Relational Group Psychotherapy: An Overview: Part I: Foundational Principles and Practices

Abstract

By our theories, techniques, personality, and spontaneous behaviour, we define how group relationships, and experiences are to be regarded, and the emotional depth to which exchanges may be considered. In a three-part series, I present an overview of my approach to relationally based group psychotherapy. I assume that the need for 'truth', that is, emotional meaning is primary organizer of group formation and process. Individuals and groups cycle through an interactive interplay of mental states, both to seek and avoid truth seeking, Topics introduced in Part I include a brief introduction to relational theory and its historical foundation; the efficacy of combined-individual psychotherapy; the centrality and activity of the therapist; and the description of some key foundational concepts: 'G' (urge to group), emotional truth and falsity, interplay of mental categories, basic affects (Bion's LHK), and passion.

On the genealogy of group analysis: Our version of the Greek context

“….’ (Leal, 1971: 54). So, the technical focus may be intrapersonal, if we concentrate on the individual; or the technical focus can be transactional or interpersonal, if we concentrate on dyads and subgroups (Billow, 2017: 12). In both cases concepts like ‘group-as-a-whole’ ‘transference’ and ‘resistance’ can function as interacting relational modes through which the group members and the therapist come to experience, communicate with, and symbolize each other (Billow, 2017: 9), given sufficient length of the treatment.…”

“…Simultaneously the members’ individual and collective ideas about the leader influence everything that takes place in the group. ‘The group beholds its leader: a looming figure of fantasy, an emerging figure of reality’ (Billow, 2017: 12).…”

Measuring meaningful markers of change

“…Accurately capturing key markers of change in GAT and measuring its efficacy through existing PROMs poses significant challenges due to the approach’s specific focus on structural change rather than clinical symptomatology (Hagtvet and Hoglend, 2008). It also has particular characteristics such as its group format, integrative nature and heterogeneous clinical application to consider (Billow, 2017) that can make it difficult to capture the broad range of areas in which service users recover (Blackmore et al, 2012; Schlapobersky, 2016). A further challenge is that some concepts are not as easy to conceptualize within a PROM, such as being connected and a sense of ‘belongingness’ to other group members (Friedman, 2013).…”

Book Review: Notes on The one and the many. Relational approaches to group psychotherapy

“…In 2017, the International Journal of Group Analytic Psychotherapy published a series of articles from Richard Billow on Relational Group Psychotherapy, namely Relational Group Psychotherapy. An Overview: Part I: Foundational Principles and Practices (2017a); Part II: Relational Models of Group Process (2017b) and Part III: Modes of Therapeutic Leadership (2017c).…”