My arrival in Washington was uneventful. I checked in at the AGPA conference and picked up my press credentials. My credentials were the only ones in the folder when I arrived and there was not any sort of press packet. Somehow, I suspect that this isn't a heavily covered event. I soon met two friends from the Group Psychotherapy mailing list and we found a place to sit down and explore Second Life together.

I've always been interested in the group dynamics of online communities, and Second Life is no different. Are these dynamics suitable to doing some sort of e-therapy in Second Life? What about confidentiality issues? Pseudonymity? The different set of visual cues that you receive in Second Life than you would receive from a face to face session. We talked about these as we gathered around my laptop, explored some of Second Life and talked with a resident or two.

As we chatted other folks stopped by, friends of my friends, and people that I had met online. Besides Second Life, we talked about what I hoped to get out of the conference. I admitted that I did not know. I talked about how covering the AGPA annual meeting felt a little bit like covering the Libby trial. I could write like a typical journalist, covering the keynotes the way any keynote is covered. Yet that feels to much like heard journalism to me, so I will write things from my own unique perspective. Some how, that seems especially apropos, especially for a conference like this. We also touched upon what the AGPA might be looking for in the coverage of the event. I'm not sure I have a much better answer on that either, other than to observe that it would seem they would want modalities of group psychotherapy to get more and better coverage in the media.

We talked a little bit about how bloggers, perhaps, have become just another new herd. I joked again about rereading Yalom in preparation for the conference. Afterwards, I went to dinner with one of the attendees and we had a nice chat getting to know each other a little better. Now, it is time to throw myself into the fray, balance out how much of a detached observing journalist I will be and how much I'll be an active participant. It will be interesting. Unfortunately, the hotel's WiFi is not open and free, so while I payed for it last night, I may save most of my writing for when I am back at my friends house. With the heavy schedule and the dinner this evening, that might not be for a while.