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

Foundation Course:  Wednesday 6 March 2024, 6pm – 7pm
                                       Wednesday 5 June 2024, 6pm – 7pm

Diploma Course:         Wednesday 21 February 2024, 6pm – 7pm

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.

 

 

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 (recently) former Trustee on the Board of GAN and is currently the Co-Editor of GAN’s bi-annual Gannet newsletter.

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.

Shireen is a Group Analyst and Clinical Psychologist who currently provides group and individual psychotherapy in the NHS in the North West. Shireen worked in a variety of settings in India before moving to the UK and has been a supervisor for individual and group work in her past and current roles.

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.

Cliff has a background in general and psychiatric nursing, specialising in forensic psychiatry prior to entering and completing the qualifying course with GAN. His theory and clinical papers have attachment theory and its implications for groups at their foundation. He has also provided supervision for staff running a day programme TC on the Wirral.

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.  Since 2019, she has been working as an Experiential Group Conductor for the Oxford Foundation course on Group Analysis (IGA) and has been offering supervision for group work in private practice. 

Angela is a Psychologist (Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and member of the Health Care Professionals Council), UKCP registered Psychotherapist, & Group Analyst, and currently works in the NHS in a Dynamic Psychotherapy Department.  She is also an Advanced MBT Practitioner.  Angela has worked extensively in the NHS for over 20 years and predominantly works with patients presenting with complex trauma, and or early attachment disorders.  She offers individual psychodynamic psychotherapy and runs an Analytic Psychotherapy Group, & an MBT group.  She is also a qualified IGA Group Supervisor and teaches on several IGA courses.

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

Manchester Courses Committee

  • Bethan Marreiros (Training Administrator)
  • Shireen Gaur (Qualifying Course supervisor)
  • Jane Fyffe (Qualifying Course Supervisor)
  • Angela Lawrence (Qualifying Course Supervisor)
  • Chris MacGregor (Courses Director and Chair)
  • Emma Barclay (Diploma Work Reflection Group Supervisor)
  • Rowena Newton (Representative of Group Analysis North)
  • Richard Curtis (Qualifying Course Supervisor)