A Taste of Mindcamp (Helping Groups Work)

Tim HursonRandom

One of a series of posts profiling some of the 100+ hours of Mindcamp programs you can take this summer. For more on this and other programs, go to: Mindcamp Sessions.

Whole-Group Facilitation

The group is greater than the sum of individuals

© hobbitfoot / 123RF Stock Photo

Group theory and our experiences tell us that any group is itself an entity, not just a collection of individuals.

How can we use awareness of and empathy for the group as a whole to help the group work better on any task and specifically to foster breakthrough thinking?

In this session we will explore key ideas about group dynamics, including a group’s non-conscious processes and the impacts of facilitator behavior, through discussion and short activities.

If you facilitate groups, large or small, professionally or casually, don’t miss this one!


The Skinny: 3 things you will get from this session

  • Expand your thinking about different aspects of the facilitator role
  • Practice formulating interventions directed to the group as a whole
  • Understand how groups manage the natural tension between group task and group emotional processes when challenged, for example, to go for ‘the third third’

Dale Monroe-Cook earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Michigan State University, completing specialized training in family therapy at the Family Life Clinic there. He has been in private practice in Chicago for the past 20 years. Most recently, he served as VP, Clinical Operations, at Yellowbrick, an intensive outpatient treatment program for emerging adults that integrates neuroscience, psychotherapy, life skills, wellness research and practice. Now retired from Yellowbrick, he travels, kayaks, and is completing a book on the history of recorded sound.

Liz Monroe-Cook, Ph.D., has extensive experience as a consulting psychologist focusing on individual, group and organizational effectiveness. She draws much of her own learning from the fields of cognitive and social psychology, and uses creative thinking skills and Polarity Thinking in much of her work. She is a graduate of the Polarity Management Mastery Program, a recipient of the Creative Education Foundation’s Distinguished Leader award, and presents at conferences worldwide, including CPSI, CREA, Florida Creativity Weekend, and of course Mindcamp Canada.