Introduction
The study evidence continues to emphasize that group treatment models or theirs are objectively comparable to one another and specific therapy. The manner in which the group leader applies the group processes and structure within the group is more important than the therapy model itself. According to Yalom’s Interpersonal Group Psychotherapy, the group is not used as an environment for change but rather an agent for change; hence, there is a need for a group leader to utilize all the procedures and organizations within the group. Therapy models are critical in offering direction towards the treatment process and hope installation for the patient and the group leader. Moreover, it provides an aspect of shared determination, which is vital in maintaining assurance and helpful cooperation that helps establish and sustain group therapy cohesion.
Overview of Practice Model
Irvin D. Yalom is one of the prominent psychotherapy scholars and has contributed massively to helping people heal through group therapies. Yalom developed the interpersonal group model, proposing that therapeutic change is a significantly multifaceted development following a sophisticated interchange of human experiences (Jalali et al., 2022). The theory was influenced mainly by Sullivan’s perspective regarding the development of human personality. The problems of humans result from early dysfunction confluences within meaningful associations, which are the results of both directly or indirectly acquired shortfalls in the ability to establish relationships with others. According to Sullivan, a person’s self-perception is the outcome of the views of others, which are internationalized gradually.
Individuals usually attempt to build connections and a sense of belonging to gain approval from others. Essentially, people perceive themselves in the view of others, especially the important people in the early stages of life. As Burlingame et al. (2013) suggested, the formation of parataxic distortion increases perversion, which stimulates and endures maladaptive conduct. This infers to how a person embodies oneself and consequently anticipates other people’s responses. Thus, adjustment of behavioral patterns and beliefs of interpersonal behavior can be identified as the main focus of treatment.
According to a proposition by Yalom and Crouch (1990), the internal beliefs and depictions that individuals develop in their early stages of life come up within the group, offering the group members an inimitable chance to discover and comprehend their role in shaping their relationships. Essentially, the group enables members to reflect on their internal world with the prospect of healing and the development of methods of creating associations within the group, which encourages an adaptive spiral that is not within the group. The group members get the chance to gain insights into how they are forming relationships among themselves. The group empowers the members since they can understand their inner emotions, form close social relationships, and master self-regulation. Consequently, this enables them to deal with issues such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and trauma, which are developed from pathogenic convictions and the resultant dysfunction of relationships that hinder development and growth.
Group Process
The concepts of Yalom’s Group Psychotherapy havemotivated me to adopt the approach in my group music therapy involving five members experiencing different problems. Describing each member of the psychotherapy group is important because it helps identify whether all the members have a similar goal. The group leader needs to ensure that the members share a common goal since it enhances the use of therapeutic factors proposed by Yalom.
Description of members
The first member of my group, identified as Shawn, is a former member of the Army and is experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder from the events of war in which he participated in the various missions he was involved. Shawn is very violent, which makes it difficult for him to establish average social engagements with other people like he used to before joining the forces.
Another member of the group is Lynn, who has joined the group to overcome her experience of incest. Being an incest survivor has inspired her to join the group to overcome the negative emotions she experiences that hinder her from forming meaningful connections with others. The other three members of the group included James, Luke, and Denver, whose focus for the group was based on outpatient. Despite the diverse nature of the members of this group, all the members have similar shared objectives of characterological transformation and symptomatic help. One of the most important aspects of psychotherapy groups is ensuring that all members have a shared goal because it guarantees benefit from the group process.
Group’s purpose and goals
This therapy group aims to illuminate various interpersonal processes and convert them using insight, feedback, and relational experience as they come out among the group members. The group’s goal is to ensure that the members bring themselves genuinely, have immediate engagement, and demonstrate interpersonal behaviors in action instead of solely depending on the analysis of the challenges they are experiencing. After adequate illumination, it is vital that a corrective emotional experience follows by emphasizing the reasonable and adaptive nature of the members’ issues.
Through the group, members can gain a good understanding of how their interpersonal process impacts others and ways in which it hinders them from achieving their goals, such as intimacy, connection, trust, improved self-esteem, and expression of emotion. Through the establishment of genuine connections within the group, members can have a reflection on their experiences as well as those of others. Thus, the group aims to have a successful group that includes emphatic, loving connections and a high tolerance level for conflict and irritation between the members and the leader.
Group’s stage
It is essential to understand the stage of the group during therapy to understand the progress of the members. My group is in the stage of cohesiveness, which entails a sense of belonging to the group and members understanding the importance and value of the group in their therapy process. One of the ways that I can ascertain that my group is in the cohesiveness stage is because all the members actively engaged in activities that encouraged self-disclosure and problem-solving activities within the group. According to Bernard et al. (2008), cohesion is essential in group therapies because it facilitates the activation of other therapeutic elements. Cohesion has helped my group members respond positively to their difficulties by enabling them to effectively reflect on various interactional processes.
Basic tasks of the leader
According to Interpersonal Group Psychotherapy, the group leader plays a vital role in executing the process of group therapy. The group leader is responsible for ensuring that the environment is effective for all members and supporting each member depending on their behavioral objectives. Mahon and Leszcz (2017) argue that without the intervention and guidance of a group leader, it is impossible for members in group therapy to focus their attention on relational transactions. The leader is solely responsible for providing feedback on the progress of members, which is an aspect that has been identified as one of the most essential components of successful group therapy (Yalom & Crouch, 1990).
One of the ways that I have facilitated my group to achieve its goals is through the development of social skills. Engaging all the members about their difficulties such as asking one member to describe her experiences while the other member is talking about the issue disturbing them provides the members with an opportunity to learn new ways to discuss their concerns, observations, and concerns. Further, forming a central norm of encouraging and enhancing emotional communication between members has contributed significantly to the achievement of my group’s purpose.
Conclusion
Writing this research paper and conducting group therapy has produced numerous significant outcomes. Through the research paper, I have understood the types of interventions required for a group leader that can result in increased presence of factors demonstrated by Yalom in his Group Psychotherapy approach. Interventions by the group leader have resulted in a demonstration of important factors such as safe emotional expression and social learning, and these aspects have helped in aiding members of my group to overcome their difficulties. Additionally, the members in my group, despite having different challenges, shared a common background, and this was beneficial in promoting the instillation of hope as the individuals showed empathy towards each other. However, although cohesiveness is an important factor in Yalom’s group therapy theory, it may not apply in all groups therapies because the level of intervention is never focused on one individual. As such, despite the aspect of universality, it intends to let members know that their problems are not unique, some members’ experiences may need intense focus, which cannot apply in group therapy as proposed by Yalom.
References
Bernard, H., Burlingame, G., Flores, P., Greene, L., Joyce, A., Kobos, J. C., … & Feirman, D. (2008). Clinical practice guidelines for group psychotherapy. International journal of group psychotherapy, 58(4), 455-542.
Burlingame, G. M., Strauss, B., & Joyce, A. (2013). Change mechanisms and effectiveness of small group treatments. Bergin and Garfield’s handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change, 6, 640-689.
Jalali, B., Taghvaie, D., & Geram, K. (2022). Assessment of Effect of Group Psychotherapy by Yalom Method Using Narrative Approach on Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Life Expectancy in Women Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy. Journal of Clinical Research in Paramedical Sciences, 11(2).
Mahon, L., & Leszcz, M. (2017). The interpersonal model of group psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 67(sup1), S121-S130.
Yalom, I. D., & Crouch, E. C. (1990). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 157(2), 304-306.
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