Confrontation and support in group therapy in the residential treatment of severely disturbed adolescents

This paper focuses on the use of various forms of group therapy for severely emotionally and behaviorally disturbed adolescents. Group therapy is considered to be subordinate to a total systemic approach which includes individual, family, group, and milieu therapy. The author uses an eclectic theoretical frame of reference which includes some elements of psychodynamic, object relations, and structural and strategic family therapy theory. Precedents for the confrontational-supportive approach include encounter group and residential drug addiction programs, psychodynamic short-term individual therapy, and dynamic group therapy.     

Personality of College Under-Achievers Who Improve with Group Psychotherapy

The 16 PF and a rating scale were given to a group of college underachievers and the following subgroups emerged: 38 test responders (TR) who were not interested in group therapy, an experimental (E) group containing 19 subjects who received group therapy, and a control (C) group containing 13 subjects who were interested in but did not receive group therapy. After an interval of about 17 weeks, and following the termination of group therapy for the E group, data on academic improvement were obtained. The results indicate: (a) significantly greater academic improvement in the E group than in the C group; (b) higher correlations between certain adaptive or “healthy” personality variables and academic improvement in the E group than in the TR and C groups.     

The Archaic Personality Structure of Alcoholics and Its Implications for Group Therapy

The purpose of this investigation was to obtain a better understanding of the nature of expectations about group psychotherapy, given a consistent body of research pointing to the relationship between specific treatment expectancies and premature termination. The Group Therapy Survey was developed and utilized to assess the predominant beliefs, attitudes, and expectations of 206 clinical and nonclinical subjects toward group therapy. The results of the investigation reflected three major categories of expectations: (1) Group therapy is unpredictable, (2) group therapy is not as effective as individual therapy, and (3) group therapy can be detrimental to participants. Possible explanations for the origin and development of such expectations are entertained, including the publicizing of the more radical aspects of the encounter group movement and other negative portrayals of group therapy in the media and the film industry. Recommendations are offered concerning the use of the survey prior to intake or a pregroup orientation interview in order to tailor a discussion to the prospective client's personality, expectations, and problems.     

Group therapy for school-aged children who stutter: a survey of current practices

Although group therapy is recommended for school-aged children who stutter (CWS), it is not widely researched. This study aimed to explore this provision, using a postal survey which investigated the current practices of Speech & Language Therapists (SLTs) in the UK. Seventy percent of SLT services provided some group therapy, but the level of provision was variable. There was a lack of consensus on what the main aims of group therapy should be. Important barriers to group therapy provision were identified, including a perceived lack of clients' interest in group therapy, and insufficient numbers of clients able to travel to group venues. This study enhances the profession's understanding of the provision of group therapy for CWS by identifying patterns of service delivery and highlighting areas of need. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES: Readers should be able to: (1) Provide a rationale for the provision of group therapy for school-aged CWS; (2) Summarize the factors affecting group therapy provision for school-aged CWS; (3) Summarize the aims of therapy identified by the respondents to this survey.     

An account of a time-limited therapeutic group in an NHS setting for women with a history of incest

Group therapy may be a useful treatment modality for women who have been sexually abused as children. The group described here involved patients referred to the British NHS psychiatric service. This closed time-limited group was run by male and female cotherapists. Reasons are advanced for advocating a mixed-sex cotherapy team. The progress of the group is described. Issues of selection, preparatory individual therapy, further individual therapy following the group, and stress on the therapists are discussed. It is suggested that the mode of referral influences the severity of presenting problems and the level of additional support likely to be required by group members. The participants' views concerning the most helpful components of therapy are recorded and self-report measures are considered alongside the assessments of the therapists.     

An evaluation of group therapy for adolescents using social skills training

The present study investigated the hypothesis that social skills training is more effective in increasing socially acceptable behaviour in adolescents than is a generalized or non-specific form of group therapy. Forty-two subjects were selected to participate in the study from among adolescents referred for group therapy at two youth guidance clinics in Brisbane, Australia. The 23 males and 19 females were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: a social skills training group, a non-specific therapy group and a waiting-list-for-therapy (control) condition. All subjects were assessed before and after treatment on five measures of social skills. Subjects in the social skills training group showed significant improvements on three of these measures while the non-specific therapy and waiting-list control groups showed no specific changes on any of the measures.     

Why Do People Prefer Individual Therapy Over Group Therapy?

The current study aims to identify the reason people avoid group therapy despite its recognized effectiveness. Participants were 224 university students, men and women from two ethnic groups (Jewish and Arab) in Israel. We asked them to mark their preference for individual or group therapy on a 7-point scale and add five arguments in favor and against each type of therapy. Results verified the tendency to prefer individual over group therapy, with minor gender or ethnic effects. Participant arguments indicated accuracy in identifying the strength of group therapy, but various fears limit their enthusiasm about group therapy. The discussion focuses on possible ways to overcome those fears.     

Lexical therapy and episodic word learning in dementia of the Alzheimer type

The effect of a language therapy in a group of eight anomic mild patients (the Lexical Therapy group) was assessed by using a 5-month long Lexical Therapy in comparison with an occupational program used in a matched control group (AD; n = 8). The Lexical Therapy group benefited significantly from a language therapy as shown by the naming improvement postintervention. The improvement reached significance only for items that were included in the language therapy protocol and no significant generalization to untreated items was observed. In mild AD patients with anomia and no severe semantic impairment, a reinforcement of the relationship between the form of the object and the corresponding lexical label in episodic long term memory during language therapy may account for the observed lexical improvement.     

Group Psychotherapy in the Context of Cultural Diversity

The authors review the salient issues involved in therapy with culturally diverse populations. They present a framework where group therapy addresses those issues. Clinical vignettes from each of the authors serve to illustrate the power of group therapy with ethnocultural populations.     

The Benefits of Group Therapy Observation for Therapists-in-Training

The authors contend, based on a survey of group therapy trainees, that observing an ongoing psychotherapy group in vivo provides an exceptional learning opportunity. Clinicians often experience resistance and anxiety regarding therapy group leadership, and group therapy is notoriously challenging to teach. Trainees consistently described the Group Observation course as one of the most effective training experiences that they have had. The observation group model mitigates many concerns that trainees have about group leadership and inspires enthusiasm and confidence for leading groups. Group observers learned vital group leadership skills, most notably: the ability to bear affect and trust the group process, the ability to follow and use group themes, metaphors, and underlying dynamics, and the ability to highlight attachment themes, work in the here and now, and promote immediacy.     

The making of a group psychotherapist: Needs and goals for graduate and postgraduate training

Group therapy is a widely practiced, effective, but underrated specialty. Unfortunately, group therapy seems to be taught more haphazardly, with less attention to quality, than is individual therapy. Group therapy has a technique, history, and literature of its own and should be taught independently from individual psychotherapy. The training of psychiatric residents is particularly crucial for group therapy to prosper and be seen as more prestigious. A common core of experience is vital for training in group therapy, whether the trainee's background is psychiatry, psychology, social work, pastoral counseling, or nursing. This core consists of: 1) clinical experience doing group therapy; 2) supervision; 3) a professional training group experience; 4) observation of experienced group therapists; 5) exposure to current thinking in the field; 6) personal group therapy; and 7) a didactic course in theory and technique. Clinical experiences involving cotherapy and combined individual and group treatments are especially useful, both as training and as treatment modalities.He is on sabbatical leave from John Jay College of Criminal Justice where he is Professor of Psychology and was founding Chairman of the Psychology Department.The authors wish to thank Arnold Rachman, Ph.D., Michael Lapidus, M.D., Fayek Nakhla, M.D., Nyapati R. Rao, M.D., and Dorothy Gartner, Ph.D., for their helpful comments on earlier versions of this paper, and Ms. Deloris J. Johnson for her typing and editorial assistance.     

Group rational-emotive and cognitive-behavioral therapy.

The theory of rational-emotive therapy (RET) and of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is briefly explained and is applied to group therapy. It is shown how RET and CBT therapy groups deal with transference, countertransference, levels of group intervention, process versus content orientation, identifying underlying group process themes, here-and-now activation, working with difficult group members, activity levels of therapist and group members, and other group problems. Although they particularly concentrate on people's tendencies to construct and create their own "emotional" difficulties, RET and CBT group procedures fully acknowledge the interactions of human thoughts, feelings, and actions and active-directively employ a variety of cognitive, emotive, and behavioral group therapy techniques.     

Comparing online group therapy based on emotional schema therapy with transdiagnostic therapy in improving distress tolerance and cognitive emotion regulation among university students with adjustment disorders due to romantic break-ups

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of online group therapy based on emotional schema therapy with that of transdiagnostic therapy in improving distress tolerance and cognitive emotion regulation among university students with adjustment disorders due to romantic break-ups. The statistical population included all students who experienced a romantic break-up in Iran in 2020, aged 18–38 years. Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, participants were selected online. After filling in initial forms, diagnostic interviews were conducted through purposive sampling. A group was then randomly selected and divided into three groups: the first experimental group (transdiagnostic group therapy) included 15 participants; the second experimental group (emotional schema therapy) consisted of 15 participants; and the third group was the control group with 15 participants. The experimental groups received ten 90-min group therapy sessions. Participants completed the Distress Tolerance Questionnaire and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire at pretest, post-test and 1-month follow-up stages. According to the results of repeated measures ANOVA, there were significant differences between the experimental and control groups (p < 0.05) in the post-test scores of distress tolerance and cognitive emotion regulation strategies. However, there were no significant differences between the two experimental groups. The results indicated that both internet-based transdiagnostic group therapy and emotional schema therapy were effective interventions in mitigating symptoms of adjustment disorders due to romantic break-ups among university students. This highlights the potential of online group therapy as a viable option for students experiencing such disorders, particularly during pandemic-related restrictions.     

Concomitant group therapy with anorectics and their parents as a supplement to family therapy

A study was made of family therapy with anorexia nervosa patients in a child psychiatric outpatient department. Eight families referred in 1984 were offered group therapy and family therapy simultaneously, one group for patients with anorexia nervosa and one group for their parents. The participants of both groups reported that they had learned a lot from the experience but stated that they felt group therapy could not replace family therapy.     

Effects of Neuro-Linguistic Psychotherapy on psychological difficulties and perceived quality of life

Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Neuro-Linguistic Psychotherapy on psychological difficulties and perceived quality of life of clients who came for psychotherapy during free practice. Method: A total of 106 psychotherapy clients were randomly assigned to a therapy group or a control group. The outcome was assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders (SCID II) with respect to clinical symptoms and by the Croatian Scale of Quality of Life (KVZ) with respect to Quality of Life. The therapy group received the measures at pre-, post- and five-months follow-up occasions, whereas the control group received them initially and after a period of three months. Results: In the therapy group, as compared to the control group, there was a significant decrease of clinical symptoms and increase in the quality of life. With respect to clinical symptoms, effect sizes were 0.65 at post-measurement and 1.09 at follow-up, indicating a substantial reduction of symptom strain, which is comparable to the well established effects of Cognitive Behavior Therapy. We also found a significant increase in perceived quality of life after therapy, as compared to the wait-list control group, with effect sizes between 0.51 and 0.73. Therapeutic improvements were still present five months after the end of therapy, showing further development in the same direction. Conclusions: Neuro-linguistic psychotherapy is an efficient intervention, which is on a par with other, well-established psychotherapeutic techniques.     

Solution-focused Couples Therapy Groups: An Empirical Study

The professional literature contains numerous theoretical and case study articles regarding the development and use of solution-focused therapy. However, as with many models of systems-oriented therapy in use with couples, very little has been subjected to empirical investigation. This project was designed to make a contribution to the empirical literature regarding the effectiveness of solution-focused therapy in use with couples' groups. This study utilized pre-test comparisons of treatment and comparison groups, and examined pre- to post-test changes in the scores of the treatment group couples. Twenty-three treatment group couples participated in a six-week solution-focused couples therapy (SFCT) group. A separate group of thirteen couples served as a comparison group. The Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) was used to assess changes in the couples' relationships. Scores on the Marital Status Inventory (MSI), as a pre-test measure indicating the couples' likelihood of divorce, indicated no significant differences between groups. The remaining analyses revealed significant improvement in DAS scores. Self-reports from the couples involved indicate improvement in a variety of areas after completing the six-week solution-focused couples group therapy process.     

Joining with resistance: addressing reluctance to engage in group therapy training

Although research has documented the effectiveness of group psychotherapy, trainees are often reluctant to embrace this modality. This reluctance may reflect an informed choice based on knowledge, interest, and skill. Alternatively, reluctance may reflect misinformation or resistance due to conflicted feelings that arise from group dynamics. The latter are a major obstacle to the success of group therapy training and treatment programs. Understanding the origins of this reluctance and the developmental challenges of group therapy for trainees better equips supervisors to address this difficulty. This article uses case examples to illustrate how trainee reluctance emerges. It also provides strategies for working with hesitant trainees. The success of group therapy programs rests on the supervisor's ability to manage trainees' inhibitions to group therapy.     

Investigation of the effect of group counselling based on schema therapy on academic expectation stress in high school students

This research is a preliminary evaluation study to determine whether group counselling based on schema therapy has an effect on academic expectation stress in high school students. In this study, a 2 × 3 split-plot design was used. The Academic Expectation Stress Inventory was applied for data collection purposes. The effect of group counselling based on schema therapy on academic expectation stress was tested using a two-factor ANOVA for mixed measurements. As a result of the analysis, the intervention*time effect was found to be significant with regard to academic expectation stress. The findings obtained in the study reveal that group counselling based on schema therapy creates a significant decrease in adolescents' academic expectation stress level, and this decline continues, as shown in the follow-up test. As a result, it can be said that the group counselling programme based on schema therapy, which was developed as a preliminary evaluation study, has the potential to reduce the academic expectation stress level of high school students.     

Cognitive-behavioural treatment of pathological gambling in individuals with chronic schizophrenia: a pilot study

The current study aimed to test the clinical effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioural program (CBT) specifically adapted for pathological gamblers with chronic schizophrenia, carried out in a naturalistic setting of community Mental Health Centres. Forty-four pathological gamblers with chronic schizophrenia were assigned either to a standard drug therapy for schizophrenia (control group) or to cognitive-behavioural therapy for pathological gambling plus a standard drug therapy for schizophrenia (experimental group). Psychological treatment comprised a 20-session program including psychoeducation, stimulus control, gradual exposure and relapse prevention. Therapeutic success was defined as abstinence or the occurrence of only 1 or 2 episodes of gambling during the follow-up period. While the patients treated in the experimental group showed a rate of success of 73.9%, only 19% of the participants belonging to the control group gave up gambling at the 3-month follow-up. The CBT group also did better than the control group in the number of gambling episodes and in the amount of money spent on gambling. However, the improvement of the experimental group was weaker at the 6- and 12-month follow-up. These findings support the beneficial effects of CBT as adjunctive therapy for patients with dual diagnoses (schizophrenia and pathological gambling).     

Differential outcomes of skill training,group counseling,and individual cognitive therapy for persons with acquired visual impairment

As part of the Living Skills Training Program, group counseling and individual cognitive therapy were implemented to decrease psychological distress for adults with acquired visual impairment. This quasi‐experimental design study compared the outcomes of a 6‐month skill training program combined with a group counseling program (n = 37), with (n = 9) or without (n = 10) individual cognitive therapy, and with a control group (n = 42). The outcome measures were the Profile of Mood States and the Nottingham Adjustment Scale Japanese Version. The results showed that participants with low psychological distress decreased anxiety and increased acceptance of disability, even when they did not participate in group counseling. However, among the participants with high distress, they did not show any improvement without group counseling or individual therapy. The participants with high distress who engaged in group counseling showed an improving trend in attitudes toward others. Moreover, the participants who chose to engage in individual therapy in addition to group counseling showed decreased tension‐anxiety, depression, and fatigue, and significantly improved acceptance of disability. These results suggest that group counseling, combined with individual cognitive therapy, can be an effective part of rehabilitation treatment for clients who have high psychological distress.