In January 2021, Penny’s article entitled, “Incest from a Young Age … Lasting a Lifetime" (Psychodynamic Psychiatry 48(1), 41-54) was the Featured Paper of the month on the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute website.
Marsha Vannicelli
I returned to professional commitments after a busy fall, actively involved with political action that involved many phone banks and a massive postcard campaign, sponsored by my sister Geraldine Alpert and her husband Paul, to help disenfranchised black Georgia voters. Together, with the help of more than 200 volunteers from the San Francisco and Boston areas, we sent 85,000 postcards. With the election behind, I prepared a course, “Making Groups Work,” for psychology interns at McLean Hospital that began February 24th. I also reconfigured my workshop on endings for the AGPA conference entitled “Endings and Loss: How We Are Changed,” which is celebrating its 21st year, but online for the first time.
Tyler Carpenter
I am issue editor for https://ijcd.internationalpsychoanalysis.net and am on the Scientific Advisory Committee for http://ialmh.org/lyon-2021/. I have three panels accepted covering: returning incarcerated to society, dismantling institutionalized racism, and addressing psychosocial treatment therapeutically in correctional environments.
Kathy Ulman
Kathy recently became a credentialed Balint group leader. She is co-leading a number of Balint groups to physicians and behavior health clinicians, Internal Medicine residents and interns at MGH and at Chelsea Health Center. She will be on the faculty for the November Balint Intensive Training weekend in Boston. She also co-led a workshop on Balint groups and a day-long open session about the demands of the past year, “Finding Collective Shelter," at virtual AGPA Connect at the end of February.
Eleanor F. Counselman
I presented at AGPA Connect as part of an open session called “Group Psychotherapy as Specialized Practice: Training Implications.” I just completed my seventh and final year on the AGPA Board of Directors!
Jerry Gans
My second book, Addressing Challenging Moments in Psychotherapy: Clinical Wisdom for Working With Individuals, Groups and Couples, will be published by Routledge in the summer.
Oona Metz
Oona presented “Metaphor and Meaning: Expanding our Tool Box” at an NSGP Breakfast Club and was on a panel at AGPA entitled “Shame and Humiliation in Group Therapy: Careful What You Wish For” with Joe Shay, Molyn Leszcz, Chera Finnis, and Aaron Black.
During the pandemic, Oona has kept busy with her practice, parenting, and committees, but finds time to walk along the Mystic River, do jigsaw puzzles, and take yoga classes on Zoom.
Scott Rutan
Scott delivered the Lou Ormant lecture at the AGPA Connect meeting. He also has two new articles:
– Rupture and repair: using leader errors in psychodynamic group psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy. 2020, pp. 1-22.
– Reasons for suggesting group psychotherapy.The American Journal of Psychotherapy. 2021. (In Press)
Lise Motherwell
Lise taught a six-week course at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum with artist Heather Blume, titled Creativity and Connection During Covid, to help artists process the Covid experience through conversation and weekly art prompts.
Barbara Keezell
Barbara became President/Chair of the NSGP Foundation in November. At the same time, she also became Co-Chair of the AGPA online Institute committee for AGPA’s monthly online institutes. And although the pandemic is delaying visits with her 2 1/2 yr granddaughter, she is delighting in FaceTime calls with her!
Jenn Ruiz
Jenn and her family have weathered the pandemic year in good health and are enjoying tons of family time at home together. But they finally had enough of not seeing extended family and headed out on an RV adventure to the west coast at the end of February, where they planned to go through at least 17 states and several national parks before spending a month with grandparents! She is grateful for the vaccination and remote work capability, which allows this ambitious family road trip with a 2 year-old and a 5 year-old.
Rivkah Lapidus
I am sorry to announce my resignation from the NSGP Board. Positive news is (throwing salt over shoulder) that I will be a first-time grandmother. My youngest had a piece published in NPR. I hope to get some work done on the NSGP history project. To keep sane, I watch YouTube videos of ToTell the Truth, and wish to emulate Kitty Carlisle.
Guy Croteau
While 2020 was a difficult year, there have been some good things happening. My Iranian husband became a US Citizen on February 24th! He is able to retain a dual citizenship. I wasn't allowed to witness the Oath Ceremony, but we celebrated with oysters at Neptune's in the North End! We also celebrated our 4th Anniversary together on March 5th :)
In May of last year, working towards fighting isolation/cabin fever, I began taking virtual voice lessons (after singing with the Boston Gay Men's Chorus for 17 years). It's been a great experience both in learning great techniques, but has been a great internal journey. The emotional connection to the music and the lyrics has been more powerful than I expected. I joke with my voice teacher that he has been my "therapist" for the last year!! Now I've fallen down a rabbit hole of recording and midi production....
Eleanor F. Counselman
Jerry Gans
