A group therapist perspective on self-help groups |
| |
Authors: | M A Lieberman |
| |
Institution: | Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco. |
| |
Abstract: | The author provides an overview of self-help groups in terms of their origins, growth, scope, and effectiveness, and then compares these groups with professionally conducted psychotherapy groups. A framework for evaluating group helping systems is proposed which includes five principal dimensions: the helping group as a social microcosm; technological complexity/simplicity; psychological distance/closeness between helper and helpee; specificity/generality of help methods; and differentiation versus nondifferentiation among participants. The author concludes his article by recommending four strategies for how group therapists can contribute to self-help groups. |
| |
Keywords: | |
|
|