to respond, challenge me, or share when something resonates.
What do I plan to write about? I want to give a sense of what is happening in the world of groups: training and therapy around the globe, reports from conferences, updates from associations and organizations, anecdotes from practice, and reflections on intercultural differences. 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.
My hope is to connect with friends and colleagues, whether you know me already or are meeting me for the first time here. I want this column to spark conversations that continue beyond the page. I am deeply passionate about group work. Groups create opportunities for intimate connection in a safe-enough environment, and even after more than 40 years of leading groups, I still feel excitement, anxiety, surprise, and wonder at the group process. Over the years, I’ve led many kinds of groups, but in recent years I’ve focused on psychodynamic, process-oriented groups. In future columns, I’ll share more about how I approach this work.
Since the early 2000s, I’ve been immersed in online groups. Long before the pandemic made Zoom a household name, I was leading therapy and training groups online and developing models for long-term, process groups for therapists worldwide. Today, most of my work is online: I currently run eight weekly groups, including therapy, training, and consultation groups. Much of my work is international, with training programs and groups in China, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Israel, and the USA. In these multicultural groups, therapists from many countries meet and create surprising intimacy across cultural boundaries. These experiences have shaped my perspective, and I’ll likely return to them in future columns.
Some readers may know me through AGPA or other conferences. For those who don’t, let me briefly sketch my involvement. I’ve taught group facilitation in Israel and the USA, served as president of both the Israeli Association for Group Therapy and the Northern California Group Psychotherapy Society (NCGPS), and have been a Fellow of AGPA, attending every annual meeting since 1997. I’ve served on AGPA’s conference committee and co-chaired its e-learning committee. I’ve also been active internationally as a board member of the International Association for Group Psychotherapy (IAGP), attending nearly all of its conferences since 1989, and as a regular participant in GASi (Group Analytic Society International).
I’ve also been fortunate to receive recognition along the way, including the Harold Bernard Group Psychotherapy Training Award, the Ann Alonso Award for Excellence in Psychodynamic Group Therapy, and the Bob Klein Award for Social Responsibility. I’ve written 10 books, 24 book chapters, and 55 articles, with translations in several languages. I mention these not to boast but to show the foundation from which I write. My international experience gives me a vantage point to see group therapy not just locally but globally.
As an immigrant from Israel who has lived in California for over 20 years, I remain sensitive to cultural differences between North America and the rest of the world. My interest in the “social unconscious” only deepens that awareness. My impression is that many American colleagues are less aware of what’s happening internationally. In group therapy circles, almost everyone knows AGPA, but far fewer are familiar with IAGP or GASi, or have attended their conferences. Yet, stepping into an international setting can be transformative. Yes, it can feel daunting—new languages, unfamiliar faces, a sense of alienation. But attending conferences abroad offers new perspectives, challenges assumptions, and expands our professional horizons.
Take, for example, IAGP (www.iagp.com), which hosts international conferences every three years in different parts of the world. Founded by Moreno, the father of psychodrama, IAGP brings together group analysts, psychodramatists, family therapists, and organizational consultants under one umbrella. Its atmosphere is generally lighter and less boundary-driven than AGPA’s—perhaps influenced by psychodrama and by the loose ties between its member associations. Alongside rigorous lectures and world-renowned leaders, you’ll also find many experiential workshops. Its structure is flexible, and it also hosts regional conferences. The most recent international meeting was in Sapporo, Japan, just a few months ago.
Or consider GASi (www.groupanalyticsociety.co.uk), founded in the UK by Foulkes. Although now international, membership is still dominated by Europeans, with only a handful of North Americans. Its conferences, held every three years, are famous for their Large Group events. Imagine 600 people sitting in concentric circles, without microphones, for 90 minutes at the end of each conference day, grappling with social and political issues. It’s not psychotherapy but “sociotherapy,” and it’s unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere. GASi, however, has faced challenges recently, including internal conflicts over Middle East politics that have created splits within the organization.
These are just glimpses, but I hope they whet your appetite to explore group conferences beyond the US. If you’d like to know more, I’d be glad to share resources and stories in future columns. Thank you for listening—I look forward to the conversations this column will spark.