ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the three predominant theories of group psychotherapy that are used to understand how groups work, both informally and formally. The theories are W. R. Bion and groups, I. D. Yalom and groups and S. H. Foulkes and groups. The chapter analyses the clinical situations where these theories can help psychoanalysts understand the complexity of interactions, particularly between staff and patients. Irving Yalom, one of the pioneers of group psychotherapy adopts a very different style and theoretical framework to that of Wilfred Bion. The main strength of Yalom’s approach is his conceptualisation of eleven therapeutic factors which he proposes are essential for effective group psychotherapy. The chapter describe these factors in more detail and utilizes the clinical material to illustrate how they can be helpful in working with large and small groups of people with severe mental illness.
