Groups
Current Group Offerings at Hope Development Practice (HDP):
GenderNauts - Gender Support Series - Group Art Therapy
Predominantly attended by teens, this group explores gender across all dimensions and developments. Youth get the opportunity to show up exactly as they are and be seen and affirmed in their identity.
The foundational model of this group relies on the use of projective art therapy to explore the physical, social, emotional, relational, and soo many more dimensions of gender in a palatable format. Youth are empowered to own their own identity and explore possibility through the creation of original characters (OCs). Together participants build a community both in reality and in a projected narrative with their OCs.
Group provides community, education, and processing space for gender diverse youth to show up and be accepted for their authentic self. Therapists provide identity affirmation, skills coaching, group therapy, art therapy, and psychoeducation backed by the latest in scientific research into gender, sex, orientation, identity, relationships and so much more.
Group by design delves into the self work of participants. Clients are encouraged to attend sessions regularly, but we recognize life doesn't always allow for such a structure. This group is designed for youth in conjunction with their 1:1 therapy. Please note not having an individual therapist is NOT a requirement for group but it is heavily encouraged.
Reach out to MaKael White with questions at: mwhite@hopedevelopmentp.com.
Now Enrolling: Groups will start as soon as a roster is built, so reach out today!
Transgenerational Connections - Gender Support Art Therapy Group
This group is designed as a capstone qualitative research project through Antioch University Seattle's Art Therapy program. The therapeutic goal is intergenerational healing in the transgender and gender variant community. As this is a research group, there is no fee for participants.
The group applies projective expressive arts therapy in the form of zine making about each person's experience in their gender journey thus far. Participants will be divided into two generational/age groups. Each participant will create a zine of their experience and exchange it with someone from the other age group / generation for expressive response. Zines will then be switched back with whole group processing at the start, swap, and swap back for intergenerational discussion and interaction.
Transgenerational Connections provides community, education, and processing space for gender diverse individuals to show up and be accepted for their authentic self. Therapists provide identity affirmation, skills coaching, group therapy, art therapy, and psychoeducation backed by the latest in scientific research into gender, sex, orientation, identity, relationships and so much more.
As this is a research group, please click on this link to view and fill out the informed consent and intake form.
Reach out to Rowan Ives with questions at: rives@hopedevelopmentp.com.
BDE - Big Deck Energy - Art Therapy Gender Support Group
B.D.E. is designed for transgender and gender variant adults. Participants will build their own guidance deck for processing life's questions big and small. This group design is based off the large bodies of work showing therapeutic benefit using projective art, collage, group therapy, and group art therapy. There is a growing body of literature supporting the use of guidance decks in therapy. Professional journals and even textbooks reference their therapeutic use resulting in significant growth and client healing.
The concept of combining projective art and guidance decks is most widely known through the work of Seena Frost at Soul Collage. This group, BDE, is not a Soul Collage group and is not affiliated with their organization in anyway. We acknowledge them here as a nod to their work and acknowledge that this group borrows from a similar school of thought. Their website is linked here for your reference to their great work!
Reach out to MaKael White with questions at: mwhite@hopedevelopmentp.com.
Parents' Support Group - Support group for parents of Queer identified children -
This is a therapeutic support group designed and facilitated to support parents of Queer children. We welcome parents new to the Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) world, as well as parents that identify as some form of Queer, LGBTQIA2S+, or Gender, Sex, and Relationally Diverse (GSRD) themselves. This group is primarily facilitated by student therapists under the supervision of their Clinical Supervisor. Each week will have a new directive. We operate our group outside of the traditional cohort model, meaning there is no expectation to attend EVERY week. We understand that life can make it difficult to protect the space for a 90min block every week without a break now and then. Group rate is $10 each session you attend as this group is not billable to insurance.
Reach out to MaKael White with questions at: mwhite@hopedevelopmentp.com.
Disability Grief Group - Support group for people living with a disability -
Group for people with disabilities to name and process their grief around living with a disability, potential loss of ability, and how to live authentically and supported in an ableist world. The group is aged for 15 and up, and anyone with any kind of disability is welcome (and if clients aren’t sure if they qualify as “disabled” but experience any kind of struggle with body or ability, they are also encouraged and welcome to apply :) ). If anyone has any clients that may be interested, please reach out to Kate and Jasper at kjoy@hopedevelopmentp.com and jjones@hopedevelopmentp.com so we can see if you would be a good fit/set up a time to meet. We are currently planning on holding this group Friday evenings.
If you would like to attend one of these groups, please fill out the interest form.
Please be sure to indicate which group(s) you are interested in that way we can get you onboarded as fast as possible.
Previous groups at HDP:
If you are interested in us offering a specific type of group or one that we have offered in the past, please fill out an interest form and let us know! The form can be found above in blue. Below are a few examples of previous groups at HDP!
Dungeons and Dragons
Adult social skills group for relationship building and maintenance skills.
Dungeons & Dragons by Wizards of the Coast is a table top role playing game that capitalizes on building social relationships through a series of problem solving puzzles in the form of adventures and dungeons. Therapeutic applications of this game and meeting format have been used and studied for several years. COVID 2019 and the shut down of communities around the world, brought a new surge of this use of the game. Here is a therapist's blog article about D&D in therapy.
DBT Skills Group -
This group is designed for teens and young adults in conjunction with their 1:1 DBT therapy. We will learn, review, and practice the basic tenets of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. Youth will be allowed space to process their challenges in life and in this more structured approach to treatment and therapy.
NEURODIVERGENT AFFIRMING YOUNG ADULTING GROUP
COMMUNITY, SUPPORT, ND FRIENDSHIPS, LIFE GOALS, SCHOOL & WORK, ACCOMMODATIONS
MONDAYS
7PM TO 9PM STARTS MAY 1,2023
EXPLORE STRENGTHS, BUILD SKILLS, BUILD AUTONOMY
AGES 18-30
COST: $30 SLIDING SCALE OR INSURANCE ACCEPTED
CONTACT: AHARRIS@HOPEDEVELOPMENTP.COM
Navigating Gender -
This group is designed for teens and young adults 15-18yo in conjunction with their 1:1 therapy. Please note not having an individual therapist is NOT a requirement for group but it is heavily encouraged.
We provide community, education, and processing space for gender diverse youth to show up and be accepted for their authentic self.
This group goes deeper than the Gender Explorers group by design into the self work of participants. Clients are encouraged to attend sessions regularly, but we recognize life doesn't always allow for such a structure.
Transgender Art Therapy Support Group -
This group is designed for teens and young adults 18+yo in conjunction with their 1:1 therapy. Please note not having an individual therapist is NOT a requirement for group but it is heavily encouraged.
We provide community, education, and processing space for gender diverse youth to show up and be accepted for their authentic self.
This group goes deeper than the Gender Explorers and Navigating Gender group by design into the self work of participants. Clients are encouraged to attend sessions regularly, but we recognize life doesn't always allow for such a structure.
Gender Explorers Art Therapy Support Group -
This group is designed for teens and young adults 11-14yo in conjunction with their 1:1 therapy. Please note not having an individual therapist is NOT a requirement for group but it is heavily encouraged.
We provide community, education, and processing space for gender diverse youth to show up and be accepted for their authentic self.
Gender Explorers group by design delves into the self work of participants. Clients are encouraged to attend sessions regularly, but we recognize life doesn't always allow for such a structure.
If you are interested in registering for a group class, please complete the form below.
Please note: Groups are offered when the roster has 4+ participants.