We all belong to groups of one kind or another. Our first group experience is usually with our family, of parents, siblings and our
extended family. The family experience probably has the strongest bearing on who we become as adults. Yet people also belong to other groups that play an important role developmentally. People belong to groups
based on their gender, age, religion, race, and the economic class they were raised in, to name a few. There are many commonalities people share with each other simply because of membership in these
groups. Exploring our lives through the lens of our association with these groups can be a powerful tool for self discovery.
About Group Works
The aim of Group Works is to provide participants with a supportive group experience to assist them in overcoming conflicts in their lives, to help them to gain a greater understanding of
themselves and others, and to facilitate relating to other people in a more satisfying way. Groups are led by mental health professionals, trained in the field of psychotherapy, and licensed by the
State of California as Marriage and Family Therapists, also known as MFT's (formerly called
MFCC's).
I would like to introduce myself. My name is Ilene English. I am Clinical Director and founder of Group Works, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) in the State of California. I have extensive experience facilitating group settings. As a parent educator, I teach classes and workshops on issues crucial to parents. My private practice is located in San Rafael, and most recently in Sebastopol, California where I works individually, as well as in groups, with adults, couples, children, teens, parents, and families. Some of the issues I specializes in are loss, divorce and self-esteem issues for children, problems with parent, peers and loneliness for teens, isolation, lack of support and limit setting for parents, and intimacy, transitions and recovery for adults. I utilizes a variety of therapeutic modalities including art and play t
herapy, as well as sand tray therapy. My primary theoretical orientation is Self Psychology where the client in a sense 'borrows' the strength and wisdom of the therapist in developing that which they did not have the opportunity to develop in their growing up process. The relationship between client and therapist is held as a crucial element in the healing process.
I am a long-time peer counseling teacher and leader, active for many years in an organization called Reevaluation Counseling. My knowledge on issues related to oppression and liberation is extensive, and I have been a leader in consciously using the process of emotional release towards healing. Currently I am a writing a book on my experiences raising a child as a single parent.
Online/Telephone Counselling Services
In the past several years, I have been working with clients located in places out of the area via telephone and email. If this is of interest to you, you can contact me via email at ilene@groupworksmarin.com.
Group
Works