Want to know more? Then come along to our informal online open sessions:

Foundation Course:  Wednesday 4 June 2025, 6pm – 7pm

Diploma Course:        To be confirmed

booking required: email the GAN administrator

Why Groups and Groupwork Training?

We all live, work and play in groups. The essence of being human is social. If you are managing a team or group of people, or are running or participating in groups, an understanding of how groups work and function can be invaluable. Whether you are seeking to gain accreditation in practical group work skills or planning to embark on Group Analyst (UKCP) training Group Analysis North offers a range of training courses and other activities relating to groups within the North West. The courses are offered on behalf of the Institute of Group Analysis, London.

The Courses Programme as a whole is designed to provide opportunities to progress through the full programme to achieve Qualified Group Analyst status (UKCP) or to choose an exit point with the Foundation Course, or as a Groupwork Practitioner with the Diploma Course. This flexible programme enables students to gain the level of skills and knowledge they require in their professional development and career progression.

In addition to the professional and career development aspects, the courses also offer valuable personal learning and development opportunities. Group Analysis or Group Analytic Psychotherapy focuses on the relationship between the individual and the group, emphasising the essentially social nature of human experience. As we are social beings, our personal difficulties in relationships and behaviours are experienced in the context of the groups in which we are rooted, such as with families, friends and social groups. Our philosophy is that as personal difficulties arise in groups; groups are the best place to explore, understand and try to resolve these issues.

Central to our training, and as early on as the Foundation year, students attend an experiential group which offers an opportunity to see how personal experience affects work, life, and relationships.

If you want to know more about what groupwork training offers, then come along to one of the free, informal sessions as listed above.

GAN only provides group therapy for those who undertake either the Diploma or the Qualifying training courses.  However, the Institute of Group Analysis (IGA) does have a referral service for anyone who wishes to join a therapy group.  Please click here for a link to their website.

 

 

Training Course Personnel

Garry is a Training Group Analyst and Clinical Psychologist. His career was founded in Universities Health Care Research followed by 30 years Clinical Practice as both Clinical Psychologist and Group Analyst in NHS and Independent Sector Mental Health Care Settings. He has also been Senior Clinical Tutor at University of Leeds Doctor of Clinical Psychology Programme. Currently, he is in Independent Practice with roles including Training Group Analyst with IGA Manchester Courses and National Group Analyst Supervisor with HMPPS/NHS OPD Pathway. He is also presently serving as a Member of the Board of Trustees for The Institute of Group Analysis. He is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of The British Psychological Society; Health and Care Professions Council Registered Practitioner Psychologist; and, Member of The Institute of Group Analysis and Group Analytic Society International. He has published numerous research and clinical articles in the areas of human factors in health care computing; child and adolescent health psychology; and, group analytic theory and practice

Isobel, The Director of Westpark Practice, Leeds, is an accredited training Supervisor and Training Group Analyst since 2006 and 2007 respectively. She has over 40 years experience of working as an individual therapist, group therapist , group analyst and supervisor in the NHS, Voluntary and Independent Sectors. She is a founder member of the Womens Counselling and Therapy Service, Leeds. She is currently clinical supervisor/consultant to a wide range of clinicians and practioners working in the NHS and Voluntary Sectors. She also runs a fortnightly supervision group for Group Analysis North. Isobel was a Training member of Northwest Institute of Dynamic Psychotherapy from 1993-2013 when the institute closed. She is a member of the IGA’s National training Advisory Group and Chair of the Harry Guntrip Psychotherapy Trust, Leeds.

Chris is a group analyst, supervisor and organisational consultant based at the Tuke Centre in York and in private practice in Leeds. He has a particular interest in applying group analysis to other settings and disciplines and currently runs Café Psychologique in Leeds and Room to Breathe walking groups in the Yorkshire Dales.

Richard is a Group Analyst working in Adult Psychotherapy in the NHS, having graduated on the Manchester IGA Qualifying course.  In addition to conducting and providing supervision for analytic groups, Richard has many years of experience in working in Therapeutic Communities.  He is a former Trustee on the Board of GAN and is the Foundation Course Convenor.

Jane’s core training is in mental health, and she currently works as Lead Nurse/Group Analyst in a therapy service for people with personality disorder in Leicester. Jane was part of the commissioning team who set up the first modified therapeutic community within a forensic medium secure unit in the late 1980s. Jane has gained extensive knowledge, skills and experience working in different specialist mental health settings working with people with a diagnosis of personality disorder.

Eileen is a Group Analyst in Private Practice in Prestwich, Manchester, and provides Clinical Group Supervision in both the Voluntary Sector and the N.H.S. A Previous Convenor of the IGA Foundation Course in Manchester, and Clinical Manager of N.S.P.C.C.’s Child Sexual Abuse Treatment Service in Manchester. Eileen is also the lead seminar co-ordinator for the in-person foundation course.

Leonie Hilliard works as a group analyst, individual psychotherapist and supervisor in private practice.  Over the last twenty five years she has worked in different settings in the voluntary sector and in an NHS Specialist Psychotherapy Team.  She has co-convened the IGA’s Diploma in Supervision since 2018.

Allyson is a Group Analyst, registered with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy. She works as an Adult Psychotherapist / Group Analyst within the NHS. She provides Individual psychotherapy, group analysis, supervision and reflective practice. Additionally she is an MBT practitioner and consults to a Primary Care Mental Health team regarding their more complex patients. She has been extensively involved with the IGA trainings in Scotland and has, at different times, worked as Experiential Group Conductor, Work Reflection Group Supervisor, Seminar Leader and Tutor . She was a member of the Training Committee in Scotland from 2006 and latterly held the position of Chairperson. She has been a member of the IGA’s Panel of Readers and is currently a National Essay Marker.

Chris worked in Scotland as consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist form many years. She trained in DBT, dynamic psychotherapy, group analysis and Gestalt therapy. Chris has a background and qualifications in law, ethics and philosophy. She is now living in Bristol and working in private practice there.

Anne is a former secondary school teacher, teacher trainer and educational researcher and then moved into psychotherapy.  Anne first completed an individual psychotherapy training, followed by a supervision course before specialising in working with people with eating disorders whilst working in a child and adolescent clinic for many years in Kent.  Anne then moved into adult services and started working more with groups. On moving from Kent to Oxford Anne trained to be a Group Analyst at Turvey.

Anne has worked extensively in the NHS for over 20 years, and was also a member of the IGA board.

Currently Anne works part time as a Consultant Psychotherapist in  a CMHT in the NHS in Berkshire. In addition Anne co-convenes the Oxford Foundation course and teaches and supervises on the diploma course at Turvey too

Monica Hill is a psychotherapist and group analyst currently working in a NHS community mental health team in North Kirklees. She conducts a weekly analytic group as well as individual psychotherapy and clinical supervision for a wide range of professionals working in the trust. She has worked for many years as a psychotherapist in both the NHS and the third sector, where she has been particularly involved in developing services for women affected by sexual and domestic violence.

After qualifying with GAN in 2017 Steve moved into private practice as a group analyst, psychoanalytic psychotherapist and supervisor. He currently conducts a weekly psychotherapy group and co-facilitate a Balint group for health professionals in Sheffield. Prior to setting up a private practice Steve worked over a period of 30 years in the NHS, higher education and the voluntary sector as a psychiatric nurse, student counsellor, counselling trainer, and psychotherapist.

Joy is a qualified Group Analyst and Individual Psychotherapist working in an NHS community psychological therapy team in West Yorkshire.  She is registered with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy and has over 20 years of experience of working as a psychotherapist in mental health services.  She currently conducts analytic groups and provides individual psychotherapy for patients presenting with difficulties related to complex trauma, as well as carrying out assessments and consultations within a multi- disciplinary team.  In addition, Joy co-facilitates Balint groups for trainee medics in the Trust.

Antony is the Director of Thinking Space Consultancy. He is a training group analyst and training supervisor with the IGA. He was previously the Director of training for the IGA Qualifying Course in Group Analysis in Manchester (2007-2012) and the Director of the IGA Diploma in Reflective Practice in Organisations (2018-2020). He worked as an adult psychotherapist in the NHS for 15 years, and now works independently as an organisational consultant, trainer and coach. He was employed as an associate professor at Birmingham University from 2014 until 2022 (for the MSc in Healthcare Leadership/NHS Leadership Academy programme). He is currently focused on completing his PhD research at Newcastle Business School on Quakers and leadership.

Teresa is a registered architect, systemic family therapist and group analyst. Applying larger group thinking and social dreaming in non-clinical, everyday situations is her passion. She now lives in the UK and conducts larger groups and teaches all over the world. It is this experience that led her to organise a unique series of on-going residential workshops in larger group thinking in the de Maré tradition, Creating Large Group Dialogue in Organisations and Society, at Roffey Park Institute. She is also a Fellow of the International Association of Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes (IAGP).

Emma Barclay is a Group Analyst, supervisor, Psychotherapist and Mentalization Based Practitioner and supervisor. Emma has worked in the NHS since 1995 initially as a Psychiatric nurse, then as a psychotherapist within the Therapeutic community. She lives in rural Aberdeenshire where she has a small private practice.

Mandy works with GAN as its Development Officer. Whilst beginning her career in social work she began working in the NHS in 2000, working in both community and inpatient services as a clinician and manager. After working for 13 years in Secure Forensic Mental Health Services Mandy took early retirement and now works in private practice. Her psychotherapy trainings include group, cognitive analytic and mentalization based therapy. She studied on the GAN Advanced Course in Groupwork. Alongside clinical practice her areas of interest include developing effective team working within an appreciative leadership framework. Mandy also leads the seminars on the Groupwork Skills course.

Jo is a psychotherapist, group analyst and clinical supervisor. She is a full member of the Institute of Group Analysis, is UKCP registered and is accredited with BACP. Jo has 30 years’ experience of working therapeutically with adults, children, and young people across a wide range of settings. She is co-director and clinical lead of Contacts, which provides counselling across inner-city Nottingham schools, and she has developed a reflective practice service for school leaders. As well as supervising qualified therapist, Jo is an approved training supervisor for Sherwood Psychotherapy Training Institute and University of Lincoln.

Suryia is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at University of Salford. Suryia is a qualified social worker and psychoanalytic psychotherapist, supervisor, and Group Analyst. For over 40 years, Suryia has applied anti-colonial intersectional feminism as an activist to confront racist misogyny against women and girls and the violence of forced migration. Suryia is currently the IGA Project Lead for Decolonizing the Curriculum of Group Analysis.

Elaine is a group analyst, with core training in dietetics and registered HCPC & UKCP. She has over thirty years experience working across mental and physical health services, and is currently Service Lead Diabetes Dietitian for a large Health Board in North Wales. Elaine has conducted slow open groups for CMHT and for people with diabetes and emotional or relational difficulties. She conducts a closed group for Doctors in Distress, and has conducted Reflective practice groups for the Glasgow Foundation training.

Sandra is a Group Analyst whose clinical expertise has been predominantly working in the NHS in Leicester, with people diagnosed with Personality diagnosis. She began her career as a mental health working in a Residential Therapeutic Community which developed into an Outpatient Group Therapy Service. During this time Sandra was also a staff member and Group facilitator for the ‘Living Learning Experiential’ (LLE) Residential Workshop, providing a space for clinicians to reflect on their practice in therapeutic environments, nationally and internationally. Sandra is a member of the Power Privilege and Position Group (PPP) for the Institute of Group Analysis and as a black female Analyst has an interest in marginalised people and communities. Sandra is a staff member for Group Analysis Training India. She is also developing a private practice, as a Supervisor and Organisational Consultant. Since semi-retirement Sandra is a Senior Psychological Therapist in the Home treatment and Crisis Team.

Sara Perren is a Group Analyst working in independent practice in York after many years working in the charitable sector. She is Co-Director of the IGA’s Diploma in Supervision, “Using the Group as the Medium for Supervision”. As well as working therapeutically with groups and individuals she offers clinical supervision, teaching and training. For many years she was Work Reflection Group Supervisor for the IGA Diploma at York Groupwork. She also acts as a tutor for GAN and is a Training Supervisor on the Manchester Qualifying Course. She is on the National Training Management Committee. She is interested in research and sat on the Steering Groups for the ACuDep and the PRaCTICED Randomised Controlled Trials at the Universities of York and Sheffield – as well as heading up the Counselling arm of the ACUDep trial. She has published research on working in groups with older people in a psychiatric inpatient setting, and on the long-term effectiveness of brief interventions in Primary Care.

Kay is a Group Analyst within a specialist CAMHS team in the NHS. She has worked with children, young people and their families/ carers for over forty years in a wide variety of settings, most notably Looked After Children, young offenders and within acute crisis services for children and adolescents who self-harm and engage in dangerous behaviours. Her interest lies with marginalised sections of the community who find accessing services and engagement with services difficult either by ‘choice’ or lack of equality.

Dr Susanne Vosmer is a group analyst and clinical psychologist. She works as an Academic Development & coordinator at GAN and has a private practice. Susanne has worked clinically, academically and as a researcher for over 20 years. She has published many papers on diverse topics, such as, mental health, love, humour, the social unconscious and migration, Parkinson’s, shame, neurodevelopmental difficulties, research and sexuality. She is the guest editor of a special women’s issue on love. Furthermore, Susanne is a research PhD supervisor, examiner and member of selection/supervision panel at the IGA.  She enjoys teaching and has an interest in literature and politics.

Marcus Glennon originally qualified as a nurse working in acute, forensic and community services. He was seconded to a regional team developing integrated pathways for forensic personality disorder clients. On return from the secondment he started working in Specialist Psychotherapy Services, initially entering a therapy group as a co-conductor. He consolidated this through the Foundation and Diploma courses in Group Analysis at York and became a Group Analyst through the Qualifying Course in Manchester. He has taught on the York course and delivered training for the Tavistock on groups. Marcus works full time within the NHS. He is a Group Analyst based in Sheffield Specialist Psychotherapy Services.

Chrysi was born in Athens-Greece and is a qualified Group Analyst, member of IGA and UKCP. She has been working in the mental health field since 2001 and in the NHS between 2013 and 2021. She has studied Psychology and Psychodynamic Counselling at the University of Athens, the University of Oxford and the University of Basse Normandie. Chrysi has been trained in Mentalisation Based Treatment and is a qualified Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy practitioner (Anna Freud Centre). She has a great experience of working with patients who have a diagnosis of Personality Disorder. Chrysi has also been working as an Experiential Group Conductor for the Oxford and Manchester IGA foundation courses and has been offering supervision for group work in private practice.

Dr Daniel Anderson is a consultant psychiatrist, group analyst, and psychodynamic psychotherapist working in the NHS at The Christie cancer hospital in Manchester, and in private practice. He is the lead for postgraduate supervision and coaching to doctors training in oncology and is an honorary associate professor of psychotherapy at the University of Central Lancashire in England. Dan completed his PhD at the University of Manchester’s Institute of Education and consequently authored the book The Body of the Group: Sexuality and Gender in Group Analysis. He is the chair of the charity and psychotherapy training organisation Group Analysis North and is a fellow of The Royal Society of Arts.

Erica Burman is Professor of Education at the University of Manchester, Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and a United Kingdom Council of Psychotherapists registered Group Analyst (and full member of the Institute of Group Analysis). A past Chair of the Psychology of Women (now Psychology of Women and Equalities) Section of the British Psychological Society, in 2016 she was awarded an Honorary Lifetime Fellowship of the British Psychological Society in recognition of her contribution to Psychology, and in 2023 the Professor Marcia Worrell Mentoring Award.

Billy is a Group Analyst and Full Member of the Institute of Group Analysis. Billy’s career includes working within residential, educational and outpatient services within the NHS, charity and independent sectors. She has had extensive practice and strategic management experience having been a senior manager and director at several internationally renowned therapeutic organisations. She has particular expertise in meeting the needs of traumatised children and young people placed in residential and foster care and extensive experience developing therapeutic models of practice to meet their social, emotional and mental health needs. Billy is currently Clinical Director of The Witherslack Group.

Gary qualified as a clinical psychologist in 2004, having developed an interest in psychoanalytic psychotherapy during his training. After qualifying as a clinical psychologist, he worked in a NHS adult mental health service and was able to continue to develop his interest in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and particularly group work. He trained as a group analyst with GAN between 2006 and 2010, whilst working within a NHS specialist psychoanalytic psychotherapy service.

Manchester Courses Committee

  • Bethan Marreiros (Training Administrator
  • Jane Fyffe (Qualifying Course Supervisor)
  • Chris MacGregor (Courses Director and Chair)
  • VACANT (Representative of Group Analysis North)
  • Richard Curtis (Qualifying Course Supervisor)
  • Kay Young (QC Supervisor)
  • Sara Perren (QC Supervisor)
  • Jo Solomon (Diploma WRG Supervisor)
  • Gary Robinson (Friday Seminar Small Group Conductor)
  • Billy Smallwood (Friday Seminar Small Group Conductor)
  • Joy Billingham (Diploma Seminar Leader)
  • Monica Hill (FC Representative)