ABSTRACT
A program of training within an institution for the practice of group psychotherapy is conditioned by two main factors. One is the overall educational orientation of the institution, in particular its attitude toward cognitive vs. experiential learning. The second factor relates to the specific features of group psychotherapy: the model or models being taught, its relationship to other treatment modalities, and its status as a therapeutic method in the institution. This chapter views that full group psychotherapy training should be an elective, just as are other subspecialties within the psychiatric field. All trainees should learn about it; not everyone should be required to practice it. Some therapists find group work quite gratifying. The various conferences on group relations provide the group therapist with an expanded view of group relationships. The experiential group training for mental health professionals should be conducted by clinicians who are well experienced in the particular approach to group psychotherapy taught at the student's training site.
