History

The Mid-Atlantic Group Psychotherapy Society (MAGPS) was among the first regional affiliates to be organized by the American Group Psychotherapy Association.

In 1957, a small group headed by Edward Ascher of Baltimore, Maryland started MAGPS. By 1963, an executive board, by-laws, and regular educational meetings were in place. The Society has thrived ever since, fostering the growth and quality of group psychotherapy and providing a space where practitioners of all disciplines can come together for personal and professional development.

Over the years MAGPS has provided intimate retreats; large conferences; a newsletter and website with both organizational news and clinical articles written by members; training programs; a membership directory; scholarships; and leadership training.

MAGPS has hosted three AGPA national meetings, the most recent in February, 2008. MAGPS has entered into training partnerships with other local institutions. MAGPS proudly claims among its membership a large number of leaders in the field of group psychotherapy including those honored with nationally recognized awards such as the prestigious Distinguished Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association award.

Today, MAGPS continues the mission developed by the founders to provide training and education in group psychotherapy. MAGPS remains one of the few affiliated societies that is truly regional, serving and drawing on the talents of group therapists from the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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Past Presidents

1962 Edward Asher
1963 Leon Lurie
1964 William Lordi
1965 Beryce MacLennan
1966 Isaiah Zimmerman
1967 Morris Parloff
1968 Arnold Peterson
1969 Unknown

1970 William Gibbs
1971 Theodore Feldberg
1972 John Boriello
1973 Seymour Rabinowitz
1974 (MAGPS not operating)
1976 Beatrice Liebenberg
1977 Stanley Berent
1979 John Boriello

1981 John Dluhy
1983 Bernard Williams
1985 Melvin Stern
1987 Beryce MacLennan
1989 Daryl Yoder

1991 Adiva Sotzsky
1993 George Saiger
1995 Thomas Wessel
1997 Carolyn Angelo
1999 Nina Brown

2001 Emily Lape
2004 Bob Schulte
2007 Lenore Pomerance
2009 Reginald Nettles

2011 Farooq Mohyuddin
2013 Maryetta Andrews-Sachs
2015 Nancy Hafkin
2017 Lorraine Wodiska
2019 Cristina Secarea

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Conference History

Year	Conference Title	Presenter/s	Location
1968	New Group Techniques	Boriello & Colleagues	Washington, DC
1969	Analytic & Behavioral Group Psychotherapy	Abse, Liberman	Cape Charles
1970	Group Techniques	MacLennan, Seashore, Harari	Washington, DC
1971	The Group in a Changing Society	Kubie	Virginia Beach
1972	Introduction to Group Psychotherapy	Boriello & Colleagues	Baltimore, MD
1973	The Group as a Whole Approach	Boriello & Colleagues	Virginia Beach
1974	The Use & Misuse of Videotaping in Group	Alger	Arlie, VA
1978	Group Psychotherapy Workshops	Boriello	Tides Inn, VA
1980	Group Psychotherapy with Acting Out Patients	Boriello	Tides Inn, VA
1981	Group Psychotherapy Workshops	Boriello & Colleagues	Washington, DC
1981	Exploring Family Group Therapeutically	Frankel, Sorel	Harper's Ferry, VA
1982	Group Psychotherapy Workshops	Dluhy & Colleagues	Washington, DC
1982	The Meaning of Age & Aging	Dluhy & Colleagues	Berkeley Springs
1983	A Developmental Approach to Family Therapy	Steinglass	Wintergreen, VA
1983	General Psychodynamic Process Groups	Stern & Colleagues	Berkeley Springs
1984	Issues in Psychoanalytic Group Psychotherapy	Scheidlinger	Annapolis, MD
1984	The Exes: Are Moral & Sexual Issues	Rosenberg	Hampton, VA
1985	Group Therapy for Compulsive & Addictive Dis.	Cooper, Koloder, Lorenz, Roth	Harper's Ferry, VA
1986	Confrontation & Risk Taking in Group Therapy	List	Berkeley Springs
1987	Group Psychotherapy with Couples	Perls	Virginia Beach
1987	The Group & The Disordered	Stone, Harwood	Washington, DC
1988	Power of Imagery	Krash, Lawrence, Saunders, Shaw	Harper's Ferry, VA
1988	Therapy with Post-Divorce Families	Serrano	Solomons, MD
1989	Man In Group: A Developmental Approach	Krugman	Washington, DC
1989	Race, Ethnicity and Class: Interface Between ...	Adams	Wakefield, VA
1990	Shame & the Restoration of Self-Respect	Alonso	Baltimore, MD
1991	The Impact of the Group Therapist' Life ...	Elfant	Berkeley Springs
1991	Group Therapy with Medically Ill Patients	Stern	Williamsburg, VA
1992	A Systems-Centered Approach to the Group ...	Agazarian	St. Michaels, MD
1992	Gender in Group Psychotherapy	Alonzo	Washington, DC
1993	Power and Authority in Group Psychotherapy	Adams, Green, Powell, Skolnick	Washington, DC
1994	Brief Dynamic Group Psychotherapy	Azim	Annapolis, MD
1994	Attachment, Separation, Reattachment	Frankel	Glade Springs, WV
1995	A Relational Approach to Family & Couples ...	Winer	Richmond, VA
1995	Boundary Issues in Group Psychotherapy	Fieldsteel	Easton, MD
1996	Group Therapy through the Life Cycle	Saiger & Colleagues	Airlie, VA
1996	The Use of Imagery & Trance in Group Therapy	Lawrence	Norfolk, VA
1997	Sibling Relationships in Group	Hopper	Williamsburg, VA
1997	Group-Centered Psychodrama	Clarkson	Alexandria, VA
1998	Therapist Use of Self	Rutan	Washington, DC
1999	Growth and Change for Group Psychotherapy	Zimmerman	Fairfax, VA
1999	Countertransference in Group Therapy: I or O?	Bernard	Richmond, VA
2000	Hot Moments & The Courage of the Group Therapist	Collins & Nicholas	Bethesda, MD
2000	Shame in the Group and in the Therapist	Gans	Wintergreen, VA
2001	Group Psychotherapy with Psychological Trauma	Klein & Schermer	Bethesda, MD
2001	Immediacy in Group: A Modern Analytic Appr.	Zeisel	Easton, MD
2002	Intimacy and Sexuality in Group Therapy	Hawkins	Washington, DC
2002	Addiction as an Attachment Disorder: ...	Flores	Williamsburg, VA
2003	The Social Unconscious at Play: Influencing ...	Kibel	Washington, DC
2004	Integration of Interpersonal & Existential Appr.	Leszcz	Solomons, MD
2004	Social Dreaming: Image and Symbol	Dluhy & Rubenfeld	Bethesda, MD
2005	The Space Between Us In Group Psychotherapy	Josselson	Charlottesville, VA
2005	The Three R's: Resistance, Refusal & Rebellion	Billow	Bethesda, MD
2006	When It's All About You ... Destructive Narcissism	Brown	Rockville, MD
2006	Wild Civility: Working with Erotic Feelings ...	Black & Godby	Shepardstown, WV
2007	Working with Multiple-Minority Identities ...	Nettles	Rockville, MD
2007	From Generation to Generation ...	Saiger & Saiger	Solomons, MD
2008	Objects of Desire: Sexuality, the Individual ...	Nitsun	Rockville, MD
2009	Using One's Whole Self as a Group Therapist	Gans	Rockville, MD
2009	Stimulating Emotional Wealth	Hegener	Shepardstown, WV
2010	The Favorite Patient	Libby	Rockville, MD
2010	Ethical Dimensions of the Co-Therapy ...	Roller & Nelson	Richmond, VA
2011	Shame & Excitement: Crucial Markers ...	Aledort	Washington, DC
2011	The Role of Play, Metaphor & Evocative Objects in Group Psychotherapy	Motherwell	Charlottesville, VA
2012	A Learning Community: The Dynamic Interplay National Group Psychotherapy of Theories and Experience	Institute (WSP)	Washington, DC
2012	The Effective Group Therapist	Leszcz	Solomons, MD
2013	The Interplay Between Envy, Competition, & Shame: Its Impact on Intimacy in Groups	Van Wagoner	Cambridge, MD
2014	Care for the Heart and Soul of the Psychotherapist: Psychodramatic Explorations	Nugent	Washington, DC
2014	Becoming who we are in groups: Jung’s ideas on individuation, fulfillment, and personal authenticity	Hecht	Cambridge, MD
2015	Integrating Authentic Cultural Competence into Group Psychotherapy	Ewing & Rivers	Washington, DC
2015	To Thine Own Self Be True: Translating YOUR Theory Into Better Group Technique	Rutan	Irvington, VA
2016	Impossible Groups: Absorbing a New Paradigm for Groups?	Weimberg	Washington, DC
2016	Loss, and Desire in Group Psychotherapy: A Lacanian Perspective	Conkright & Red Well Theater Group	Cambridge, MD
2017	Desires to Lead: Perils and Passion	Travis	Washington, DC
2017	Navigating the Consequences of Traumatic Experiences in the Unconscious Life of Groups--Especially Large(r) Ones	Hopper	Shepherdstown, WV
2018	Cultural Competence, Spirituality, and Transcendence in Times of Crises	Abernethy	Washington, DC
2018	Trauma of These Times: Impact on Therapists and Our Groups	Buchele	Cambridge, MD
2019	Play with Me: The Role of Improvisation in Personal Growth, Relationships, and Therapy	Kays	Washington, DC
2019	Indecent Exposure? The Pitfalls and Potential of Group Therapist Self-Disclosure	Stillerman	Cambridge, MD
2020	Let's Face the Fact(or)s: Navigating Race in Groups through Reexamining Therapeutic Factors	Belcher Platt	Online
2021	What's Process Got to Do With It?	Eberwein, Lee, Mohyuddin & Wodiska	Online