Beyond treatment modalities: Clinical decisions and relational dynamics that facilitate change in group treatments

Abstract

This commentary on six articles comprising this Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session issue on the therapeutic process in group psychotherapy brings together relevant clinical challenges and opportunities concerning the unique processes of change in group treatments. As illustrated by these six inspiring group therapy cases, therapy groups may vary widely in content and context. To balance the rich clinical illustrations of successful group treatments and the different theoretical formulations offered in these case studies, we highlight the processes that these treatments appear to have in common. Specifically, we describe the clinical considerations about the group format and the group members. We also reflect on the relational dynamics as they play out within the complex interplay between group leaders and group members; the facilitation of the corrective emotional experience as a change mechanism in group therapy, as well as the relational challenges and opportunities inherent in group treatments more generally. It is hoped that in this issue, clinicians will not only be inspired by the clinical description of successful change processes in group treatments but will also be reminded of the therapeutic nuances and opportunities of this multilayered treatment format.

Combined group and individual therapy for patients with avoidant personality disorder—A pilot study

“…Nor can the results be attributed specifically to MBT or MIT. As the treatment was not manualized we don't know whether patient outcome was mainly related to common psychotherapeutic factors rather than the specific MBT and MIT approaches ( 104 ). Moreover, patients were offered either 1 or 2 year of treatment, but the sample was too small to investigate associations between treatment duration and outcomes in any convincing way.…”