Hard to know in advance

• Individual and group sessions with the same patients? by Reto Volkart, 2/25/99
  
  

Well we survived the workshop without you Reto, but you were very missed. I can not express how much fun it was to all gather together to talk about issues and cases. It is a very full week. You all must come next year as it is our millennium send off! We are trying to add a one day conference to the end of the week. This is so that participants and members of SFPRG can really exchange ideas and expand on our theories. It is very rewarding to meet in person. I had the pleasure of taking a long walk with Vic last week and sharing dinner with him, and Joe and my family. I am a believer in the net but there is a lot to be said for looking into each others eyes! If any of you are out our way please let us know.

I want to comment on your question about seeing patients in different settings. I think that the majority of therapist choose not to see patients in multiple settings for the very reasons you are raising. There are too many variable that can not be controlled for. One can only hope that the issues - conscious or not will be enacted in a way that will make them accessible for the group and that they will not cause damage that will hurt any group members. I suppose that those who do it might feel like it gives them the opportunity to see how their patient is outside of the consulting room? When I have worked with several members of the same family issues have come up. However, I have not had the experience where I wished I hadn't seen them. It seemed that more good than bad came of it and I was in the best position to deal with the entire family. What has been other's experiences?

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