Background to Group Psychotherapy
We all belong to many groups: the family
group, group of friends, professional
associations, community and religion groups,
etc. Actually we are part of groups from our
early childhood, whether it is the family,
kindergarten, school, scouts or peer
adolescence group. We might be unaware of it,
but our behavior is a not only a result of our
personality but also of the interactional grid we
live in. We are connected to others in an invisible web that impacts our daily life, our emotions,
thoughts and acts. Taking this idea one step further, we can say that mental disorders too have to do
with groups, whether they are the result of a group impact (from family to significant others) or
impact the group and people we relate to. So it is only reasonable to conclude that disorders can also
be cured in the group setting. The group accepting and holding environment, the participants'
feedback, the interpersonal interactions from which members learn about themselves, all contribute to
the anticipated change of the participant.
The aim of group psychotherapy is to help with solving the emotional difficulties and to encourage the
personal development of the participants in the group. Members in the group feel that they are not
alone with their problems and that there are others who feel the same. The group can become a
source of support and strength in times of stress for the participants. The feedback they get from
others on their behavior in the group can make members become aware to maladaptive patterns of
behavior, change their point of view and help them adopt more constructive and effective reactions. It
can become a laboratory for practicing new behaviors.
Mental health practitioners are less inclined to do group psychotherapy. Maybe it seems more
complicated to lead a group because of its overwhelming flood of information, or maybe it looks as if it
needs excellent social skills, or perhaps it’s the bad reputation that group work gained from the flower
era of the 1970ies, the fact is that despite the proved merits, evidence based good results, and
economical advantages of group therapy, not many therapists identify themselves as group therapists.
Some of them lead groups from time to time, sometimes because of the requirements of the agency
they are working for, but most of them have never studied group therapy, know only a little about
small group theories, and think that once you know how to do individual or couple therapy, you know
how to run a group.
This is a mistake. Group therapy is a profession like any other profession, and in order to lead groups
successfully you need to study theories, learn concepts, practice skills and get to know how to apply
all these into work. This is what the group psychotherapy program at the professional school of
psychology is going to give you: A sound basis in the exciting field of working with groups. Becoming
a student of this program is much more than an intellectual experience. It is an adventurous journey
from which you return feeling different about your profession and about yourself. It is a growing
experience. Be careful not to become addicted to groups after you are touched by the magical
moments of the group!
Four Main Components of the Course
1. Theory
In this part you will learn theories of small groups and of group processes (such as Yaolm, Agazarian,
MacKenzie, Bion, Foulkes, etc.). You will get to know important concepts related to groups (dynamic
administration, resistance, content vs. process, transference, here-and-now, boundaries, etc.) and
how to identify and apply them into group work. This part is mainly didactic, and can be learned
individually with the help and guidance of your tutor.
2. Skills
This is the "how-to-do" part. You will acquire a "tool kit for the group leader". You will learn how to
overcome resistance, what to do when conflict arises in the group, what kind of group members you
are going to encounter (from passive to provocative ones) and how to deal with difficult patients, what
is the optimal group termination and how to attain it, what to do with your own feelings and reactions
while leading the group, etc. This part will mostly be taught through peer group meetings, where you
will lead your group of peers and learn from their feedback together with you tutor's input.
3. Experience
You cannot learn to swim without entering the water. Here you are going to experience the group
process. You will participate in a real group where all the theories and concepts materialize through
your own experience. This part can be achieved by joining a therapy group in your area (approved by
your tutor), and coming together once in a few months to several days (or a weekend) of group work.
In addition we will create opportunities for you to understand what you went through and integrate
the emotional experience into theory.
4. Supervision
Here you will become a group leader yourself, at first as a co-therapist with a senior group therapist
(if possible), and then leading a group all by yourself. Through all this new and challenging experience
you will be accompanied by a supervisor in group or individual setting. You might make some
mistakes, but this way you will surely learn to correct them quickly.
You can expect this journey to last for three to four years in which you will learn which important
events in the group to observe, become able to analyze group process, make the best interventions as
the group therapist, become confident about your group leader's skills and be able to facilitate the
growth of your group members.
WHY STUDY GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY?
People working therapeutically with groups not
only provide a highly effective and cost-efficient
treatment; they can apply their skills to many
other group and leadership situations.
