ABSTRACT
Once it is determined that the chemically dependent individual is in need of treatment, it is inevitable that he or she will be placed in a psychotherapy group. This is an event that is rarely, if ever, questioned in the alcohol and drug treatment field. Group psychotherapy, for reasons that are not always clearly articulated, is the predominant mode of treatment in all alcohol and drug treatment programs. Every inpatient unit, day hospital, and aftercare program has group psychotherapy as an integral part of its treatment regimen. Other than the patient's involvement in a twelvestep program, it is hard to identity another treatment modality used more frequently in the treatment of addiction. Despite the predominance of its use, little attention is given to the importance of preparing patients for entry into a psychotherapy group. This is unfortunate because entry into a psychotherapy group can be quite difficult and anxiety-provoking for the prospective patient. Many addicted patients who would otherwise profit from group psychotherapy are unable to benefit more completely from treatment because they cannot manage the initial anxiety that group psychotherapy always triggers. Because twelve-step programs are viewed by some as a form of a group therapy in which its members enter without preparation, many treatment personnel in the alcohol and drug field do not appreciate the importance of pre-group preparation for their prospective group members.
