Imagine that in your private practice, you have chosen to start a twice-monthly therapy group for couples with the following theme:
- Polyamorous relationships using SFT Therapy.
Describe how you would organize the group. Would you have an open membership or limit the membership further, for example, same-sex relationships only, a more specific presenting issue, et cetera? Would the group meet for a limited time or be open-ended? How would you find members for the group, and how would you advertise it? What guidelines would you establish for group participation?
Explain what topics the group might cover in your meetings, using references from the unit’s readings and your own research to support your ideas. Consider what the specific clinical needs of your target population might be.
Where might your self-of-the-therapist issues come up while working with this group? What issues would you need to manage, and what resources would you use to help you? What are the ethical considerations you would need to manage in running this group?
References:
- Klesse, C. (2014). Polyamory: Intimate practice, identity or sexual orientation?Sexualities, 17(1/2), 81–99.
- Walker, A. (2014). ‘I’m not a lesbian; I’m just a freak’: A pilot study of the experiences of women in assumed-monogamous other-sex unions seeking secret same-sex encounters online, their negotiation of sexual desire, and meaning-making of sexual identity. Sexuality and Culture, 18(4), 911–935.
Green, S., & Flemons D. (Eds.). (2018). Quickies: The handbook of brief sex therapy (3rd ed.). New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company.:
- Chapter 5, “Healing the Relational Wounds From Infidelity,” pages 115–140.
- Chapter 6, “Brief Therapy With Consensually Non-monogamous Couples: Challenging the Status Quo,” 141–156.
Harris, S. M., & Hays, K. W. (2008). Family therapist comfort with and willingness to discuss client sexuality. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 34(2), 239–250.
