Psychodynamic Group Psychotherapy

Regarded as the definitive practitioner reference and text, this accessible work addresses how to set up therapy groups and make them work. A wealth of clinical material illustrates the components of effective group therapy and the mechanisms and processes of change. Practical topics discussed include patient selection and preparation, leadership issues, communication of affect in groups, dealing with "difficult" patients, time-limited groups, and facilitating successful terminations. A chapter-length case example with commentary from each author brings an entire group session to life and explores ways to handle common dilemmas.

New to This Edition
*Incorporates current theory (psychodynamic and interpersonal), and supporting clinical and neurobiological research.
*Every chapter revised and updated.
*Chapter-length case example is entirely new.
*Chapter on Frequently Asked Questions includes many new issues.

J. Scott Rutan, PhD, is a psychologist in private practice in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. He is a Distinguished Fellow and past president of the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) and a Certified Group Psychotherapist. Dr. Rutan was the founder of the Center for Group Psychotherapy at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School and cofounder of the Boston Institute for Psychotherapy. He has published widely on group therapy and psychodynamic theory, conducts workshops around the world, and serves on the editorial boards of several journals.
 
Walter N. Stone, MD, is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and currently consults and teaches in Northern California. A Distinguished Fellow and past president of the AGPA and a Certified Group Psychotherapist, Dr. Stone has served as a board member and treasurer of the International Association for Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes. He has published widely on self psychological perspectives in group psychotherapy.
 
Joseph J. Shay, PhD, is a psychologist in private practice in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is on the staff of the joint McLean/Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) training program and has an appointment in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He also serves on the faculties of the Northeastern Society for Group Psychotherapy, the Psychoanalytic Couple and Family Institute of New England, and the MGH Center for Psychodynamic Therapy and Research. A Fellow of the AGPA and a Certified Group Psychotherapist, Dr. Shay is a recipient of the Psychotherapy Supervision Award from the McLean/MGH residents in Adult Psychiatry. He has published widely on group therapy and couple therapy and serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy.

1. Groups in Today’s Society 2. History of Small-Group Theory and Practice 3. Group Dynamics and Group Development 4. Therapeutic Factors in Group Psychotherapy 5. Mechanisms and Processes of Change 6. Forming a Group 7. Patient Selection 8. Patient Preparation and the Group Agreements 9. The Role of the Group Therapist 10. Beginning the Group 11. Special Leadership Issues 12. Expressions of Affect in Group Psychotherapy 13. The Therapeutic Process: A Clinical Illustration 14. Difficult Groups and Difficult Patients 15. Time-Limited Psychodynamic Groups 16. Termination in Group Psychotherapy 17. Frequently Asked Questions References Author Index Subject Index