Why Group Therapy Works And How To Do It

This book describes how group treatment offers a unique opportunity for group members to learn and to change as they interact with other group members. The group structure presents a social microcosm of relationships that people who seek psychotherapeutic treatment find problematic in their private and public lives. In groups, the participants can observe each other, provide feedback to each other, and practice change strategies. In short, group treatment has a powerful healing and supportive function. Based on the authors’ many years of education and experience in academia, the private and public sectors, specific guidance is offered to group leaders on participation, organization, and communication in group treatment. The authors describe the history and characteristics of group treatment, how to organize a treatment group, the roles and responsibilities of the group leader, methods of group treatment, and typical responses of participants. Given its purpose and methodology, this book takes an original perspective on group treatment aimed ultimately at improving healing processes in healthcare and social care. This book will provide a helpful introduction and guide for a range of professionals who work in primary healthcare, company healthcare, somatic care, psychiatric and social care, and the non-profit sector.

Interactive Group Therapy is a complete guide to group psychotherapy based on the author's unique integrated approach. Dr. Earley integrates from interpersonal group therapy a focus on the feeling reactions and relationships among group members, from psychodynamic approaches, an appreciation of unconscious processes and childhood origins, and from Gestalt therapy, the importance of awareness, contact, and experimentation. The book develops an action-oriented leadership style for group-centered groups and a new interpersonal understanding of the therapeutic change process in group therapy, leading to an approach that has impressive depth and creativity. It covers both short-term and long-term groups, making it a valuable book for those interested in brief therapies. The primary focus of Interactive Group Therapy is to provide practical guidelines for leading groups. It offers detailed suggestions for structuring groups, creating a therapeutic group climate, promoting interpersonal work, and helping group members develop awareness and responsibility. It discusses how to handle conflict, foster therapeutic change, work with difficult clients, adopt the best leadership attitude, understand group process, and a host of other clinical issues. In addition to rich clinical examples and case histories, this book also presents transcripts of group sessions, annotated to illustrate both theory and technique. The author's thorough presentation of his approach, its theoretical underpinnings, and its application to actual groups make this a valuable resource for graduate students in the mental health professions and psychotherapists of all levels of experience.

Group therapy for patients with psychotic experiences is one of the least known of the group therapies; it is also one of the most diverse. This collection presents a range of methods, models and settings for group therapy for psychoses, as well as exploring the context for this type of treatment. Group Therapy for Psychoses offers an international perspective on the current range of practice in the field, in multiple care situations, contexts and institutions; from acute units to therapeutic communities, rehabilitation groups, self-help, and groups of those who hear voices. Presented in two parts, the first covers the history, evaluation and research methodologies of group therapy, while the second explores specific examples of groups and settings. The book tackles misconceptions about the treatment of psychoses and emphasises the healing effects of group therapy. It underscores the importance of training for selecting and conducting groups of patients suffering from psychoses and suggests possible formats, approaches and perspectives. The book’s wide, reflexive and practical collection of chapters together demonstrate how group therapies can effectively help patients with psychotic experiences to overcome their difficulties on their way to recovery. The book will be of great use to clinicians working with people suffering from psychosis, including psychiatrists, psychotherapists, psychoanalysts, psychologists, physicians and social workers. It will also appeal to group analysts, family therapists and CBT practitioners, as well as to all researchers in these fields.

Group Therapy: A Group-Analytic Approach is a comprehensive introduction to contemporary group analytic theory and practice - the prevailing form of group therapy in Europe. Highly accessible yet meticulously referenced, theoretically rich, yet clinically vivid, it is an invaluable resource for all interested in group therapy, providing access to the very heart of working therapeutically with(in) groups.

Psychosis implies an alteration of one's reality, with specific beliefs and sensory experiences that affect one's judgment and capacity to function socially. Previously, medication alone was believed to attenuate or eliminate psychotic symptoms; however, more than two decades of empirical evidence now support the use of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for psychosis, including group CBT for psychosis. Group CBT for Psychosis offers the first published group therapy module of its kind and is suitable for a broad range of mental health professionals. Group therapy for people with psychosis is often recommended given its cost-efficiency and indirect benefits such as improved social skills and social support, yet delivery of this group intervention necessitates specialized skills and knowledge not typically included as part of most clinical training programs. This book offers thorough descriptions of relevant techniques, clinical vignettes, and worksheets for use in group sessions. Individual chapters focus on the basics of CBT for psychosis, essential elements of group therapy, explaining the CBT model in a group context, techniques for various symptoms, measuring change, common obstacles to group CBT for psychosis, and much more. Group CBT for Psychosis will be a valuable resource for psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, and graduate students in these fields. Professors and supervisors teaching clinical skills, such as how to run groups or how to conduct CBT in groups with people with psychotic disorders, will also find this book very useful.

The premise of this book is that group counseling is not individual counseling; and what works for the former likely won't work for the latter. It's a fresh new introduction to the principles, theories and procedures of group counseling and therapy. It's written to show how group work really works, and ensures readers an understanding of how to create and maintain a group environment that actually succeeds in helping its members achieve significant growth and change. It emphasizes unique group processes and a systemic perspective, asserting that the quality of members' interactions is the critical determinant of a group's progress. It addresses all of the essential tasks in planning, conducting, and concluding groups. Other topics include teaching essential membership skills, how to teach group members interaction skills to assist them in personal growth and the process of becoming an effective leader. For professionals in the field of group counseling.

Group Play Therapy presents an updated look at an effective yet underutilized therapeutic intervention. More than just an approach to treating children, group play therapy is a life-span approach, undergirded by solid theory and, in this volume, taking wings through exciting techniques. Drawing on their experiences as clinicians and educators, the authors weave theory and technique together to create a valuable resource for both mental health practitioners and advanced students. Therapists and ultimately their clients will benefit from enhancing their understanding of group play therapy.

An in-depth look at a much misunderstood practice, offering a fresh viewpoint on how this science can be a universally effective route to our better selves.