Group Development in Practice Guidance for Clinicians and Researchers on Stages and Dynamics of Change

"Group development, a key factor in treatment effectiveness, is discussed in virtually every introductory text on group psychotherapy. This is the first book devoted exclusively to this process. In this volume, Virginia Brabender and April Fallon chronicle the rich history of group development research, survey modern theories of group development, and introduce their five-stage model of group development. The authors demonstrate the importance of group identity to the achievement of treatment goals through a series of vivid, real-life vignettes that illustrate the characteristic behavior of group members at each stage. Their developmental perspective can be applied not only to traditional unstructured groups but also to focused, time-limited groups in inpatient and outpatient settings and to the emerging world of cybergroups. In its comprehensive scope and attention to detail, Group Development in Practice: Guidance for Clinicians and Researchers on Stages and Dynamics of Change will be a vital resource for experienced clinicians, therapists new to group psychotherapy, and researchers interested in developing or refining theoretical approaches to group psychotherapy."--BOOK JACKET.

April Fallon is a member of the psychology faculty at Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, California, and an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Virginia Brabender is the associate dean and director of the institute for Gradual Clinical Psychology of Widener University, Chester, Pennsylvania.