ABSTRACT
Dear Consultant: I run an ongoing psychodynamic women’s group. The group has six patients aged 25 to 55 who have been in the group for at least 2 years. Three months ago I added a patient, Angela, whom I thought would be a good match. Like the other patients in the group, Angela has a history of dysthymia and trauma. In the intake, she was quiet, depressed, and shut down emotionally. Like many trauma survivors, she told me a lot about herself during the intake. She reported that she has conflict with her siblings, difficulties with her parents, and no close friends. I went over the group agreements about showing up each week on time, working on the problems that brought her to group, putting her feelings into words and not actions, and discussing with the group any intention to terminate.
