Origins of Group Therapy with Children and Adolescents: An Overview and Introduction

In addition to the importance of groups in the lives of children, the propensity of adolescents for group life is well known (Aronson & Scheidlinger, 2002; Malekoff, 2014). Thus, the significance of group life for youth to develop the expression of emotions, learn to regulate affect, form more cohesive identities, and learn social skills is critical (as it is for adults; see Yalom & Leszcz, 2005).