Contextual dimensions.

Abstract

Group psychotherapy is conducted, always, within a context. For an outpatient group, whether that group takes place in an outpatient clinic versus a private practice setting will bear on the group's functioning in myriad ways. For example, in an outpatient clinic, it may be necessary to place new members in a group quickly-without the opportunity to prepare existing members. The private practice group typically would not have this limitation-that is, the group psychotherapist would have greater control over the session in which a member is introduced to the group. In this book, we focus on groups that are thoroughly embedded in the broader treatment context and derive their character from this context. For this reason, we use the term contextual group psychotherapy to underscore this point. In contextual group psychotherapy, the group member has the benefit of a treatment team and a host of other therapeutic elements. He or she is likely to have myriad relationships with other group members and the therapists, including relationships that take place outside the group. All of these factors can help or hinder