Group Psychotherapy Experience and Training: Intermediate Programme
The Intermediate Programme has been running successfully for the past 19 years with CPD accreditation from the HPCSA and is recognized by the IGA (Institute of Group Analysis, London) as equivalent to their Foundation Course in Group Analysis.
The training follows a group analytic perspective and the adaptation of this perspective to our current context.
The programme incorporates:
- a small and large group psychotherapy experience
- a theoretical component, provided in the form of monthly webinars and special interest lectures as part of the Quarterly Meetings
- support and supervision for the conceptualizing, implementation and running of a group
- the writing of a reflective piece incorporating the application and understanding of theory to practice
WHEN: The programme runs over two years and coincides with South African state school terms, breaking for school holidays.
WHERE: The experiential group component of the programme will have an in-person and online option. The in-person experiential group will take place at 11 Rouwkoop Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town. The online experiential group will take place on the Zoom platform, as will seminars and quarterly meetings. All participants will require access to Zoom and a stable connection
INTERMEDIATE PROGRAMME – COURSE CONTENT
February 2025 – June 2026
Participants will join an experiential group for the first 18-month period. The online group will take place on a Monday afternoon from 14h30-16h00, conducted by Kevashini Govender-Naidoo. Should there be sufficient interest in an in-person group, this will take place on a Wednesday morning from 8.45-10.15, conducted by Dr Monica Spiro.The groups will meet on a weekly basis for 1.5 hours during school terms. Participants will select the option most suitable to them. If it is not possible to attend the group during office hours, please be in contact so we can consider alternative options.
In the first 18 months, participants will also participate in a series of theoretical seminars/webinars held online. The group will meet once a month for a webinar on a Thursday evening from 18h30 – 20h00 (usually the second Thursday of the month). There will be a total of 10 webinars in the first year coordinated by Willem de Jager and making use of visiting international lecturers available to us online. Two or three graded readings will be provided electronically for each webinar and these readings will form the preparation. This webinar/seminar component of the programme aims to create a safe learning space where ideas can be freely and creatively explored, debated, and integrated. An additional four webinars in the second year will focus on preparing you for your own group and introduce the writing assignment.
Webinar topics include:
Revisiting the foundations and history of Group Analysis
- General principles of Group Analysis
- Projective processes in groups
- Creative and destructive processes in groups
- Resistance and defences in groups
- The large group
- Organisations and systems
- The social unconscious
- The role of the facilitator in groups
- Applications and adaptations of group analytic theory
- Setting up groups in Cape Town
Additional, special interest lectures form part of each Quarterly Meeting.
The programme will be concluded with a 3-hour workshop that will provide an opportunity to reflect on the lived experience in the experiential group and the knowledge gained from the theoretical webinars and lectures. The aim of this workshop will be to offer some synthesis to these two components of the programme.
July 2026 – December 2026
The final six months of the programme will focus on support and supervision for conceptualizing, implementing, and conducting a group. Participants will have the opportunity to select from several ongoing supervision groups. Participation in these weekly groups will replace the experiential component. Some participants may require assistance with the conceptualizing and implementation of a new group, whilst other participants may require supervision for an existing group which they are currently facilitating. Participants will have the opportunity to present their group, or potential group, every fortnight at a minimum. If there is a need, there will be the possibility of continuing with the supervision beyond the six-month period. Supervision will take place online.
Writing Assignment: In the final six months participants will undertake a written task of 3500-5000 words. This task requires that participants select a critical incident or process either in the small, or median, group in which they have participated, or in a group that they have facilitated or encountered in their workplace. The purpose of the assignment is to engage with the application of group analytic theory in a way that supports self-reflective practice. The task is considered a highly personal opportunity for meaning making.
Quarterly Meetings:
Each Quarterly Meeting will start with the median/large group from 09h00-10h30. This is an important learning experience on all the courses as different dynamics (the “social” context) get activated when groups have larger numbers. Quarterly Meetings are open to the total membership of the organisation.
During the course of the 2 years, a special interest lecture will be offered once a term on a Saturday morning from 11h00-12h30. These special interest lectures will be presented by various individuals, and lectures will cover a broad range of topics, often attempting to integrate group analytic theory with our South African context.
Ethics Workshop:
An annual ethics workshop is held on a Saturday morning in the third term, from 09h00 – 12h30 at no additional cost.
CPD (Continuing Professional Development Points):
The course receives CPD accreditation from the HPCSA with a maximum of 30 clinical points per annum and 3-6 ethics points for attendance of the Ethics Workshop.
WHO: A maximum of 10 participants will be accepted into the programme. Professionals who have a graduate qualification that enables them to run psychotherapeutic groups are eligible, (e.g. psychologists, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, social workers, psychiatric nurses). Graduates who have completed the introductory course and who have a university qualification are also eligible to apply.
Most graduate programmes offer an introduction to groups in their clinical training, but further experience, knowledge and support is required for successful work with groups. The programme will be useful to clinicians who are interested in initiating groups, or those who are currently working with groups, either in an organization or privately. There will be no course evaluation. All participants will receive a certificate on completion of a minimum of 80% of each component of the course.
COST: The course will cost R 18 000.00 per year, or R 4 500.00 per term. Participants can choose to pay annually in advance, receiving a R1000.00 discount, or can pay quarterly. Fees include weekly experiential groups, webinars, quarterly lectures, supervision, and a once-off ethics workshop. Participants will either receive an account annually or quarterly, as elected. Annual accounts will be issued at the end of January and payment will be due within the first 2 weeks of term. Quarterly accounts will be issued at the beginning of each term, and payment will be due within the first 2 weeks of term, unless a prior arrangement has been made. Payment can be made by cash or EFT. Medical aid statements will be provided at the end of each term as the full costs of the experiential therapy groups can be claimed from medical aid for those based in South Africa. R 260.00 a group (approximately R 10 400.00 in the first year and R 5 200.00 in the second year) can be claimed.
A non-refundable registration fee of R 700.00 is requested on application. Once participants accept a place on the programme, they will be committing to the training and to the full cost of the programme for the duration of the 2 years.
2025 -2026 course fees:
First Year (February 2025 – December 2025)
Second Year (January 2026 – December 2026)
Total cost per annum: R18 000
*NOTE: Fees paid annually will receive a R 1000.00 reduction.
**NOTE: Experiential group psychotherapy sessions can be claimed from medical aid.