Virginia Edmond

Psychotherapist, Group Therapist

City Psychotherapy

 

Therapy groups provide a wonderful opportunity to extend your people skills and improve your capacity to relate to others in your work, social and family environments. I have 20 years’ experience enjoying both running and participating in therapy groups.

Client Types

Groups.

 

Areas of Special Interest

Social anxiety, relationships, bullying, intimacy, assertiveness, self-confidence, self-esteem, communication skills, isolation, career progression, anxiety, team building.

 

Counselling/Therapy Services

If you find interacting with people in your work, family or social groups challenging, then a therapy group is an ideal place to have a different experience and learn new skills.

Therapy groups:

• extend your people skills
• improve your capacity to manage in group situations
• increase your options for interacting with others
• are a safe place to experiment with different ways of relating to others

The myriad of interactions that arise between people in a therapy group will mirror those in your real-life groups. You will be able to explore how and why you respond the way you do, how well those responses serve you, and experiment with new ways of being with others. One of the most powerful aspects of the group experience is being able to really see ourselves through the eyes of others. What they think and feel about us is frequently a surprise and is a potent way to replace the outdated messages we carry.

Being alongside other group members as they reveal their struggles will give you a better understanding of the complexity of your interactions with others. You will learn about them and from them, and come to feel less alone with your own internal struggles.

Group therapy can be effective on its own or to complement individual therapy.

 

Counselling/Therapy Approach

Therapy groups provide so many possibilities for personal growth in a safe environment. My approach to this group is a blend of Group Analysis and Relational Gestalt approaches. These group methods give participants the opportunity to learn things about themselves through their interactions and relationships with the other group members. My role is to keep the group safe for all members, and intervene in ways that enable participants to extend their awareness of what happens between themselves and others. By drawing out the diverse experiences of group members we will work together to develop better ways of being in our real world relationships.

Participants are required to make an initial commitment of 8 weeks.

 

Registrations and Professional Memberships

• Registered Psychotherapist
• Member of the NZ Association of Psychotherapists (MNZAP)

 

Qualifications

• Master of Arts with Honours in History
• Diploma of Psychotherapy
• Diploma of Teaching
• Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language
• Certificate of Advanced Clinical Practice (NZ Association of Psychotherapists)

 

Background and Experience

I have been working as a Psychotherapist for the past 20 years with individuals, couples, groups and supervisees. My original training was in Gestalt therapy and this took place entirely in group settings. I was a trainer at the Gestalt Institute of NZ for 7 years, training therapists and facilitating training groups. More recently I have become interested in Group Analysis. I also have some training in body oriented psychotherapy which informs how I think about experience.

I am completely fascinated by the way people interact, I really enjoy being in groups and I love running them. I look forward to helping you work out new ways of being in the groups in your life.