Experiential Techniques for Groups: Icebreakers, Shame Reduction, and Connection Work
This presentation will directly teach various experiential therapy techniques to participants. Activities to be demonstrated and practiced are Milling, The Therapeutic Spiral Model (TSM) Card Process, and The Spectrogram. Additional techniques may be included depending on time allowances (e.g. Karpman Triangle). Participants will be able to learn through participating in the activities and then engaging in processing and discussion of appropriate applications in clinical and para-clinical settings. Handouts for all activities will be provided to participants, including activity descriptions and instructions for facilitating activities.
Goal: To demonstrate and teach participants experiential activities to be used therapeutically.
Objectives:
- Develop new therapeutic skills beyond talk therapy.
- Discuss appropriate applications for each activity.
- Learn and understand ethical appropriateness for each activity.
Speakers
Eric Webber is the Director of the Legal Professionals Program and Senior Clinician for Specialty Services at Caron Treatment Center. He provides direct care through specialty lectures and counseling sessions focused on relapse, Addiction Interaction Disorders, work/professional related issues, and other targeted needs. He conducts the Legal Professionals group, as well as a general Executive/Professional group. Mr. Webber is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Certified Clinical Supervisor, and holds a Certificate of Competency in Problem Gambling, all through the Pennsylvania Certification Board; he is also a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist and a Certified Multiple Addiction Therapist through the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals. He holds a Master’s Degree from Alvernia University.
Gregory Day is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Advanced Addictions Counselor, and Clinical Certified Trauma Professional with over two decades of experience in the behavioral health field. He currently serves as Lead Therapist at Caron Outpatient Treatment Centers, where he provides individual therapy, level-of-care assessments, and group counseling. Gregory is trained in EMDR and trauma-informed experiential therapies, including sociometry, psychodrama, and adventure-based counseling.
Throughout his 22-year tenure at Caron, Gregory has worked with adolescents, young adults, and adults, supporting clients in cultivating self-awareness, resilience, and confidence in their recovery journeys. He developed a deep passion for psychodrama and experiential therapies, using these approaches to help individuals externalize and transform inner struggles in meaningful and healing ways. Gregory also facilitates the Racial Trauma Group, a dedicated space supporting people of color in processing racial trauma and fostering empowerment through shared experience and connection.
Prior to joining Caron, Gregory worked in the drug and alcohol and sex offender units at the Children’s Home of Reading. He holds a Master’s degree in Human Services and Counseling from Lincoln University and a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication from Edinboro University. Gregory is an active member of The Forge, a men’s group dedicated to positive imagery, service, and fellowship.