Introduction to Group Therapy

by Brabender, Virginia M.

• ISBN13: 9780471378891
• ISBN10: 0471378895
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-05-06
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

A practical and balanced guide to effective group therapy In this up-to-date text, Dr. Virginia Brabender provides balanced coverage of the major treatment approaches and provides a solid background of both why and how effective group therapy is practiced. Writing in a conversational style augmented with many instructive case studies, she covers the key aspects of group therapy, from group planning to termination, and all points in between. Providing a balance of theory, contemporary applications, and personal insight, Dr. Brabender explores four major treatment approaches-interpersonal, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and problem-solving-and weighs their various advantages and disadvantages in treating a range of problems in a variety of settings. Introduction to Group Therapy: * Covers all practical aspects of planning, organizing, and managing a therapy group * Summarizes the latest research into group therapy theory and practice * Addresses mistakes commonly made by therapists new to group therapy and offers expert advice on how to avoid making them * Describes how therapists can be effective in short-term group therapy * Explores legal and ethical issues that can arise in group therapy * Provides self-assessment methods along with proven solutions for refining techniques * Presents empirically validated strategies for handling difficult patient populations-such as acute inpatient clients-and treatment settings, including correctional facilities

Author Biography

VIRGINIA BRABENDER, PhD, is Associate Dean and Director of The Institute of Graduate Clinical Psychology at Widener University, in Philadelphia.

Table of Contents

Section One Group Therapy	1	(38)
Introduction	3	(12)
Effectiveness of Group Therapy	7	(2)
Efficiency of Group Therapy	9	(1)
Value of Group Therapy: Perceived and Actual	10	(3)
Summary	13	(2)
Goals of Group Therapy	15	(24)
Target Areas of Change	16	(8)
Interpersonal Change	17	(1)
Intrapsychic Change	18	(2)
Skill Acquisition	20	(1)
Symptom Relief	21	(2)
Beyond the Four Target Areas of Change	23	(1)
Summary	24	(1)
Selection of Appropriate Goals for a Therapy Group	24	(13)
Member Variables	27	(7)
Temporal Factors	34	(2)
The Therapist	36	(1)
Broader Therapeutic Context	37	(1)
Summary	37	(2)
Section Two Change Processes	39	(78)
Development of the Group	41	(36)
Basic Developmental Concepts	41	(5)
Boundaries of the Group	43	(1)
Concept of Subgrouping	44	(1)
Movement toward Integration	45	(1)
Importance of Considering Group Development	46	(4)
Stages of Group Development	50	(23)
Stage I	51	(6)
Stage II	57	(4)
Stage III	61	(3)
Stage IV	64	(2)
Stage V	66	(7)
Final Considerations on Developmental Stages	73	(1)
Summary	74	(3)
Mechanisms of Change	77	(40)
Types of Mechanisms	79	(33)
Interpersonal Mechanisms	79	(14)
Group-Level Mechanisms	93	(10)
Intrapersonal Factors	103	(9)
Use of the Mechanisms of Change	112	(3)
Group Goals and the Group Model	112	(1)
Tenure and Developmental Status of the Group	113	(1)
Characteristics of Members	113	(2)
Summary	115	(2)
Section Three Elements of Group Therapy	117	(158)
The Role of the Therapist	119	(40)
Executive Function	121	(19)
Group Design, Context Cultivation, and Member Recruitment	121	(2)
Screening and Preparation of Members	123	(1)
Maintaining the Frame of the Group	124	(3)
Directive Activities within the Sessions	127	(12)
Evaluation of the Executive Function	139	(1)
Caring	140	(5)
Meaning Attribution	145	(7)
Selection of a Meaning System	147	(1)
Types of Interventions	148	(4)
Emotional Stimulation	152	(3)
Orchestration of the Four Leadership Functions	155	(1)
Summary	156	(3)
Advanced Leadership Issues	159	(22)
The Structure of Leadership	159	(8)
Cotherapy	160	(4)
Solo Therapy	164	(3)
Theoretical Considerations in Implementing a Leadership Format	167	(4)
The Group Therapist's Reactions	171	(2)
Transparency	173	(7)
Factors Affecting Reactions to the Therapist's Self-Disclosures	174	(2)
The Uses of Self-Disclosure	176	(4)
Summary	180	(1)
Supporting Features of the Group Design	181	(22)
Structural Features of the Group	181	(9)
The Size of the Group	182	(1)
Temporal Features	183	(5)
The Spatial Features of the Group	188	(2)
Building the Group Contract: The Rules of the Group	190	(6)
Attendance and Promptness	191	(1)
Socialization Outside of the Group	192	(3)
Eating and Other Oral Activities in the Group	195	(1)
Terminating from the Group	195	(1)
Payment for the Group	196	(5)
The Structure of Payment	197	(3)
Handling of Payment During Sessions	200	(1)
Summary	201	(2)
Composition, Selection, and Preparation	203	(36)
Composition of the Group	203	(7)
Selection of Individual Members	210	(11)
Selection Criteria	210	(4)
Methods of Evaluation	214	(7)
Preparation	221	(15)
Preparing the Member	221	(1)
Elements of Preparation	222	(5)
Research Findings on Preparation	227	(2)
Practical Considerations	229	(1)
Preparing the Group	230	(6)
Summary	236	(3)
The Ethical Practice of Group Therapy	239	(36)
Ethical Codes and the Law	239	(4)
Model for Ethical Decision Making	243	(6)
Ethical Issues	249	(24)
Competence	249	(4)
Informed Consent	253	(6)
Privacy: Confidentiality and Privileged Communication	259	(10)
Evaluation of Progress and Termination	269	(2)
Technology and Group Therapy	271	(2)
Summary	273	(2)
Section Four Models of Group Therapy	275	(162)
Interpersonal Model	277	(44)
Goals of the Interpersonal Approach	279	(4)
Contributions of Sullivan	279	(4)
Change Processes	283	(16)
The Importance of Focusing on the Here-and-Now	283	(2)
Techniques for Activating the Here-and-Now	285	(10)
Mass Group Process Commentary	295	(2)
Other Therapeutic Factors	297	(1)
Therapist Disclosure	298	(1)
Interpersonal Vignette	299	(7)
The Session	300	(6)
Short-Term Applications	306	(8)
Other Short-Term Applications	310	(4)
Research Support for the Interpersonal Approach	314	(5)
Theoretical Postulate of the Interpersonal Approach	315	(1)
Effectiveness of the Interpersonal Approach	315	(4)
Summary	319	(2)
Psychodynamic Group Therapy: An Object-Relations Approach	321	(44)
Goals of the Object-Relations Approach	323	(13)
Conceptual Foundations	323	(13)
Change Processes	336	(11)
Holding Environment	336	(1)
Transference	337	(6)
Countertransference	343	(4)
Psychodynamic/Object-Relations Vignette	347	(8)
The Members	347	(1)
The Session	348	(7)
Short-Term Applications	355	(4)
Research Support	359	(3)
Summary	362	(3)
The Cognitive-Behavioral Approach	365	(36)
Conceptual Foundations	368	(4)
Interventions and Techniques	372	(16)
The Patient-Therapist Relationship	372	(2)
Temporal Factors	374	(1)
Structure of the Sessions	375	(11)
The Use of the Group in Group CBT	386	(2)
Clinical Illustration	388	(7)
Comment on the Session	394	(1)
Research Support	395	(4)
The Use of Group CBT Treating Depression	395	(2)
Symptoms Other Than Depression	397	(2)
Summary	399	(2)
Interpersonal Problem Solving	401	(36)
Goals and Conceptual Foundation	403	(5)
Why Group Therapy?	407	(1)
Change Processes	408	(13)
The Role of the Leader	408	(1)
The Structure of Treatment	409	(12)
Clinical Vignette	421	(9)
Comment on the Session	428	(2)
Research Support	430	(5)
Theoretical Postulate of the Problem-Solving Approach	430	(1)
Effectiveness of the Problem-Solving Approach	431	(4)
Summary	435	(2)
Section Five Group Therapy with Other Modalities	437	(20)
The Use of Multiple Modalities	439	(18)
Group Therapy and Individual Therapy	439	(12)
Conjoint Therapy	441	(3)
Combined Therapy	444	(7)
Group Therapy and Psychopharmacology	451	(2)
Other Multiple Treatments	453	(1)
Summary	454	(3)
Section Six Conclusions	457	(10)
Effective Group Therapy	459	(8)
References	467	(30)
Author Index	497	(14)
Subject Index	511