Friday, January 23: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Saturday, January 24: 8:30 AM – 5:15 PM
Friends Meeting House of Washington
2111 Decatur Pl NW, Washington, DC 20008
In-Person
11.0 CE/CMEs Credits
Registration Deadline: January 22, 2026 at noon
Space is limited
This Conference provides a forum for participants to relate their learning from large group experience to the challenges of group therapy practice and to explore the impact of that experience on the person of the therapist.
We will use small and large group experiences, demonstration groups, and discussion to explore what it means to be a socially aware and attuned group therapist, to approach a therapy group with diversity, context, and humility in mind, and to reflect on one’s personal style and values as a group therapist.
The NGPI Large Group Team will serve as conference co-chairs.
Ayana Watkins-Northern, PhD, CGP, AGPA-F
Robert Schulte, MSW, CGP
Kavita Avula, PsyD, CGP
Karen Eberwein, PsyD, ABPP, CGP
Victoria Lee, PhD, CGP
Farooq Mohyuddin, MD, CGP, FAPA, AGPA-F
This event is designed for:
- Aspiring and practicing group psychotherapists
- Mental health clinic leaders and staff
- Educators, trainers, and group facilitators
- Professionals who refer clients or patients for group therapy
Whether you’re part of the full NGPI training or joining just for this weekend, this program offers insight and tools for anyone working within complex relational systems.
Dates:
January 23–24, 2026
Times:
- Friday: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
- Saturday: 8:30 AM – 5:15 PM
Location:
Friends Meeting House of Washington
2111 Decatur Pl NW, Washington, DC 20008
Format:
In-Person Only
Registration Closes:
January 22, 2026 at noon ET
Cost:
- Conference Attendee – $450
- Reduced tuition may be available in cases of need. Preference will be given to students, early-career clinicians, agency workers, retirees, and individuals from underrepresented communities.
11.0 CEU/CMEs
- Social influences on group development
- The therapy group as a social microcosm
- Community and civic mindfulness
- Starting a therapy group
- The person of the therapist—biases, style, and values
- Building a group therapy practice
By the end of the conference, participants will be able to:
- Understand how a therapy group functions as a microcosm of its larger social environment.
- Identify three ways that contextual factors may influence a therapy group.
- Name two interventions a therapist might use to work with contextual factors in the here-and-now.
- Identify a personal bias that could negatively impact group cohesion.
- Recognize the presence and absence of intersectional identities in the membership of a group and the leader/s.
- Describe two strategies for cultivating civic mindfulness as a therapeutic group goal.
- Recognize a microaggression occurring in the here-and-now of a group session.
- Name three factors in the health-care system that may impact the quality and availability of group therapy services.
Conference Co-Chairs:
Ayana Watkins-Northern, PhD, CGP, AGPA-F
Robert Schulte, MSW, CGP
Kavita Avula, PsyD, CGP
Karen Eberwein, PsyD, ABPP, CGP
Victoria Lee, PhD, CGP
Farooq Mohyuddin, MD, CGP, FAPA, AGPA-F
For questions and additional information on this event, please contact Nilou Mostofi at admin@newwsp.org.
