ABSTRACT
Virtually every authority will agree on the importance of careful screening and thoughtful selection of the Members of a psychotherapy group. Yalom further suggests that the fate of a group can be sealed before the group begins due to the inclusion or exclusion of its Members. All of my groups are heterogeneous and psychodynamic. They are made up of private patients, on a continuum from moderate functionality to high functionality, and including diversity in age, gender, and diagnosis. Most group Therapists require at least one screening interview before placing a referral into a group, but we still have to depend, to a certain extent, on the individual Therapist's evaluation of the patient's readiness for group therapy. The new participant's attacks were particularly vicious, striking at each Member's vulnerabilities, stimulating forceful retaliation from the group Members. The provocateur's response to the retaliation seemed to be a rapid decompensation.
