Childlessness and Group Psychotherapy: Psychological and Sociological Perspectives

Women's developmental theory and sociocultural expectations typically link feminine identity to motherhood. This can lead to internal conflict for women who remain childless, whether by choice or by circumstance. Group psychotherapy can be useful in that it is a place where the intrapsychic and social interact. As an arena for personal change, group therapy is a place where childless women can heal the grief, shame, and guilt associated with their childlessness, and explore other ways to express femininity, creativity, and generativity. As a form of psychosocial therapy, group is a setting where both men and women can closely examine their sociocultural expectations regarding childlessness and debunk stereotypes.