ABSTRACT
Co-leadership involves the group leader in an intuitive dance, partnering simultaneously with group members, the co-leader, and one’s own internal representations. That complex dance becomes an exercise in sharing vulnerability and power, and a woman’s early experience with family/sibling roles strongly informs how she shares power. Through informal interviews the author explored how 12 female colleagues were trained to co-lead groups; most learned by teaming with a more senior clinician. This “nequipo” model (Roller & Nelson, 1991) is often used to train group therapists, and while junior leaders gain helpful exposure to skills needed to run groups, this model does not foster the equality between leaders that co-leadership needs. Co-leaders should regularly debrief or seek supervision together to facilitate communication. Inter- and intrapsychic dynamics arise in co-leading, and committed co-leaders explore these dynamics in their relationship to the benefit of group members and leaders alike.
This chapter reviews the literature on co-leadership of psychotherapy groups. Utilizing clinical vignettes, the author examines experiences of sharing the leadership role with both male and female-identified co-leaders and suggests strategies to promote equality and empowerment for both leaders.
