Chapter 11: In the Beginning Stages of Development

1
Chapter 11 In the BeginningStages of Development

• The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy
• Irvin Yalom, Ph.D

2
Stages of Development

• What type of stages \ development do you think
  occur in a group?
• How would it affect you as a leader to know that
  such stages exist?
• What would each one entail?
• Do you handle each stage the same?

3
FORMATIVE STAGES

• 1. Each person begins to manifest themselves
  interpersonally, each creating their own social
  microcosm.
• 2. This along with maladaptive personality styles
  lead to a great variance in how the course of
  group will unfold.
• Yet some crude but useful schemas of
  developmental stages can be extracted from a few
  empirical studies

4
FORMATIVE STAGES

• 1. Initial stage -in vs out
• orientation search for structure goals,
  dependency on leader and concern for group
  boundaries
• 2.Conflict Dominance - top vs bottom
• 3. Intermember Harmony- near vs far
• -submerging diff
• -later more cohesive interpersonal investigation

5
INITIAL STAGE

• Tasks
• A. How to achieve primary goal
• B. Pts must attend to social relations in group
  in order create niche for themselves
• -This will provide comfort to achieve primary
  task
• -The pleasure of group membership
• in vs out

6
INITIAL STAGE

• MEMBERS
• -confused by the use of Group Therapy
• silence
• -seek roles size each other up
• -fear of rejection
• -tentative conversations
• -group normsshared beliefs about behaviors
• -social forces lead to allot of energy spent of
  get approval

7
INITIAL STAGE

• they focus on who-leader.
• -Yalom human need for a omnipresent
  omniscient figure
• -Hidden Agenda
• -Early conflict can less cohesiveness
• -Communication Style social cocktail hour (?)
• -look for similarities cohesiveness
• -Advice giving not functional except for
  increased cohesiveness

8

• LEADER
• -Self vs Group Focus
• -Here Now Focus VS There Then
• -Trust VS Mistrust self disclosure
• -Modeling w Co leader Group
• -Increase Trust
• --attend listen
• nonverbal
• empathy
• self disclosure
• respect

9

• Group norms
• shared beliefs about behaviors
• For example
• you can self disclose but retain privacy
• you discuss problems but dont have to have a
  cathartic experience
• your therapeutic work is not to be judged

10

• There are Explicit Implicit norms
• Implicit norms are modeled by the leaders
• Explicit norms are for instance
• attendance, punctuality
• be self disclosing
• be open to feedback
• focus on here and now
• bring concerns they are willing to discuss
• provide support to others
• look at themselves
• to attend to others
• Division of Responsibility
• too high undermine members
• to low poor role model (i.e. I'm responsible for
  me you for you)
• Degree of Structure

11

• Division of Responsibility
• too high undermine members
• to low poor role model (i.e. I'm responsible for
  me you for you)
• Degree of Structure
• reduce unnecessary floundering and maximizing
  full participation

12

• Opening session
• generally it is to warm when you open instead of
  jumping right in
• e.g.
• a check in process
• have member review previous week
• any unresolved feeling from the previous session
• have new members introduce themselves or have
  vets reflect on what they have learned.

13

• Guidelines for closing
• summarize
• have members summarize
• homework
• assign a question
• ask for topics they would like to explore
• have members give each other feedback

14

• Second stage
• Conflict dominance rebellion
• NOTE-forming storming norming performing
• search meaning
• top vs bottom
• near vs far
• feel free to judge
• hostility to therapist inevitable
• resistanceabove
• in part due to their expectations

15

• -trouble sharing therapist more time for me
• -expectations unreal - p298
• -primal-horde
• -attack
• therapists can have 2 reactions -put neck out
  aloof if p301

16

• Third Stage
• Group Cohesiveness
• increase morale trust self disclosure reveal
  real reason
• intimacy closeness
• Group Cohesiveness
• sense of togetherness
• this typically comes after addressing some
  conflict or issue together
• invite to be active

17

• share the leadership
• conflicts are inevitable and may facilitate
  cohesiveness if handled properly
• do not categorize yourself
• PROBLEMS 308