Process group psychotherapy
What is a process group?
Process groups focus on the interactions among group members, and are effective because they invoke multiple perspectives, support, encouragement and feedback from other people in protected and confidential environment. The interpersonal and intersubjective quality of a process group provides an opportunity to to learn new things about how you relate to others...by extension, learning more about yourself.
My process groups may have a focus...a theme, or readings...but the goals and relational space are unstructured. There is no specific topic in a group session; rather, I count on the members of the group to generate their own material and to name what feels important at the time. Group members are welcome to bring any issues to the group that they feel are important. I encourage all group members to offer their support and feedback to others, and to work with the reactions and responses that other members’ contributions bring up for them.
What can I expect during a process group?
The first few sessions of a process group usually have a focus on establishing "the container," including building trust. During this time, I work with group members to develop a contained relational field (what Winnicott called a "holding environment") that allows them to communicate openly and honestly, including speaking spontaneously and with free association. In a climate of trust, people feel free to care about and help each other. A process group comes into its own power when all members make a commitment to the group.
During the group meetings, members are responsible for talking about what's on their minds. I will not assign topics; rather, discussion will flow according to what members would like to talk about. If we are following a collective reading, the readings may help inspire some of these topics.
As the work progresses, you will find that as group members begin interacting freely with each other, they begin to re-experience or recreate some of the interpersonal dynamics that brought them to the group in the first place. In the healthiest of people, most of our psychological challenges tend to appear in the relational field...that is, in our interpersonal experiences. The group will be able to point out troublesome interpersonal patterns and dynamics by providing feedback and support, and offering alternatives.
Many of the situations which prompt people to seek psychotherapy stem from unexpressed emotional states. Sharing your thoughts and feelings in a safe and supportive environment is an important part of group therapy and strongly affects how much you will be helped by the experience. The "holding environment" of the group allows members feel safe to share their struggles and work collaboratively to understand one another, to increase self-awareness, to develop new ways of relating to people, and to learn new adaptive behaviors, which contributes greatly towards the personal goals that bring you to the group.
How to get the most out of a Process Group
- Be yourself. Start from where you are, rather than how you think others want you to be. This might mean asking questions, expressing anger, or communicating confusion, anxiety, and hopelessness. Your path begins with whatever you feel free to disclose.
- Be patient. Allow yourself to be surprised, and to not "know what to do" or how to respond. Embrace mystery. You may be surprised to find that your goals keep evolving throughout the group process, as you ask different kinds of questions.
- Prioritize reactions and feelings. Recognize and express emotions as you are sharing and as others are sharing. If you are having trouble naming your own thoughts or feelings, ask the group to help.
- Recognize and respect your pace for getting involved in the group. Some people are quick to disclose their thoughts and feelings; other people need more time to feel safe to do so. By respecting your own needs you are learning self-acceptance, and by learning to trust that others can take care of themselves, you build good boundaries. If you are having trouble with not knowing how to proceed, ask the group to help you.
- Focus and comment on the relationships you have with the group, other group members and the therapist. Notice and comment on what is happening inside the group. What is going on that makes you feel closer or more distant towards others? Try and explore with the group what you notice.
- Roll with resistance. In Freud's original conceptualization of psychotherapy, the very engine of the change was "analysis of resistance." Notice your own resistances and those of others, and try to respond with curiosity and kindness in both cases.
- Take calculated risks. Make a goal to express yourself without censorship. Try and take the risk to let yourself be emotionally available to and vulnerable with others.
- Give and receive feedback. Giving and receiving feedback is a central experience in process group psychotherapy. The purpose of feedback is to help others identify patterns, personal presentations, unrecognized attitudes, and inconsistencies. Feedback can be one of the most effective ways to deepen any relationship.
- Some tips for giving feedback:
- Be specific about what you’re responding to (particular words, gestures)
- Share both positive and negative feedback
- Give feedback as soon as possible
- Tips for receiving feedback:
- Invite feedback! Find out from others in the group how they perceive you. What roles do they see you taking in the group? What are your “blind spots”?
- Notice when you feel yourself becoming defensive, and tell the group that this is happening. share it.
- Become aware of distancing behaviors. All of us have ways of in which we tend to prevent others from getting close to us (such as remaining silent and uninvolved, telling long stories, intellectualizing, or talking only about external events). Keep in mind that distancing behaviors have had a purpose in the past. The question you is whether these ways of distancing yourself is preventing you from getting what you want – close relationships with people.
- Remember that how people communicate is as important as the content. Pay attention to the non-verbals in the group – yours and those of others. Talk about what you notice.
- Avoid giving advice. What we need most is an experience, not an explanation. Advice, suggestions and solutions are seldom helpful.
- Give the process group time to unfold. It can take a number of sessions before members of a group begin to have sufficient trust and security to be open and honest, to disclose their concerns and feelings. Try to make a commitment to attend at least four sessions. If you are not getting what you want out of the group, then talk about that with the group.
Current Group: The Crock of Gold
I am currently organizing an online process psychotherapy group which will be organized around readings of The Crock of Gold, a 1912 novel by James Stephens. Click below for specific information about this group.