Children’s Group Therapy Association P.O. Box 521 Watertown, MA 02472 www.cgta.net CONFERENCE COMMITTEE Sandy Houde, LICSW, Co-Chair Pam O'Callaghan, M.Ed., Co-Chair Regina Cancelliere Casey, LICSW Karen Caprenter, APRN, SNPJD Jim Caron, Ed.D., CGP Hyaeeun Sophia Chun, MSW Sandy Houde, LICSW, CGP- Conference Assistants Heather McKeone, MSW Pam O’Callaghan, M.Ed., NCC- CEU coordinator Amy Porreca, MSW - Registration Coordinator Adele Pressman, MD Jennie Shaw, LICSW THE CHILDREN’S GROUP THERAPY ASSOCIATION CGTA was established by a group of professionals actively involved in the field of children’s group therapy. The association functions as a support system for group therapists, and as an advocate for quality group services for children, adolescents and parents. CGTA is committed to providing training opportunities, and expanding resources and networking in the field. Membership in CGTA is open to all professionals invested in child and adolescent group therapy.

The Children's Group Therapy Association Fall Conference Saturday, October 3, 2009 8:30 am to 3:00 pm The Walker School 1968 CENTRAL AVE NEEDHAM, MA Please Join Us Integrating Mindfulness, Acceptance and Mind-Body Approaches into Group-Work Ariel Botta, LICSW Children's Hospital Matt Hersh, PhD Boston University This one-day conference will address how  powerful coping skills can be taught to children, adolescents and parents using a holistic approach. Principles and skills acquired through this conference can be applicable to multiple settings. Co-Sponsored by, The Northeastern Society for Group Psychotherapy, Inc 5.0 CEU’s SCHEDULE Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 8:30 - 9:00 Registration and Coffee 9:00 - 9:30 Welcome & Introductions Overview of Conference Objectives 9:30-10:30 Principles and Practice of Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Mind-Body Group Work 10:30-11:15 Letting Go, Forgiveness, & Distancing 11:15-Noon Connecting with the Present Moment (I) Noon-1:00 MINDFUL LUNCH 1:00-1:45 Connecting with the Present Moment (II) 1:45-2:15 Kindness and Compassion 2:15-3:00 Integrating Mind-Body Practice into Self-Care [ Directions and conference information ]  [ Registration Form ] FALL CONFERENCE Integrating Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Mind-Body Approaches into Group Work Ariel Botta, MSW, LICSW & Matt Hersh, PhD This one-day conference will address how powerful coping skills can be taught to children, adolescents, and parents using an holistic approach integrating mindfulness, acceptance, and mind-body strategies.  Participants will learn such an approach through brief didactics as well as through a series of guided experiential exercises paralleling the experiential nature of mindfulness and acceptance-based methods of healing, growth, and transformation. Themes include letting go and forgiveness, awareness of the present moment experience, self-compassion and kindness, defusing negative thoughts and images, and the importance of ritual/ceremony in fostering both group cohesion and mindful awareness. This conference will also facilitate learning through provision of real-world examples from group work on an outpatient psychiatry service with children, adolescents and parents and from an inpatient psychiatric unit with highly distressed adolescents. Principles and skills acquired through this conference can be applicable to multiple settings (e.g., community mental health, hospital clinics, schools, home) as well as to both treatment and prevention. Principles & Practice What is mindfulness and mindfulness-based group work? What is acceptance and acceptance-oriented group work? What is the mind-body approach and mind-body group work? Integrating this holistic approach into group work o Incorporating ritual/ceremony Group stage theory and mind-body practice Dialectic of acceptance and change for the group and within individual group members Utilizing a pragmatic and family-friendly framework for integrating principles and practice into daily life THE CHILDREN’S GROUP THERAPY ASSOCIATION CGTA was established by a group of professionals actively involved in the field of children’s group therapy. The association functions as a support system for group therapists, and as an advocate for quality group services for children, adolescents and parents. CGTA is committed to providing training opportunities, and expanding resources and networking in the field. Membership in CGTA is open to all professionals invested in child and adolescent group therapy.