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Mid-Atlantic Group Psychotherapy Society

The Mid-Atlantic Group Psychotherapy Society (MAGPS) is a regional affiliate of the American Group Psychotherapy Association that serves group therapists in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

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MAGPS Spring 2025 Conference

RETHINKING NEURODIVERSITY: 
Challenging Ableism in Group Psychotherapy and Society

Saturday, April 26, 2025 -
Sunday, April 27, 2025

St. Elizabeths Psychiatric Hospital

1100 Alabama Ave SE
Washington, DC 20032

Free parking is available on site.
The hospital is also a 5-minute walk from the Congress Heights Metrorail Station (Green line). Click here for walking directions from Congress Heights.

~10.25 CE/CME*
available for psychologists, social workers, counselors and physicians. 
*CE/CME are PENDING APPROVAL. For questions email: cce@ubhc.rutgers.edu.

2025 SPRING CONFERENCE CHAIRS

 Sonia Kahn, PsyD, CGP
(also MAGPS
Director of Technology)

 Anisley Valdes, MSW, LICSW
(also MAGPS
Membership Director)

We invite you to join us and our conference speaker Jennifer Glacel, LCSW, RPT-S on April 26-27, 2025 at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, DC.

At this conference, we will explore the neurodiversity paradigm, different types of neurodivergence, and the ways ableism permeates our culture and the field of psychotherapy. Participants will be encouraged to unlearn harmful things they have been taught and examine their own internalized ableism. Working together towards an inclusive, anti-ableist framework, participants will not only learn how to support their neurodivergent group members, but also their neuronormative group members in their neurodiverse groups.

Importantly, despite how it the term is often used, "neurodiverse' includes ALL of us. Neurodiversity includes those who are NOT neurodivergent, in any way.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

~10.25 Hours CE/CEU
(Pending approval)

8:00 - 8:45 am
Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:45 - 9:00 am
Welcome, Announcements and Introductions
9:00 - 10:30 am
Plenary Session #1: Shifting our Perspective: Understanding Neurodiversity
10:30 - 10:45 am
Break
10:45 am - 12:15 pm
Small Group #1
12:15 - 1:30 pm
Break for Lunch
12:25 - 1:25 pm
SGL Meeting
1:30 - 2:00 pm
Community Meeting
2:00 - 3:30 pm
Plenary Session #2: Deepening our Understanding: Being Neurodivergent
3:30 - 3:45 pm
Break
3:45 - 5:15 pm
Small Group #2
8:00 - 8:45 am
Check-in & Continental Breakfast
8:45 - 10:15 am
Plenary Session #3: Applying our Knowledge: Creating Accessible Groups
10:15 - 10:30 am
Break
10:30 - 12:00 pm
Small Group #3
12:00 - 12:30 pm
Small Group Debriefing & Conference Evaluation
12:30 - 1:00 pm
Break
1:00 - 1:45 pm
Conference Wrap-Up and Goodbyes

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  1. Participants will learn the basics of the neurodiversity paradigm.
  2. Participants will deepen their understanding of the experience of being neurodivergent.
  3. Participants will begin to examine their internalized ableism and the ways in which it can impact therapeutic work.
  4. Participants will identify 3 ways our traditional ways of working create barriers to access.
  5. Participants will examine the differences between accessibility and accommodation as it pertains to group work.
  6. Participants will identify 5 ways they can make their groups more accessible and inclusive.

Registration rates and information

Venue Information:
St. Elizabeths Psychiatric Hospital
1100 Alabama Ave SE, 
Washington, DC 20032

Conference Fees:
MAGPS Member: $395
Non-member: $450
First-time Attendee: $270
New Professional: $250
Student/Retiree: $150
*Group rate: $325
Scholarship Recipients: Free
Small Group Leaders: Free
**CE/CME Processing Fee: $50

*Group rate available for 4 or more members from same organization. Please contact our Conference Chairs to receive the group registration code. 

**Note: For attendees who are interested in obtaining continuing education credit for this activity, an additional CE/CME Processing Fee will be applied. Payment can be processed at time of registration.

Registration Deadline: 
Saturday, April 12, 2025

Cancellation Policy:
Full refund less $25 if cancellation made by April 5;
No refunds after that date.

For registration assistance, or to register by phone, contact our conference registrar at registration@magps.org.

The content for this activity has been submitted for continuing education credits. For questions email: cce@ubhc.rutgers.edu

Presented by:
Jennifer Glacel, LCSW, RPT-S


Jennifer Glacel is the owner of Seven Corners Psychotherapy in Falls Church, Virginia. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a registered Play Therapist – Supervisor. An Autistic therapist skilled in working with children, teens and adults, Jenn's current focus is working with other clinicians, through training and supervision to help them understand neurodivergence, examine internalized ableism, and increase play therapy skills using symbols and sandplay in therapy with clients of all ages. Jenn is also a co-founder and the President of the Board of Directors of the WING (www.wing-dmv.com), a non-profit dedicated to providing resources, education and community that centers neurodivergent folks and their needs in the Washington DC metropolitan area.

Coming soon: An interview with our presenter, Jennifer Glacel.

Interview with our presenter, Jennifer Glacel, coming soon.

Recommended Readings

Communication First. (n.d.). Best practices for online meetings. https://communicationfirst.org/best-practices-for-online-meetings/

Halligan, F. (2023, July 29). We only learnt of our son's secret online life after he died at 20. The Times. https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/parenting/article/
we-only-learnt-of-our-sons-secret-online-life-after-he-died-at-20-rj3bqfnqn

Ree, B. (Director). (2024). The remarkable life of Ibelin [Film]. Netflix.

Price, D. (2021). Laziness does not exist. New York, NY: Atria Books.

Walker, N. (2021). Neuroqueer heresies: Notes on the neurodiversity paradigm, autistic empowerment, and postnormal possibilities. Autonomous Press.

Walker, N. (n.d.). Neurotypical psychotherapists and autistic clients. Neuroqueerhttps://neuroqueer.com/neurotypical-psychotherapists-and-autistic-clients/

About our Conferences

It is the mission of MAGPS to establish a safe, unique, creative learning environment for all attendees by hosting conferences that offer both didactic and experiential learning through participating in whole group and small process group weekend. Conference registrants are expected to attend all plenary sessions, individual and large group discussions, and all three of the Small Process Group experiences.

The primary task of the small process group experiences at MAGPS conferences is to provide space to integrate the didactic material presented by the guest speaker with one's own understanding of self and the small group process. Process groups provided by MAGPS can be intense educational experiences, but they are not psychotherapy groups. So, while conference attendees may derive therapeutic benefit by participating in a group, we avoid using the group to explore our personal history or underlying dynamics, as one may do in group therapy.

The goals of participating in a small process group experience may be achieved through self-exploration and noticing one's feelings, thoughts and reactions in the "here and now." In addition to observing and reflecting on one's own behavior, one may also give and receive feedback from fellow group members about the experience. Participants may experience firsthand the challenge of joining, finding one's voice and becoming known, remaining emotionally present and working in the moment, and forming relationships and reflecting on interaction. Small Group Leaders (SGLs) will emphasize bridging experiential learning with cognitive understanding of the group's development and the conference theme.

Throughout small group sessions over the course of the weekend, challenging dynamics may emerge requiring you to address microaggressions, power and privilege dynamics, effectively manage ruptures, and to the degree possible, restore or repair relational ruptures. While Small Groups can be a powerful learning tool, this experience has harmed colleagues holding marginalized identities in the past. Please review the following recommendations by the AGPA, by clicking on the hyperlinked text (AGPA Guidelines for Creating Affirming Group Experiences) before registering for an MAGPS Conference weekend. If you have hesitation about your ability to incorporate what has been identified by the AGPA DEI Task Force into the small group experience, we ask that you circle back with us in the future after you are better prepared.

MAGPS traditionally invites seasoned local group facilitators to serve as small group leaders (SGLs), along with at least one guest from another affiliate society in an effort to promote stronger connections with our colleagues across the country. These small group process leaders will serve to help guide attendees take a deep dive into understanding the ways in which they engage with others on an interpersonal level. Participants will be randomly placed into groups prior to the start of the conference.

The Mid-Atlantic Group Psychotherapy Society (MAGPS) is a multi-disciplinary organization that offers members the opportunity for professional growth in the field of group psychotherapy in order to expand their scope of clinical practice and network with other group therapists. We believe strongly in the efficacy and power of group therapy as a primary modality of psychological treatment and emotional support. We strongly endorse group psychotherapy as a tool for social justice and systemic change. MAGPS is committed to elevating standards of practice and training in group psychotherapy across clinical disciplines and places of work.

  • Disseminating information about the power of group psychotherapy in clinical communities and our broader social contexts
  • Providing a rich network of peer support and mentorship with the goal of creating a safe and supportive professional home for group practitioners
  • Offering continuing education in group psychotherapy through conferences and other offerings focused on a range of topics relevant to practicing professionals

MAGPS serves as a regional voice specific to the interests of group psychotherapy. Its members provide a wealth of professional, educational, and social support for group psychotherapists in Washington DC, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. We are inclusive of all social identities and clinical disciplines.

MAGPS supports the professional development of students, interns, residents, and clinicians early in their group therapy careers by offering various scholarships to cover registration and banquet costs.

The scholarship deadline is April 1, 2026.

First-time attendees and new professionals may also register at reduced rates.

Click here to apply for a scholarship.

Please reach out to our Scholarship Chair, Karen Eberwein, PsyD with any questions you may have about the process.

Disclosure of Commercial Support and the Unlabeled Use of a Commercial Product: No member of the planning committee and no member of the faculty for this event have a financial interest or other relationship with any commercial product(s) discussed in the program. The Washington School of Psychiatry is an independent non-profit organization. It is not affiliated with the government of the District of Columbia or the government of the United States.

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