No, we don’t have origins in Big Sur, California, where this photo of Bixby Bridge was taken. But we do love bridges as a symbol for connection, and Bixby Bridge is especially meaningful for appearing in the novel Big Sur, by Jack Kerouac, a writer we deeply admire.

“We” are Chris Byrne and Sarah Simpson. We met online in the summer of 2024, in the Asheville-Area Counseling Professionals Association (AACPA) Facebook group, and then met for coffee and quickly discovered our passion for process groups was equal. We were thoroughly obsessed, both with leading groups and being members of them. We’d both watched the Group YouTube series three times. We’d read everything Louis Ormont had written, twice.

We continued texting here and there and had a couple of phone conversations. Chris suggested starting a society of sorts for Asheville folks who liked group, and Sarah essentially said, “Okay, let’s do it yesterday!” And the Asheville Group Psychotherapy Society was born.

Two people attended our first meeting, in November of 2024. The following January, five people came. Since then, monthly attendance has steadily grown, and we sense it will continue to do so. While these meetings are all we offer at the moment, we intend to expand our offerings in the months and years to come, to include educational workshops and training intensives, digital learning content, and conferences.

Meanwhile, we’ll keep bridging for connection every chance we get.