Systems-Centered Training

Yvonne M. Agazarian, Ed.D., developed a theory of living human systems and its systems-centered therapy and training. She loved theorizing and has authored six books and many articles in SCT.Susan P. Gantt, Ph.D., taught group psychotherapy for Emory University School of Medicine, chairs the Systems-Centered Training and Research Institute (SCTRI) and leads ongoing SCT training groups in Atlanta, San Francisco and the Netherlands. She has published widely in SCT.Frances B. Carter, MSW, is a founding member of SCTRI, co-directs the SCTRI Training and Resource Center, leads SCT training in the US and Europe. She brings her early background as an artist to all her work.

"A must read for all group therapists and anyone working with groups. Building on decades of scholarship and experience, this book is a triumph in theory and practice. It provides a penetrating guide and practical insights with extraordinary clarity and unparalleled depth into understanding and working with all dimensions of group life." — Francis Kaklauskas, Psy.D., CGP, FAGPA, Naropa University, University of Colorado, & Saybrook University"Reading this book was a deeply personal experience for me: opening to their idea of "seeing one’s role in context rather than taking it just personally" and its useful ramifications for all of us who work with individuals, couples, families, groups or organizations. Helpful for both journeyman and senior practitioners, this compelling book discusses their wide range of system ideas integrating contemporary neuroscience, social science, psychology, and medicine." — Joshua M. Gross, Ph.D., ABPP, CGP, FAGPA, FAAGP, Director of Group Programs, Florida State University"Yvonne never tired of trying to clarify and simplify her theory in order to make it as widely accessible as it deserves to be. Here is her final effort, aided and abetted by two of her closest collaborators. A great resource!" — Ken Eisold, Ph.D., President, The William Alanson White Institute"The authors have illustrated their work with creative images (perhaps inspired by Kurt Lewin’s influence) so that theory comes alive and is a true pleasure to read. Their new concept of the "person-as-a-system" completes a Theory of Living Human Systems (TLHS) and widens its applications. Beyond the theory, this is a handbook which can be used by practitioners for many years to come." — Christer Sandahl, Professor of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Past president of the International Association for Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes (IAGP)

• IntroductionChapter 1 Illustrating the Nuts and Bolts of a Theory of Living Human SystemsChapter 2 Energy, Information and Communication Chapter 3 Transitions in SCT Theory and Practice 2013-2016 Chapter 4 Role-Systems: Theory and ImplicationsChapter 5 Role-Systems in Systems-Centered PracticeChapter 6 Exploring Our Inner-Person System RolesChapter 7 Implications for Practice from Our Role-Systems MapChapter 8 Theorizing About Phases of System DevelopmentChapter 9 Putting the Phases of System Development into PracticeEpilogueAppendix