A model combining two psychotherapeutic approaches in group psychotherapy.

Abstract

Professional literature has demonstrated that both Gestalt therapy and psychoanalytically oriented therapy, when exclusively employed in groups, face problems such as dropping out, resistance, regression, and so on. This article propounds a multidimensional model which combines both of these approaches. The model reduced the aforementioned problems by introducing the concept of alternating methods of group leadership in addition to alternating the group therapists.Group psychotherapy has long been established as a competent method of treatment. Over the years, however, some difficulties and problems have arisen. According to the literature, dropping out happens quite often during the early stages of the therapy (Yalom, 1975). In our own experience, we found this indeed to be a problem. One author (M. C.) a Gestalt therapist, has found that not all patients are willing or able to work within his direct and exposing method and consequently the other author (M. N.) has found that in psychoanalytically oriented groups, dropping out is generally due to feelings of rejection, inability to share with other patients, and a dearth of therapeutic impact.Not all patients can benefit from the Gestalt method; some feel that, besides the emotional experience, they need an additional dimension of understanding and insight. On the other hand, patients participating in psychoanalytically oriented groups often intellectualize and are left with few emotional experiences to cause intrapsychic Reprints may be ordered from M. Kastner,