Abstract
The usefulness of therapists making group-as-a-whole interpretations in long-term group therapy was actively debated in the 1960s and 1970s. Advantages and disadvantages were delineated. An often-cited survey study of therapy groups that had emphasized group-as-a-whole interpretations found that many patients were dissatisfied with the therapist’s technique and the outcome of therapy. Although group-as-a-whole concepts subsequently became a part of the theory of many orientations of group therapy, there has appeared to be reluctance among many therapists to make group-as-a-whole interpretations, especially in short-term group therapies. Contrary to this tendency, an argument is made and a case illustration presented, which advocate the use of group-as-a-whole interpretations in short-term group therapies.
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Piper, W.E., Ogrodniczuk, J.S. Group-as-a-whole interpretations in short-term group psychotherapy. J Contemp Psychother 36, 129–135 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02729056
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02729056