Group Therapy for Loss: Attachment,Intersubjectivity, and Healing |
| |
Authors: | David R. Paine Sarah H. Moon Rachel Langford Sejal Patel Andrea Hollingsworth Steven J. Sandage |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. drpaine@bu.edu |
| |
Abstract: | Loss is a fundamental human experience that can impact a person’s mental health in diverse ways. While this experience is potentially formative, harmful manifestations can fracture one’s sense of self and undermine relational health. In this article, we present a rationale for process-oriented group therapy focused on healing relational injuries associated with loss. We draw on attachment, self-psychology, intersubjectivity, and Yalom & Leszcz’s (2005) model of group psychotherapy to explore how group processes allow clients to work through losses and relational frustrations in the here-and-now. A case vignette and discussion offer practical insight on the ways in which loss manifests in the room and demonstrate the uniqueness of the group setting for reparative processing. |
| |
Keywords: | |
|
|