Varieties and Uses of Group Psychotherapy
This has been a rather general discussion of the broad properties of group psychotherapy and psychotherapy groups, attempting to indicate how a variety of approaches and techniques is applicable to different kinds of therapeutic situations. Group psychotherapy is defined here as having three essential characteristics: A collection of people in need, a professional therapist, and a use of group dynamics. Group psychotherapy has turned out to be no panacea or cheap mass medium. On the other hand, its flexible use in a variety of situations appears to broaden our existing therapeutic armamentarium considerably, and the practical question to-day is not “What patient is suitable, or unsuitable, for group psychotherapy?”— so much as— “What particular combination of group psychotherapy methods is suitable for the group of patients presenting for treatment?” This paper has accordingly scanned some of the variables seen in treatment groups, using the psychoanalytic group as a paradigm. It seems likely that as we understand human groups better, we shall apply group methods more widely and effectively in psychiatric treatment.