The significance of here- and-now disclosure in promoting cohesion in group psychotherapy

Here and now disclosure was compared to there- and-then disclosure to determine which type of disclosure has the most significant effect on cohesion. The subjects consisted of 45 male and 43 female patients in group therapy at a mental health clinic affiliated with a psychoanalytic training institute. A series of scales and questionnaires were administered to ascertain the subjects' feelings of cohesiveness and their typical style of disclosure in group. The significance of the type of disclosure was then determined. The most important finding was that after rigorous analysis of the two disclosure variables, only here- and- now disclosure maintained its position as a significant predictor of cohesion.Roberta L. Slavin, Ph. D., is a psychoanalyst in private practice. She is founder and director of the Midlife Center in Spring Valley. This study was presented at the 50th Annual Conference of the American Group Psychotherapy Association, February 20, 1992, in New York City. The author wishes to express her gratitude to Drs. Richard Alperin, Gordon Bear, and Peter Schlachat for their help and encouragement.