Thanks, granite! I most certainly didn't feel attacked at all. On the contrary, I feel so appreciative that you spent the time to consider my situation and share what you were thinking and feeling.

Just got back from group. It went pretty well overall, except that it was nothing like our typical group process. We kinda derailed the whole thing in an effort to help the newbie understand what this type of group is about. She really needs to experience it firsthand, but we hoped to provide her with some insight into the workings of it so that she wasn't so 'in the dark'. She seemed to really appreciate it.

We also talked about the group member that decided not to attend...and several of us shared our initial reactions and then later reactions. It was interesting to see how similar our reactions were. When I shared about how I evaluated my own reasons for attending in spite of the discomfort with the new coT running the sessions, one group member said she understood my feelings exactly and viewed me as the parent and protector of the group. Another member resented it, not liking the idea that I was considered an "expert" in the room. All in all, an interesting session.