Evaluating Group Therapy Techniques – Demonstration and Effectiveness
Group therapies utilize an integrative model where healthcare providers work with multiple clients to address psychological and emotional concerns. As a form of psychotherapy, group therapy has been utilized to address diverse mental health illnesses. These modalities foster a supportive environment that lessens the feeling of loneliness. This paper analyzes the group techniques demonstrated in a video excerpt.
Description of the Video
The selected video is on group psychotherapy for schizophrenia. It involves two psychotherapists and four patients. The video typifies a normative psychotherapy session with the therapists guiding the participants into discussing pertinent aspects of their mental health.
Group Techniques Demonstrated
A group technique apparent in the video presented is group discussion. As evident in the video, the group facilitators guided the participants into discussing their current states. The group members, in this respect, took turns narrating their experiences to other participants and the facilitators. Specific themes that manifested through their engagements were shared experiences, open communications, and mutual support from the group members. There was also evidence of the use of role-playing activities. The facilitators guided the participants to effectively use breathing techniques. As evident in the video, participants performed a breathing technique, as demonstrated by their facilitators, and then narrated how they felt after the exercise.
Evidence from Literature Supporting the Techniques
Group discussions or dialogue are crucial components of group psychotherapy. Koementas-de Vos et al. (2022) note that group discussion fosters shared experiences and mutual support from group participants. By allowing group members to talk about their experiences with their illnesses, group discussion eliminates the sense of loneliness that may be underlying an individual’s experiences. Likewise, it enables the participant to have a sense of belonging, as they can relate to some of the problems others are experiencing. This makes them effective in targeted psychotherapy.
Group discussions also allow group members to gain a more elaborate understanding of the topic and further enhance their retention of aspects of their illness. Weinberg (2021) notes that through group discussion, members can share information about their suffering and coping techniques, allowing others to imitate observed behaviors and the learned coping techniques. As evident in the group discussion, one of the participants outlined their use of relaxation techniques to cope with their troublesome situation. This insight can be passed to other members of the group, who will, in turn, learn from them. This further highlights the significance of the group approach.
Moreover, role-playing during group therapy allows group members to practice newer behaviors or techniques. It allows group members to have insight into others’ perspectives and may enhance their comprehension of the simulated behavior (Rismi et al., 2020). It also allows the facilitator to assess how the participants perform the activity and give feedback on the same. This makes role-playing an important tool during group therapy.
What the Therapist Did Well
The therapist demonstrated good therapeutic techniques during the entire engagement session. During their interactions with the clients, there was evidence of the use of summarizing, probing, and active listening techniques. Once in a while, the therapists probed the participant’s responses to gather further insight into their experiences. They actively listened to the participant’s responses and even summarized what they were saying. This allowed the participants to express themselves more openly and even clarify some of the points they were talking about. Additionally, the facilitators did not, in any instance, interrupt the participants whenever they were speaking or showed discontent with whatever they were saying. This may have enhanced the communication process between the therapist and their clients.
Something I Would Have Handled Differently
The conversation was just as I expected. However, I would be keen to probe the participant’s responses further. As Renger (2021) reports, probing elicits detailed information from clients and may encourage deeper thinking. Subsequently, this would allow them to share more about their experiences, enabling others to learn from those experiences.
Insights Learned
The video widened my perspective on the significance of group therapies in psychotherapy. I gathered insight into effective therapeutic techniques during group therapy, such as the use of active listening, probing, and summarizing in facilitating client-caregiver communication. I intend to use these strategies in my future roles.
Handling a Situation Involving a Disruptive Group Member
When handling a group session, I will be keen to recognize the presence of all members and set the tone of the group by defining its objectives. In the presence of a disruptive group member, I will be sure to read the room to identify whenever the member is uncomfortable, set the ground rules and discourage any disruptive behavior before the session, intervene directly when the member causes unrest to the group, and isolate the member and discuss with them about their behavior. In the different phases of group therapy, I anticipate finding uncooperative or unresponsive participants. Group therapy has numerous benefits. It fosters a supportive environment where members feel encouraged and safe and allows members to understand aspects of their suffering from others’ experiences. Group therapy is, however, less flexible, less confidential, and has the potential for social loafing (Weinberg, 2021). This makes it unsuitable for some groups of clients.
References
Koementas-de Vos, M. M., van Dijk, M., Tiemens, B., de Jong, K., Witteman, C. L., & Nugter, M. A. (2022). Feedback-informed group treatment: A qualitative study of the experiences and needs of patients and therapists. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 72(3), 193–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2022.2086557
Renger, S. (2021). Therapists’ views on the use of questions in person-centered therapy. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 51(2), 238–250. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2021.1900536
Rismi, R., Yustiana, Y., & Budiman, N. (2020). The effectiveness of group counseling with role-play techniques to improve student emotional intelligence. Jurnal Aplikasi IPTEK Indonesia, 4(2), 59–68. https://doi.org/10.24036/4.24331
Weinberg, H. (2021). Obstacles, challenges, and benefits of online group psychotherapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 74(2), 83–88. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20200034
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Question 
In a 3-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?
Evaluating Group Therapy Techniques – Demonstration and Effectiveness
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.