The Medical Clinic
for Person Centred Psychotherapy

Long-term GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY
(One Year)

Description:

This Interpersonal Group Therapy Programme will be for 8-10 group members. The group will meet once a week for 2 hours with a qualified and experienced psychotherapist. This group will last at least one year. The group therapy is covered by OHIP. All group members are working towards resolving emotional difficulties and learning how to maintain healthy interpersonal relationships.

How Therapy Group Works:

· Group Members share their personal feelings, ideas, and difficulties in a supportive and safe environment.

· Group Members provide each other with honest, direct yet gentle and helpful feedback.

· Through appropriate feedback members become aware of behaviors which alienate others and interfere with relationships.

· Group Members try new productive behaviour with the group.

· Group Members refine these behaviours in the group and then try them outside the group.

· Group Members develop insight into the origins of their behaviours and identify their feelings.

What is expected of the Group Members:

· Attend regularly and try to be on time.

· Be spontaneous and honest.

· Use the relationships made in group therapeutically in the group - not outside of the group.

· Express your feelings in words, not in actions.

· Keep attending until you resolve the problems that brought you to group.

· Confidentiality: protect the names and identities of other group members.

· Work actively on the problems that brought you into group.

What the group members can expect to gain from the group experience:

· Effective in improving interpersonal relationships.

· Help develop independence and emotional freedom.

· Help control self-defeating and destructive behaviours.

· Members gain insight and change self-concept in a positive way.

· Experience intimacy and trust.

Fee: For patients in need of this service OHIP covers the cost of this treatment.
Time: Please call to check available times.
Place: The MEDICAL CLINIC for Person-Centred Psychotherapy
2040 Sheppard Ave East, Unit A201 (third floor),
North York, ON
M2J 5B3

Voice: (416) 229-2399
Toll Free: 1-888-229-8088
Fax: (416) 229-9771

About the Therapist

Dr. Michael Paré, B.Sc., M.Sc., M.Ed., M.D., Physician Psychotherapist. Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychology, Tyndale University. Certified Group Therapist and Certified IPT Psychotherapist. (Teaching) Mentor / Supervisor of both the General Practice Psychotherapy Association and the Collaborative Mental Health Care Network, Ontario College of Family Physicians.

One of my central professional interests has been the provision of collaborative educational programs on GP-Psychotherapy along with Family Medicine and with Psychiatry. For several years now I have been a member of both the Ontario Psychiatric Association (OPA) Continuing Education Committee and the OMA GP-Psychotherapy Section CME Committee. I have set up (with my GP and FP & Psychiatry Colleagues) several very successful programs, including Clinical Pearls in GP-Psychotherapy and Psychiatry Day at the OPA Annual Meeting and Doctors for Doctors sessions for the OMA physicians Health Program.

My clinical work consists of both individual and group General Practice Psychotherapy. My overall approach is “interpersonal” yet I also make use of theory and techniques from a number of different types of psychotherapy (Supportive, Psychodynamic, Eclectic, and Cognitive psychotherapies).

I am also a “Physician Coordinator” for the Toronto Physicians’ Health Project (which is under the direction of the OMA Physicians’ Health Program [PHP]). As part of this work, I give stress management lectures. This work also includes recruitment of psychotherapists and additional mental health and medical health resources for Ontario Physicians and other professionals and their families.