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Analyzing Group Techniques

Analyzing Group Techniques

Group Therapy Techniques in the “Irvin Yalom Inpatient Group Psychotherapy Video”

In the group therapy session led by Irvin Yalom, many of the foundational techniques were effectively executed. Among the central features was a focus on the here-and-now technique, encouraging participants to explore their immediate feelings and interactions. For example, when George made speculation about Sonia’s emotional state, Yalom diverted him by asking, “Could you say something about how you feel towards Sonia?” This intervention helped George move from abstract analysis to an emotional response, which helped him develop deeper self-awareness (Li et al., 2021): Analyzing Group Techniques.

The third technique used was interpersonal feedback, where group members shared observations about each other’s behavior. One member noted that George’s desire to comfort Sonia was “more like what you need,” which illustrates how peer feedback can stimulate self-reflection. Lastly, Yalom created a safe environment for emotional processing, as evidenced by George’s willingness to expose his feelings of helplessness and dependency.

Literature Supporting the Techniques Demonstrated

The techniques demonstrated in Yalom’s group therapy session are well-supported by the literature. For instance, Abed et al. (2023) make a strong case for interpersonal communication, noting that this interaction plays a large part in personal and professional development; effective communication within a group enhances self-awareness and relationship skills—two important aspects of Yalom’s approach.

Similarly, underlining the therapeutic value of group cohesion and interpersonal learning in promoting emotional processing and behavioral change, Malhotra et al. (2024) argue that group settings offer unique opportunities for individuals to receive feedback, reflect on their interactions, and build adaptive coping mechanisms. These findings are consistent with Yalom’s use of here-and-now focus and peer feedback to encourage meaningful engagement and personal insight. These studies affirm the techniques used, which proves them relevant in group therapy settings.

What the Therapist Did Well

There are several things that Irvin Yalom did well during the session, especially in creating a trustful, open environment. His ability to invite vulnerability was evident when George expressed his struggles with the loss of independence, saying, “I’m at a door, and I open up the door, and there’s nothing out there.” Yalom’s empathetic response, stating he felt “very moved” by what George had said, legitimized his feelings and encouraged further openness (Metz et al., 2022).

Yalom also handled group dynamics beautifully, making sure that everyone in the group was included in the discussions and no one dominated. For instance, after George had his say, Yalom encouraged others to respond in order to further solidify the group. His focus on present feelings and interactions showed his mastery of the here-and-now technique, allowing participants to process their feelings within the group context.

Handling Things Differently

While Yalom’s facilitation was brilliant, there are a number of areas where further exploration would have been helpful. For example, when George linked his need to comfort Sonia to unmet needs related to his daughter, further exploration of this connection could have helped him discover other important aspects of his emotional dynamics. More follow-up questions, such as, “How does your relationship with your daughter affect interactions with others?” would have added more dimensions to George. There were also pockets of silence that could have been used to pull in quieter members.

Directly inviting their views or reflecting on the group dynamics might have encouraged wider participation (Rania et al., 2021). Brief moments of psychoeducation explaining the purpose of some techniques might have increased participants’ understanding of what is going on in therapy, further increasing engagement and self-discovery.

Insight Gained from Watching the Therapist Handle the Group Therapy

One primary learning I derived from watching the session by Yalom is how to use group dynamics to one’s advantage in gaining emotional breakthroughs. Notably, Yalom was able to utilize the tool of peer feedback, not relying solely on his own insight (Rania et al., 2021). For example, a participant’s observation that what George was doing was related to his unmet needs revealed how peer reflection could shed light on something deeply meaningful.

Another related lesson was the importance of modeling both empathy and genuineness. Yalom’s genuine acknowledgment of George’s feelings set the tone for a sense of safety and invited others to share. The session also underscored the importance of timing in interventions; Yalom’s well-timed prompts allowed for deeper emotional exploration without overwhelming participants.

Handling a Disruptive Group Member, Eliciting Participation, and Expectations, Benefits, and Challenges of Group Therapy

If I were leading a group session and had a disruptive group member, I would handle it with a balance of empathy and structure. First, I would seek to understand the root of this behavior, most likely through private exploration, to avoid further tension within the group. During the session, I would gently bring the member back to the group norms and guide them toward shared goals with such statements as, “Let’s find out how this relates to what others are sharing.” To elicit participation, I would create a safe space for all by using open-ended questions, affirming what each contributes, and inviting quieter members to share their thoughts so that every voice is heard (Rubin et al., 2021).

As for the group work phases, I would look for the initial stages characterized by hesitancy and guardedness in the forming stage, a bit of conflict in the storming stage, growing trust and collaboration in the norming phase, deep emotional work in performing, and reflections on progress during the adjourning stage. Overall, the benefits of group therapy include universality, where members realize they are not alone in their struggles, and unique interpersonal learning that occurs through peer feedback. Challenges of balancing individual and group needs, addressing resistance, and maintaining group cohesion require skilled facilitation (Christensen et al., 2021).

The Scholarliness of the Supporting Sources

All the supporting sources are scholarly because they were published within the last five years in reputable, peer-reviewed journals or platforms. For example, Christensen et al.’s (2021) article was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, one of the more highly regarded journals that assure the rigor of research through peer review. Also, Rania et al.’s (2021) article is published in Frontiers in Psychology, a source of academic credibility with a rigorous peer-review process.

Further, Malhotra et al.’s (2024) article is published in StatPearls, a source of trusted, evidence-based medical content available through PubMed. Similarly, Li et al.’s (2021) article, published in Frontiers in Digital Health, also follows high academic standards and is peer-reviewed. Lastly, the articles by Metz et al. (2022) and Rubin et al. (2021) are also published in well-established, peer-reviewed journals, thus ensuring their reliability and scholarly nature.

References

Abed, L. G., Abed, M. G., & Shackelford, T. K. (2023). Interpersonal communication style and personal and professional growth among Saudi Arabian employees. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(2), 910.

Christensen, A. B., Wahrén, S., Reinholt, N., Poulsen, S., Hvenegaard, M., Simonsen, E., & Arnfred, S. (2021). “Despite the differences, we were all the same”. Group cohesion in diagnosis-specific and transdiagnostic CBT groups for anxiety and depression: A qualitative study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(10), 5324. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18105324

Li, J., Ma, W., Zhang, M., Wang, P., Liu, Y., & Ma, S. (2021). Know yourself: Physical and psychological self-awareness with lifelog. Frontiers in Digital Health, 3, 676824. NCBI. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2021.676824

Malhotra, A., Mars, J. A. & Baker, J. (2024). Group therapy. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549812/

Metz, A., Jensen, T., Farley, A., Boaz, A., Bartley, L., & Villodas, M. (2022). Building trusting relationships to support implementation: A proposed theoretical model. Frontiers in Health Services, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.3389/frhs.2022.894599

Rania, N., Coppola, I., & Pinna, L. (2021). Reflective practices to study group dynamics: Implement empowerment and understand the functioning of groups. Frontiers in Psychology, 12(12). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.786754

Rubin, J. D., Scanlon, M., Cechony, A., & Chen, K. (2021). “Here I can just be myself”: How youth and adults collaboratively develop an identity‐safe community across difference. Journal of Community Psychology, 49(5), 1024–1043. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22526

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Question

Week 3: Assignment

Group therapy can alleviate feelings of isolation and foster a supportive and collaborative environment for sharing difficult feelings in order to facilitate healing. For many people, being part of a group that has a shared understanding of a struggle provides a unique opportunity to
gain understanding of their own experiences.

As you examine one of the group therapy demonstrations from this week’s Learning Resources, consider the role and efficacy of the leader and the reasons that specific therapeutic techniques were selected.

RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
 To prepare:

  • Select one of the group therapy video demonstrations from this week’s required media Learning Resources.

THE ASSIGNMENT
In a 3- to 4-page paper, identify the video you selected and address the following:

  • What group therapy techniques were demonstrated? How well do you believe these techniques were demonstrated?
  • What evidence from the literature supports the techniques demonstrated?
  • What did you notice that the therapist did well?
  • Explain something that you would have handled differently.
  • What is an insight that you gained from watching the therapist handle the group therapy?
  • Now imagine you are leading your own group session. How would you go about handling a difficult situation with a disruptive group member? How would you elicit participation in your group? What would you anticipate finding in the different phases of group therapy? What do you see as the benefits and challenges of group therapy?
  • Support your reasoning with at least three peer-reviewed, evidence-based sources, and explain why each of your supporting sources is considered scholarly. Attach the PDFs of your sources.

Submit your Assignment.
Reminder The School of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. The Sample Paper provided at the Walden Writing Center provides an example of those required elements (available at
http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/57.htm). All papers submitted must use this formatting.

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    Analyzing Group Techniques

    Analyzing Group Techniques

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