The proliferation of therapeutic groups, either self-help or professionally staffed, has dramatically expanded the applicability of psychotherapy. This development reflects society's increased willingness to deal communally with personal problems that were previously restricted to private psychotherapeutic sessions. Gestalt group therapy, with its original emphasis on the freshness and pungency of individual experience has also extended its perspective to group work. Dr. Miriam Polster describes how the gestalt approach enlivens group focus and interaction through its principles of awareness and experiment-and especially through its attention to the quality of the contact between group members.
Fundamentals of Group Therapy: Selection of patients, preparation, group development, tasks and techniques of the therapist. Use of video vignettes will illustrate fundamentals.
This short course will present the systemic, dialectic, multilevel, multifocal, model of group therapy utilized at the Institute of Anthropos in Athens, Greece. The approach is influenced by Ericksonian methods and additional techniques from other perspectives have been added.
Robert and Mary Goulding (1985), working as cotherapists, demonstrate using five volunteer clients. The concerns of each individual are addressed during the therapy session. The Gouldings help define each person’s goals and establish a contract for change. The session includes role-play, fantasy, confrontation and the use of humor.