The making of the group therapist: The role of experiential learning

Faculty Forum

“…A problem with experiential class activities can be that students think they are irrelevant if they appear peripheral to the course (Roman & Porter, 1978;Salvendy, 1985;Stockton, 1980;Zimpfer, 1985). Key Groups may be resistant to such discounting because they are closely linked with group psychology course objectives (see Olmstead, 1974).…”

The making of a group psychotherapist: Needs and goals for graduate and postgraduate training

“…If attitudes toward group therapy as a treatment modality are to become more positive, having well-trained group therapists as recognized leaders in psychiatry is crucial. The role of curriculum designers and faculty is also crucial (Dies, 1974;Fidler, 1973;Lakin et al, 1969;Pines, 1980;Salvendy, 1985;Salvendy & Stewart, 1983) as is the attitude of residents (Salvendy et al, 1990).…”

“…It is our position that group therapy has a technique, literature, history, and identity of its own which needs to be part of the formal graduate curriculum and not learned haphazardly during field placements, internships, and residencies. In trying to account for the comparative neglect in group therapy training, researchers have focused on negative attitudes of the faculty concerning the efficacy of group therapy, faculties being undertrained and relatively inexperienced in doing group therapy, a shortage or complete absence of organized patient groups in many settings, and problems in working out the experiential part of group therapy curricula (Salvendy, 1977(Salvendy, , 1985Yalom, 1985).…”

Special Section: Internal and External Boundaries of Supervision

“…It is helpful for participants to discuss early on what frame and structure would enhance each person's comfort for sharing his/her struggles and feelings about the therapies he/she is discussing. Talking about the process among the group members can help set the stage for discussing the process of the therapies, as well as the more personal issues of countertransference (Salvendy, 1985).…”