Sandra Backovich, LMFT, has been leading long-term psychodynamic therapy groups for over 30 years. Finding transformation opportunities in group treatment for eating disorders has been a special focus. She provides treatment and consultation with an interest in healing attachment trauma. For GTTP, Sandra is an individual consultant.

Duncan Bennett, LMFT, PhD, CGP, has 25 years of experience as a group therapist in a variety of agency, academic, and private practice settings. He is a member of the American Group Psychotherapy Association and is on the National Registry of Certified Group Psychotherapists (CGP). Duncan has taught Group Dynamics at JFK University in Pleasanton and at CIIS in San Francisco for over a decade. He has been offering groups for the past fifteen years at his full-time private practice in Oakland. For GTTP, he is a committee co-chair and individual consultant.

Berne Fitzpatrick, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist PSY32551 and Certified Group Therapist CGP#60467 in private practice. He is both a GTTP steering committee member and individual consultant. He has led men’s therapy groups for the past 20 years, currently leading four men’s groups in Berkeley and San Francisco (Glen Park) and is forming an IFS mixed gender group starting winter of 2023. He trained for 2 years at the SF Jung Institute, completed a 2-year certificate training in Analytic Somatic Therapy, and 2 years of training in infant observation groups, and is currently training and assisting in Internal Family Systems seminars (IFS). Berne self-identifies as a cisgender, he/him, “middle” class, heterosexual, able-bodied, white man.

Natashia Fuksman, PhD Candidate, MFT, CGP, CST-S, Natashia is a LMFT, a nationally certified sex therapist-supervisor (AASECT), a nationally certified group therapist (AGPA) and a PhD candidate at CIIS studying critical sexuality studies with an emphasis on how power and sexuality collide within group psychotherapy. Natashia has consulted, presented, and led trainings nationally and internationally, and has taught at CIIS, The Wright Institute, and at The Integrative Sex Therapy Institute. Committed to the development of social justice, Natashia’s lens as a psychotherapist and scholar is informed by feminist, queer, somatic and relational theories and praxis. She studies modern-analytic technique at the Center for Group Studies in NYC and is first generation American, from a multi-cultural/multi-lingual family spanning three continents. She is a mother of two wonderful young adults. For GTTP, she will be the PLG leader from October 2025 to April 2026.

Ildiko Gabor, LMFT, CGP, Fellow of AGPA, is in private practice in San Francisco, offering depth therapy for individuals and groups and consultation for therapists in their group work. Ildiko is a past President of NCGPS and has taught group dynamics at various Bay Area Graduate Schools (Sofia University, JFKU, USF) and has led process groups for psychiatry residents at Stanford Medical School and UCSF. Ildiko trained at the Center for Group Studies in New York in Modern Analytic group work and is currently a Candidate in the Analytical Training program at the San Francisco Jung Institute. In her private practice she leads two interpersonal process groups and two training groups for therapists and psychiatrists, and is a member in a long-term Modern Analytic training group. For GTTP, Ildiko is an individual consultant.

Laura B. Kasper, PhD, CGP, has been leading interpersonal groups for over 20 years. Laura is Adjunct Clinical Assistant Faculty at Stanford Medical School where she teaches group and individual therapy to psychiatry residents and is a small group facilitator for Stanford Business School’s renowned Interpersonal Dynamics course. She completed a 7-year training program in modern analytic group therapy at the Center for Group Studies in New York City and currently runs two mixed-gender modern analytic process groups online, with a monthly in-person meeting in San Francisco. She has led and co-facilitated group workshops for the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA), the Northern California Group Psychotherapy Society (NCGPS), the Colorado Group Psychotherapy Society (CGPS), the Mid-Atlantic Group Psychotherapy Society (MAGPS) and SFCAMFT, and was a process group leader for psychiatry residents at UCSF.  Laura is a participant in two long-term modern analytic groups and grounds her work in psychodynamic, modern analytic and relational theories. As a meditator for the past 20 years, she also brings a mindfulness and self-compassion orientation to her work. For GTTP, she will co-lead the process learning group with Shanon Sitkin from April 2026 to September 2026.

Mary Ann Kassier, LCSW, CGP, has been running groups for 40 years. She has 10 years of leadership and clinical experience in in-patient settings and 30 years in private practice. She runs four Women’s groups and two mixed-gender young adult groups for adults in their 20s. Her groups are supportive, interpersonal and utilize the group process to deepen understanding of oneself in relationship to others. She is co-chair of the GTTP committee and co-leader of the monthly Group Development Course.

Thomas Kim, LMFT, is a current Group Therapy Training Program (GTTP) committee member and co-facilitating a seminar with Tara Noone in 2025-2026. He has been participating in and facilitating process groups since 2014. He received training in group facilitation as a student at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) and as a trainee at one of their counseling centers (Pierce Street ICC), as a teacher's assistant/co-facilitator for CIIS's Group Dynamics courses, and most recently, as a participant of the GTTP in '21-'22. He has also taught Group Dynamics at CIIS. Tom has a private practice based in the SF North Bay Area. He currently runs one weekly process group and is forming a support group. Tom believes that one of the most powerful potential outcomes to process group work is to be able to develop the capacity to stand firm in one's own personal position while simultaneously holding care and compassion for the other's very different perspective.

Teresa Lee, MD, CGP, is a board certified psychiatrist who practices medication management, individual and group psychotherapy. She has served on the boards of American Group Psychotherapy Association and Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society and remains active. She frequently presents locally and nationally at conferences on her group work in experiential formats. She also supervises psychiatry residents in their psychotherapy coursework. Her approach to working with others includes reflecting on how heritage, personality, interpersonal style, and life experiences weave into one’s identity. She runs adult mixed-gender groups and specialty groups for Asian American therapists in her full-time private practice. For GTTP, Teresa teaches a seminar.

Jamie Moran, LCSW, CGP, is a clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and consultant working in mental health and healthcare since 1984. Jamie specializes in long-term psychodynamic group work, offering six weekly groups in San Francisco for gay men, as well as providing individual consultation for therapists regarding group. He has provided numerous trainings on a variety of group topics and has been an AGPA Committee Volunteer since 2015 and an AGPA Institute Leader since 2019. For GTTP, Jamie teaches a seminar and is an individual consultant. Jamie led GTTP's Process Learning Group (PLG) from 2019 through 2025. He recently completed 26 weekends of professional group education and training with the Center for Group Studies in New York City. Additionally, Jamie works with individuals and couples across various populations focusing on stress management/burnout, grief, death and dying, and gay men's issues.

Tara Noone, LCSW is a clinical social worker and psychotherapist who has worked in hospitals and agencies since 1997 and in private practice since 2018. In her private practice she provides both individual and group psychodynamic therapy. Over the last 25 + years she has run support groups, psychoeducation groups and a process group for adult adopted people. She currently runs a long term all gender process group that is warm and collaborative, providing safety and inviting risk. She graduated from the 2021 GTTP cohort and will join the program in 2025 as process observer for the PLG and to teach a seminar in the spring on Group-Level Interventions with Tom Kim, LMFT.

Shanon Sitkin, MFT, CGP, is a marriage & family therapist and certified group therapist who practices online and in San Francisco. He has been in practice for 15 years. He runs two process groups, one men’s and one mixed gender. Shanon has co-presented half-day and full day workshops, as well as co-facilitated a two day institute at the American Group Psychotherapy Association Conference on Modern Analytic group practice. In addition, Shanon was adjunct faculty at Sofia University where he taught group dynamics. He served as president, and is now, past-president of the Northern California Group Psychotherapy Society. Shanon is a current student at the Center for Group Studies in New York and the Institute for Modern Psychoanalysis in Philadelphia. He is also a participant in two long term modern analytic training groups which have been helpful in continuing his lifelong development of group leadership. For GTTP, Shanon will co-facilitate the process learning group with Laura Kasper from April 2026 - September 2026.

Ann Steiner, PhD, LMFT, CGP, FAGPA*, has been a consultant and former committee member of the Group Therapy Training Program committee since its inception and also teaches a seminar. She is a Fellow and former Board Member of the American Group Psychotherapy Association*, a Certified Group Psychotherapist, and a group consultant, currently leading three therapy groups online: Mixed Adult Process Group for the Over 60; Chronic Medical Illness/Pain Group; Therapy Group for Psychotherapists. She has published two books about group therapy with Routledge Press, is a past president of the Northern California Group Psychotherapy Society (NCGPS), leads workshops and trainings for mental health organizations about group therapy, and the Therapist’s Professional Will nationally and locally.

Julia St. George, LCSW is an individual and group psychotherapist at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, working with veterans dealing with substance use, trauma, and co-occurring mental health issues. In this role, she supervises UCSF Medical School psychiatry residents, psychology externs, and MSW graduate students receiving training in group psychotherapy. Before joining the VA in 2019, she worked with adults in outpatient intensive services at UCSF Langley Porter. She completed advanced training in group psychotherapy at TPI in 2018 and currently co-leads the monthly Group Development Course.

Betty Tharpe LMFT, has a psychotherapy practice in Berkeley where she works with adults, teens, and children. She offers supervision and consultation to training and licensed therapists as well as consultation to agencies. She has many years of experience leading therapy groups with adolescents and training therapists in group therapy with traumatized children and adolescents. She is a consultant and former committee chair in the Group Therapy Training Program. She is a candidate at SF Jungian Institute’s Analytic Training Program.