Group Counseling and Group Psychotherapy: Theory and Application

This new book presents current thinking on the subject of group counseling and group psychotherapy.

This well-known and respected author team have included both group counseling and group therapy theory and application in the same text to accommodate future practitioners who will work in educational and mental health institutions as well as those who will enter private practice, depending upon their training and future work setting.

Unlike current competing texts that focus on group work in either counseling or psychotherapy, or that provide numerous chapter-length summaries of prevailing group models, this text isolates the three basic theoretical models extant and presents a comprehensive description of the theory followed by a separate chapter on application. The three basic theoretical models of Humanistic/Existential, Cognitive-Behavioral, and Psychodynamic are supplemented by an eclectic Developmental model of the senior author. Two additional chapters are devoted to the most rapidly growing group interventions skills training and self-help/mutual support groups.

The second dominant feature of the text deals with foundations of group counseling and group therapy, including origins and historical development, definitions, group dynamics, diversity issues, research support, and ethical/professional and legal issues. Also included are appendices with training standards, ethical standards, and diversity guidelines.