Date: 7, 8, & 9 October 2025 (Tuesday – Thursday)
Time: 9am – 5pm (including 1 hour lunch break)
Venue: Ruang @ Petaling Jaya, Level 15, Menara PKNS, Petaling Jaya
Trainer: Dr. Louis Downs
The vast majority of psychologists, psychiatrists and counselors avoid doing therapy or counseling in a group setting around the world. Some never risked it and others have found, after a group or two, that it was too difficult a task to effectively work with several people at once. The simple reason is that they use techniques suited for a single client or only a few people at once. Yet, group counseling can be one of the most effective ways to make change in clients.
The secret to effective outcomes in groups lies in understanding the dynamics of group communication and using those dynamics advantageously. Once a clinician discovers how groups process and how to encourage and enhance group members’ communication, he/she is free to influence group communication skills so that group members can and will carry the conversation with each other with minimal stress to the clinician except to guide the therapeutic topic and ensure that members will confront each other in ways that support self-discovery and self-growth.
Process Group and Interpersonal Therapy have proven to be an exceptionally effective way to deal with trauma, depression, anxiety, and improved socialization as well as substance abuse, transition from penal institutions and from mental hospitals. And the skill sets are relatively easy to integrate into your practice. Process group expert, Professor Louis Downs PhD, will orient workshop participants to process group protocols and procedures and then will teach and model the skill sets required to facilitate an effective group. During the 3-day workshop, participants will receive comprehensive instruction as well as supportive literature, will observe group process in action, and will participate in practice sessions to learn the skills themselves.
Dr Louis Downs is currently a Professor Emeritus at the Department of Counselor Education at California State University Sacramento, where he has been taught from 2004 until he retired in 2012. Since then, he taught at Universiti Brunei Darussalam for 3 years until 2015. In 2015 he held the position of Clinical Professor at University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences until 2020.
Dr Downs is a highly accomplished counselling psychologist who earned his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Counselling and a minor in Psychology with specializations in Educational and Mental Health from Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon in 1997. He is a Nationally Certified Counselor in the USA and a member of Persatuan Psikologi Malaysia (Malaysian Psychology Association). During his studies, he was a Chi Sigma Iota member and an Oregon Laurels Scholar. With over four decades of experience in counseling, he has extensive knowledge in various areas, including mental health, trauma, group, crisis and disaster, personality-based, school, and chemical dependence. Dr Downs also has 33 years of clinical supervision experience, which has enabled him to impart his expertise to others.
He has made significant contributions to academia, having taught at colleges and universities for 28 years, including 11 years in CACREP certified counselling programs. He taught various courses in mental health, marriage and family, school, community, career, substance abuse, rehabilitation, and human services counseling. He is also an accomplished consultant and workshop trainer in mental health and educational counselling, having received 5 Fulbright Fellowships from the US State Department. He has conducted workshops and consultations in the United States, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, People’s Republic of China, Singapore, and Thailand, for a total of 26 years. His accomplishments in counseling and education reflect his dedication to helping others and his passion for teaching and sharing knowledge.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
*Fee is inclusive of Breakfast, Lunch and Tea break, Handouts, E-certificate of attendance (subject to T&C)*.
CPD Points awarded for completion (full participation):
KKM – 15 points (Clinical Psychologist)
LKM – 6 points (Komponen Ilmu dan Kemahiran 2)
By registering for the Interpersonal Group Therapy 3-day Workshop, you agree to the following terms and conditions:
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