Why Groups?
- Reduce denial, process ambivalence and facilitate acceptance
- Increase motivation for change
- Process emotional conditions (anxiety, depression, hostility)
- Increase capacity to recognize, anticipate and cope with triggers
- Meet social needs for support and acceptance
Instillation Of Hope
- Client joins group struggling and hopeless
- Client is exposed to others who are struggling with similar issues
- Client witnesses others’ success
- Clients are acknowledged and celebrated for their own victories
- Hope begins to emerge
Approaches
Process-Sensitive: Examines the unconscious processes of the group as a whole, the individual’s relationship to others in the group and facilitators make sure they are not the central role.
Example: Matrix
Directive: Addresses specific agenda items in a logical order, emphasis on content as the source of effective change
Example: Seeking Safety
Brief Cognitive Group Therapy: Group is taught the basics of cognitive approach, members take turns presenting a situation, other members ask for more information, and members provide alternative ways of viewing the situation.
Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy: Focuses group attention on selfdefeating beliefs, relies on group members to identify such beliefs in each other, facilitator encourages members to apply behavioral techniques such as homework to create change.
Strategic/Interactional Therapies: Challenges each group member to examine ineffective solutions, group generates solutions, use of the Miracle Question to encourage goal setting.
Altruism: Clients struggling with their own disorder tend to be focused on themselves. Group gives opportunity to provide assistance and insight to others, client realizes they have something of value to give to others, self-esteem rises as change is supported. I
nterpersonal Learning: Groups provide opportunity for learning about relationships and intimacy. Group is considered a laboratory for honest communication with others.
By Leslie Rich and Dennis Hendrix