ABSTRACT

All groups follow a life cycle and this life cycle (commonly referred to as stages) can be, depending on the group therapist, divided into 3–5 stages. This text uses the five-stage model as it more clearly defines the boundaries of each stage. It is important to note that the stages are fluid, overlapping at times, regressing back to a previous stage while moving forward into the next stage. Some clients, in the group, may be experiencing different stages at the same time. It is the perceptiveness of the group therapist to try and keep the members moving forward when predominantly each stage has been reached.