ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates two interventions: first, asking trusted colleagues how they would intervene and second, allowing for the group members' responses to unfold as the group saw fit. Many therapists lead groups at conferences locally, nationally or internationally. This intervention addresses the complexity of group leadership when culture, language, and trauma intersect in one dimension of human experience, namely, loneliness. Loneliness is a universal phenomenon, as demonstrated by the group members in Sarajevo. If group leaders are present at the right time, under the right circumstances and with the right leadership, the loneliness can be melted. In general, the group members expressed their feelings about loneliness when given the opportunity. For group members to express their feelings, the leader needed to establish trust and safety before an intervention could take place. To establish trust, the leader must listen patiently during preliminary sessions, allowing each member to go where they needed to go.
