Objective:
• To know that how group therapy works
• When, where and with whom is GT more beneficial
• To understand that how different approaches work in group settings
• To get an insight about the disadvantages of GT
• To intimate with the benefits of GT for therapist
How Group Therapy (GT) Works?
“A form of psychotherapy where there are multiple patients led by one or more therapists”
The presence of two or more therapists is important in Forensic settings because:
• To manage a group of people , who are violent and aggressive
• Another purpose is the supervision, unlike GT, situations involving individual therapy usually supervisor is out of the room.
• Presence of another therapist facilitate the therapeutic process and can provide Feed Back Group therapy is very diverse. There are two general ways of categorizing group therapy, by the time limits set on the duration of the group, and by the focus of the group and the way group members are selected. Psychologists with different theoretical training will use group therapy for many different types of psychological problems and concerns like:
• Substance Misuse Treatment
• Anger Managements
• Thinking and Problem Solving
• Sex Offender Treatment
• Music Therapy
• Art Therapy
When, where and with whom?
When, where and with whom is group therapy effective? A crucial thing to remember is that GT is not alternative of Individual therapy, just to economize the therapy. A forensic psychologist must foresee the real need of GT. Is GT is more effective for that particular individual or not? For instance if an offender or an individual with Asperger’s syndrome, who hate the presence of other people around, so imagine if a therapist gathers a group of such people what will be the result, absolutely hoax and banging situation! Behind the prescription of GT there must be a solid reason. Usually in Forensic settings, groups are established when incarcerated individuals are ready for group interaction and half of the treatment is already done.
Learning in Groups
As discussed earlier different approaches significantly differ from each other. While working with groups basic concern does not alter, the only difference is that here the gravity of therapeutic process is not only the treatment and behaviour of one individual. Now let’s understand that how different approaches work in group scenario.
- Psychodynamic Groups
Psychodynamic groups are based on the same principles as individual dynamic therapy and aim to help people with past difficulties, elationships and trauma as well as current problems. They aim to do this with the help of the whole group of up to eight people plus one or two facilitators.
Groups are based on the principle that groups themselves are helpful, supportive and enabling to people and that the whole group can be involved in change and understanding. Group therapists believe that everyone attending a group has strengths and can contribute.
Offenders and ASPD are incompatible to their original group and legal system; it means that an individual is like a single piece of the jigsaw, without much meaning on its own. On joining a therapy group the individual tries to reconstruct the original jigsaw of his family, shaping the other people to fit. In Individual psychodynamic therapy (IPT), therapist analyze transference, counter transference and general behavior and assumes that client have similar behavioral pattern with other relations in non therapeutic conditions. (relationship with siblings, parents and family). In GT family replicate other group members (six or more people like siblings fighting to grasp the attention of parents) If all such problems are solved then a healthy relationships emerges as a result and healthy societal manners are adopted by the group members.
- Humanistic Groups
HGT takes an entirely different point of view from psychodynamic approach, according to humanistic view in offender’s group therapy; we have a bunch of people learning to grow together. Therapist cultivates the environment of respect and acceptance. It is made cleared therapist set a rule at the start of GT that irrespective of the whole crimes and wrong deeds, group has to give respect and acceptance to each other. Now imagine a group of offenders who have been indulged in different kinds of crimes through out the life (may have involved in violent activity, rape, murder, child molestation and so on) so according to the preset rule they are not suppose to frown while listening to others rather have to nod. In this way the atmosphere of respect and acceptance is elicited.
When criminals share the darkest and ugliest parts of their criminal lives, the therapist and other group members are not just listening with attention but also irrespective to all their deeds, giving them regard as a human being. In this atmosphere criminal learn to regard, accept and honor other people and a healthy interaction emerges.
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy Based Groups
A minimum educational level is required for this therapy because clients and therapists work together, once a therapeutic alliance has been formed, to identify and understand problems in terms of the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviour. The approach usually focuses on difficulties in the here and now, and relies on the therapist and client developing a shared view of the individual’s problem. This then leads to identification of personalized, usually time-limited therapy goals and strategies which are continually monitored and evaluated.
- Social Skills Groups
These group therapies are conduct in class room like situations. Social-skills training helped reduce suspiciousness and facilitate healthy interaction among inmates and staff as well. In which people are trained social skills like how to say “no” with out fighting with others.
- Assertiveness training
A polite but assertive ‘no’ to excessive requests from others is taught to enable offenders to promote balance in life with out fighting. Assertive communication can also help in handle difficult family, friends and co-workers more easily, reducing drama, violence and stress.
Anger management skills are also taught in this group training Better ways to handle frustration/anger Counting to 10 before reacting Distracting oneself to a pleasurable task Learning an internal dialog to cool oneself down and reflect upon the best course of action Acceptable ways to resolve conflict are also part of social skill trainings, like Using words instead of physical contact Seeking the assistance of the teacher or conflict resolution tea.
- Psycho-education Groups
These groups are also based on class room format, people are taught about their emotions, difficulties and their remedies. This type of psychoeducation is a some times family-based treatment modality that typically begins by attempting to form a collaborative relationship between the therapeutic team and family members. In general, psychoeducation efforts are designed to teach family members about a given mental disorder, its course, prognosis, medications, and management. At times, such education is provided to individual families, whereas at other times it is offered in a multi-family workshop.
Disadvantages of Group therapies in forensic settings
Along with many advantages, major disadvantages of GT include:
• Much gain is not available if offender is not willing/ready for group therapy
• GT is absolutely not recommendable for individuals with Asperger’s syndrome, as they hate company of others.
• GT is not beneficial with the group of severe mental disorders.
Group Therapy of Therapists
• When, where and with whom is GT more beneficial
• To understand that how different approaches work in group settings
• To get an insight about the disadvantages of GT
• To intimate with the benefits of GT for therapist
How Group Therapy (GT) Works?
“A form of psychotherapy where there are multiple patients led by one or more therapists”
The presence of two or more therapists is important in Forensic settings because:
• To manage a group of people , who are violent and aggressive
• Another purpose is the supervision, unlike GT, situations involving individual therapy usually supervisor is out of the room.
• Presence of another therapist facilitate the therapeutic process and can provide Feed Back Group therapy is very diverse. There are two general ways of categorizing group therapy, by the time limits set on the duration of the group, and by the focus of the group and the way group members are selected. Psychologists with different theoretical training will use group therapy for many different types of psychological problems and concerns like:
• Substance Misuse Treatment
• Anger Managements
• Thinking and Problem Solving
• Sex Offender Treatment
• Music Therapy
• Art Therapy
When, where and with whom?
When, where and with whom is group therapy effective? A crucial thing to remember is that GT is not alternative of Individual therapy, just to economize the therapy. A forensic psychologist must foresee the real need of GT. Is GT is more effective for that particular individual or not? For instance if an offender or an individual with Asperger’s syndrome, who hate the presence of other people around, so imagine if a therapist gathers a group of such people what will be the result, absolutely hoax and banging situation! Behind the prescription of GT there must be a solid reason. Usually in Forensic settings, groups are established when incarcerated individuals are ready for group interaction and half of the treatment is already done.
Learning in Groups
As discussed earlier different approaches significantly differ from each other. While working with groups basic concern does not alter, the only difference is that here the gravity of therapeutic process is not only the treatment and behaviour of one individual. Now let’s understand that how different approaches work in group scenario.
- Psychodynamic Groups
Psychodynamic groups are based on the same principles as individual dynamic therapy and aim to help people with past difficulties, elationships and trauma as well as current problems. They aim to do this with the help of the whole group of up to eight people plus one or two facilitators.
Groups are based on the principle that groups themselves are helpful, supportive and enabling to people and that the whole group can be involved in change and understanding. Group therapists believe that everyone attending a group has strengths and can contribute.
Offenders and ASPD are incompatible to their original group and legal system; it means that an individual is like a single piece of the jigsaw, without much meaning on its own. On joining a therapy group the individual tries to reconstruct the original jigsaw of his family, shaping the other people to fit. In Individual psychodynamic therapy (IPT), therapist analyze transference, counter transference and general behavior and assumes that client have similar behavioral pattern with other relations in non therapeutic conditions. (relationship with siblings, parents and family). In GT family replicate other group members (six or more people like siblings fighting to grasp the attention of parents) If all such problems are solved then a healthy relationships emerges as a result and healthy societal manners are adopted by the group members.
- Humanistic Groups
HGT takes an entirely different point of view from psychodynamic approach, according to humanistic view in offender’s group therapy; we have a bunch of people learning to grow together. Therapist cultivates the environment of respect and acceptance. It is made cleared therapist set a rule at the start of GT that irrespective of the whole crimes and wrong deeds, group has to give respect and acceptance to each other. Now imagine a group of offenders who have been indulged in different kinds of crimes through out the life (may have involved in violent activity, rape, murder, child molestation and so on) so according to the preset rule they are not suppose to frown while listening to others rather have to nod. In this way the atmosphere of respect and acceptance is elicited.
When criminals share the darkest and ugliest parts of their criminal lives, the therapist and other group members are not just listening with attention but also irrespective to all their deeds, giving them regard as a human being. In this atmosphere criminal learn to regard, accept and honor other people and a healthy interaction emerges.
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy Based Groups
A minimum educational level is required for this therapy because clients and therapists work together, once a therapeutic alliance has been formed, to identify and understand problems in terms of the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviour. The approach usually focuses on difficulties in the here and now, and relies on the therapist and client developing a shared view of the individual’s problem. This then leads to identification of personalized, usually time-limited therapy goals and strategies which are continually monitored and evaluated.
- Social Skills Groups
These group therapies are conduct in class room like situations. Social-skills training helped reduce suspiciousness and facilitate healthy interaction among inmates and staff as well. In which people are trained social skills like how to say “no” with out fighting with others.
- Assertiveness training
A polite but assertive ‘no’ to excessive requests from others is taught to enable offenders to promote balance in life with out fighting. Assertive communication can also help in handle difficult family, friends and co-workers more easily, reducing drama, violence and stress.
Anger management skills are also taught in this group training Better ways to handle frustration/anger Counting to 10 before reacting Distracting oneself to a pleasurable task Learning an internal dialog to cool oneself down and reflect upon the best course of action Acceptable ways to resolve conflict are also part of social skill trainings, like Using words instead of physical contact Seeking the assistance of the teacher or conflict resolution tea.
- Psycho-education Groups
These groups are also based on class room format, people are taught about their emotions, difficulties and their remedies. This type of psychoeducation is a some times family-based treatment modality that typically begins by attempting to form a collaborative relationship between the therapeutic team and family members. In general, psychoeducation efforts are designed to teach family members about a given mental disorder, its course, prognosis, medications, and management. At times, such education is provided to individual families, whereas at other times it is offered in a multi-family workshop.
Disadvantages of Group therapies in forensic settings
Along with many advantages, major disadvantages of GT include:
• Much gain is not available if offender is not willing/ready for group therapy
• GT is absolutely not recommendable for individuals with Asperger’s syndrome, as they hate company of others.
• GT is not beneficial with the group of severe mental disorders.
Group Therapy of Therapists
Can we run groups of therapists, staff and doctors e.t.c? Personally I found it very beneficial as a group discussion takes place with usually a senior and experienced therapist. Therapist gets strength, feed back and suggestions from such groups. A person who is continuously working with offenders who have been involved in devilish nature of crimes and as a human being it is really difficult to work with them maintaining an unbiased positive attitude. So in such condition analysis of counter transference and discussion can be very helpful. Techniques of art therapy are used to understand the internal mental and unconscious processes of therapist for better understanding. Psychodynamic is the best approach for therapy of therapist, no matter from which perspective therapist is.
