Group Therapy Essentials Certificate Program

Description

Group therapy can be profoundly transformative—or profoundly ineffective. The difference lies in how the group is designed, facilitated, and supported. This certificate program gives counseling practitioners the essential tools to turn group experiences into dynamic opportunities for healing, growth, and meaningful connection.

Whether you’re leading psychoeducational sessions, support groups, or therapeutic circles, this comprehensive online training offers a practical, trauma-informed roadmap for fostering inclusive and purposeful group experiences.

Shira Sameroff, LCSW, brings over three decades of hands-on experience as a therapist, coach, and educator working with diverse populations in a wide variety of settings. Her extensive background in social work, community leadership, and holistic healing uniquely equips her to guide practitioners in cultivating transformative group spaces.

With a warm, intuitive, and anti-oppressive approach, Shira integrates clinical insight with experiential strategies, inviting participants to examine not just their group methods, but also their presence, power dynamics, and self-awareness as facilitators.

Through this two-course self-paced certificate program, participants will explore types of therapeutic groups, group development stages, outreach and screening strategies, creating group agreements, co-facilitation skills, navigating conflict, and the purposeful use of activities. Participants will also learn how to establish emotionally safe environments and address dynamics of power, oppression, and vulnerability—both in group members and themselves as facilitators.

Key Takeaways:

• Build emotionally safe group environments: Learn to establish inclusive, supportive group spaces where trust, vulnerability, and growth can emerge.

• Design with purpose and precision: Develop meaningful group purposes, outreach strategies, and screening tools that align with participant needs and values.

• Use activities intentionally: Leverage therapeutic exercises and group activities that support self-expression, engagement, and healing.

Why this certificate program?

• Practical and transformational: This course offers real-world strategies that make your groups more effective while fostering deeper transformation for participants.

• Expert-led, heart-centered: Taught by an experienced therapist and group leader who blends clinical expertise with anti-oppressive, somatic, and relational approaches.

• Comprehensive training in one bundle: Combines two in-depth, evidence-based courses into a single, 6-hour certificate program that you can complete at your own pace.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of "Effective Group Design, Outreach, and Facilitation for Counseling Practitioners" course, participants will be able to:

• Foster safety, mutual support, and empowerment in group settings.

• Address dynamics of power and oppression among group members and facilitators.

• Develop and articulate the purpose of a group.

• Apply self-awareness tools in group facilitation practices.

Upon completion of "Group Facilitation Techniques for Counseling Practitioners" course, participants will be able to:

• List the stages of group development.

• Utilize therapeutic activities effectively in group practice.

• Differentiate and apply various types of therapeutic groups to meet specific needs.

• Foster growthful and inclusive group environments.

As you seek to bridge intention with impact in your group work, this certificate program provides the structure, skills, and self-reflective tools needed to lead with clarity and confidence.

Enroll now to develop your skills and enhance your impact as a behavioral health professional.

Format and Access

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Instruction consists of a total of over 6 hours of video instruction and post-tests.

Course Details

Availability: 

From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.

Who Should Attend: 

This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching Methods: This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.

How to Attend: 

Course access and completion instructions.

How to earn the GTEC: 

The Group Therapy Essentials Certificate (GTEC) program requires completion of two courses:

1. Effective Group Design, Outreach, and Facilitation for Counseling Practitioners
2. Group Facilitation Techniques for Counseling Practitioners

Successful completion of each course will earn participants the Group Therapy Essentials Certificate (GTEC)

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

About Shira Sameroff, LCSW

Shira Sameroff is a therapist, coach, and teacher with experience rooted in decades of practice with people of diverse identities, ages, and life stories in a wide array of settings. Professional roles have included therapy, supervision, professional development training, coaching, teaching, community organizing, transformative decluttering and a decade and a half on the leadership team of a community-based social work agency in Brooklyn, NY, US.

Shira weaves a range of therapeutic healing modalities, including IFS, Hakomi, and other holistic, somatic, nature-based, and anti-oppressive practices into her practice. Shira offers therapy, coaching, and professional development for individuals and organizations around themes including group facilitation, working with shame, oppression-ending practices, giving and receiving feedback, empowering practice with youth, and tending to self as a practitioner.

Shira’s approach is collaborative, intuitive, creative, and full of heart and is rooted in my own lived experience of healing, learning, and emerging.

Disclosure Statement: 

The instructor for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Credits

Credit Hours:

This program consists of a total of 6 continuing education hours of credit. (Each course offers a separate certificate of completion indicating CEs)

Counselors:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.

Marriage and Family Therapists: 

Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations.  You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0135, effective May 8, 2025.

Social Workers:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing these courses receive a total of 6 clinical continuing education credits.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.

Addiction Professionals:

This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.

Psychologists:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.

Art Therapists: 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.

Other Professionals:

This course qualifies for 360 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations.  Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.

This is a non-interactive, self-study course.

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement