Concepts and Sources of Meaning

Author(s):  
William S. Breitbart ◽  
Shannon R. Poppito

This chapter provides instructions for conducting the first session of meaning-centered group psychotherapy. The reader is instructed to introduce facilitators and group members to one another, introduce patients to a general overview of the intervention (including treatment goals, structured weekly topics, and logistics), become familiar with each patient’s story of illness, introduce patients to the first session topic of Viktor Frankl’s work and foundations of meaning, and share definitions of meaning and conduct the “meaningful moments” experiential exercise.

Author(s):  
William S. Breitbart ◽  
Shannon R. Poppito

This chapter provides instructions for conducting the second session of meaning-centered group psychotherapy. The reader is instructed to reintroduce the basic concepts and sources of meaning from the first session, and to explore the topic of ‘Cancer and Meaning’ in light of the guiding theme ‘Identity before and after Cancer Diagnosis.’ By the end of Session 2, the facilitator will have ensured that group members have a general understanding of what their authentic sense of self is and the impact cancer has had on it.


2015 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emine Bilgi ◽  
Hasan Hüseyin Özdemir ◽  
Ayhan Bingol ◽  
Serpil Bulut

Objective This study will evaluate how decreasing depression severity via group psychotherapy affects the cognitive function of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are also diagnosed with depression and cognitive dysfunction. Method MS patients completed the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The group members diagnosed with depression and cognitive dysfunction underwent group psychotherapy for 3 months. Upon completion of psychotherapy, both tests were readministered. Results Depression and cognitive dysfunction were comorbid in 15 (13.9%) of patients. Although improvement was detected at the end of the 3-month group psychotherapy intervention, it was limited to the BDI and the Paced Auditory Test. Conclusion Group psychotherapy might decrease cognitive impairment in MS patients.


Author(s):  
William S. Breitbart ◽  
Shannon R. Poppito

This chapter provides instructions for conducting the sixth session of meaning-centered group psychotherapy. The reader is instructed to introduce and explore the topic of ‘Creative Sources of Meaning’ and the guiding theme ‘Creativity, Courage, and Responsibility.’ By the end of Session 6, group members will have a solid understanding of the significance of the creative sources of meaning (creativity, courage, and responsibility) as important resources for meaning in their lives.


2006 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 390-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Battegay

This article analyzes five phases in the group process in which narcissism may, also on an archaic basis, be seen to be present, and its effect both on the individuals and the group process, as well as towards the conductor. The author also refers to the tasks of the therapist in respect of this narcissism, as it affects the individual, the other group members, and the group-as-a-whole.


2009 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 120-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Johansson ◽  
Andrzej Werbart

Patients' views of curative and hindering factors in psychoanalytic group psychotherapy are explored, starting with semi-structured interviews with 28 young adult patients at therapy termination. Using grounded theory methodology, a theoretical model of therapeutic action is constructed, elucidating the interactions between positive and negative experiences in the group. The focal point appears to be the patient's experience of their own activity within the context of the group as whole, leading to increased self-knowledge and improved handling of emotions. The positively experienced change is also affected by people outside of therapy and real life events. The patients ascribed most frequent hindering factors to the absence of their own action to other group members and to the therapeutic frames. In contrast to therapist-based theoretical models, positive experience in the group leads patients to minimize the therapist's role, while negative experiences lead patients to want a more active therapist.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne A. Bowers

Conducting group psychotherapy is a complex yet fascinating endeavor. To be effective, a group therapist must be intentional in their approach and implementation of interventions. Some basic skills that must be mastered include confrontation of group members and behaviors, emotional stimulation of the group and individual members, and the development and enhancement of group cohesiveness. Practical skills involve the overall structure of the group, providing feedback to members and the group as a whole, modeling effective communication and interpersonal behavior, and self-disclosure in nonjudgmental manner. A group therapist also engages members to be open about themselves and with others and displays effective interpersonal communication by working with a cotherapist to model both interpersonal bonding as well as effective conflict resolution that can be generalized to the outside world. This review contains 1 table and 16 references. Key Words: cotherapy, emotional expression, executive function, feedback, group leader skills and values, male and female co-therapists, self-disclosure, skills and interventions


Author(s):  
Shelley J. Korshak

Psychodramatists often use structured techniques for creating cohesion in psychotherapy groups, but process group psychotherapy is ordinarily unstructured. When one group member in an ongoing psychotherapy process group voiced her ambivalence about being in the group, the therapist introduced a structured exercise of a pen-and-paper sociogram and directed the sharing both forward and in reverse. The result was greater connectedness among group members, as well as increased liveliness and cohesion in the group as a whole. This article presents the use of this directed technique and discusses the rationale, the intervention, and the outcome.


Author(s):  
Sally H. Barlow

Chapter 12 discusses professionalism in group specialty practice. Group leaders possess a strong sense of professional identity as experts in the direct delivery, training, consulting, and research of group interventions. Such group therapists have one trait in common: They value the interpersonal domain in which group members are viewed as contributors to the potent interpersonal fabric where they both give and receive help. Group therapists have the requisite licenses or certifications first, as professional psychologists, and following that, further credentialing such as the American Board of Professional Psychology’s Group Diplomate or the of American Group Psychotherapy Association’s Certified Group Psychotherapist.


ACT in Steps ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 47-60
Author(s):  
Michael P. Twohig ◽  
Michael E. Levin ◽  
Clarissa W. Ong

This chapter outlines how a first session of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) might go. This first session typically includes two components: (1) orienting clients to what to expect from therapy generally and ACT specifically, and (2) beginning work on creative hopelessness. Key points emphasized in this chapter are learning about clients’ perception of therapy, clarifying clients’ treatment goals, collaboratively setting therapeutic expectations, exploring the effects and effectiveness of trying to control thoughts and feelings, and introducing an alternative to controlling thoughts and feelings (willingness). This content sets the stage for concepts to be covered in Chapter 5.


2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1322-1322
Author(s):  
B. Mitric

IntroductionCenter for mental health is establishrd in May of year 2005. enter for mental health promotes the mental health care in the community.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of group psychotherapy on chronic psychoses, ambulatory treated in Mental Health Center in Kotor, Montenegro.AimsThe influence of effect of group psychotherapy on chronic psychoses in the development of optimal socialization.MethodThe group consist of patients who werw coming for regular check-ups in our health center during previous 5 years. The group in semi-opened and it is heterogeneous in respect to gender and age. The effect is estimated by observing the behavior of group dynamics.There werw 8 regular members in this group and additional ones who participated occasionally, on suggestion of their psychiatrist.ResultsDuring the initial group meetings it was noticed that the patients are not familiar with each other, even though they werw previously treated in our local psychiatric hospital and are inhabitants of a same, smail town. They didn t communicate with each other and didn t even know each others names. They ewrw distrustful toward new group members and could.t think of the questions to ask whwn the new members werw presented to them, After six months, group members formed friendship relationships.ConclusionsEvaluation of the effect of group psychotherapy is fascilitating the development of optimal socialization as well as optimal interpersonal relationships within group, in respect to the nature and progression of mental disorder.


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