ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors describe how group therapy offers a unique opportunity for group members to learn and to change as they interact with other group members. The group structure presents a social microcosm of the kind of relationships that people who seek psychotherapeutic treatment find problematic in their private and public lives. The authors convince that group therapy, when provided as an alternative to individual treatment, can significantly reduce total treatment cost, perhaps by as much as one-third or one-half. They describe among other things the history and characteristics of group therapy, how to organize a therapy group, the roles and responsibilities of the group leader, and methods of group therapy. Another important teacher, mentor, and colleague was the British-American psychologist Yvonne Agazarian, who developed systems-centred therapy, a particular form of group therapy based on the Theory of Living Human Systems. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
