CH. 16 GROUP AND FAMILY THERAPY

Irvin Yalom

A leading figure in contemporary group therapy, especially the interpersonal approach

Salvador Minuchin

A leading figure in structural family therapy

Group Therapy

A form of psychotherapy in which multiple clients participate in sessions together and interpersonal interaction is typically emphasized

interpersonal interaction

An emphasis of most forms of group therapy whereby therapists attempt to improve clients’ abilities to relate to others in healthy ways

universality

A therapeutic factor in group therapy; the experience that one’s problems are not unique but are common to others

heterogenous groups

Therapy groups in which no single common characteristic (such as a diagnosis) is shared by all members

group cohesiveness

A therapeutic factor in group therapy; feelings of interconnectedness among group members and the equivalent of the therapist–client relationship in individual therapy

interpersonal learning

A therapeutic factor in group therapy; learning from the in-group interpersonal experience

social microsm

A phenomenon in group therapy whereby the relationship tendencies that characterize clients’ relationships with important people in their personal lives predictably characterize the relationships they form with their fellow group members

here and now

A focus in group therapy on the present interpersonal interactions with fellow group members rather than events that have happened in clients’ lives outside the group

open enrollment groups

In contrast to closed- enrollment groups, therapy groups in which individual members are allowed to enter or leave the group at any time

closed enrollment groups

In contrast to open-enrollment groups, therapy groups in which all members start and finish therapy together, with no new members added during the process

co-therapist

A therapist who coleads group therapy sessions with another therapist

family therapy

A form of psychotherapy in which family members attend sessions together and a primary goal is the improvement of dysfunctional characteristics of the family system

identified patient

In family therapy, the family member whose symptoms are most obvious or problematic to other members

linear causality

In contrast to circular causality, a theory typically endorsed by individual therapists whereby events from the past cause or determine events in the present in a unidirectional manner

genogram

A pencil-and-paper assessment technique in family therapy involving the creation of a family tree that incorporates detailed information about the relationships among family members

subsystems

An essential concept in structural family therapy; subgroups of family members separated by boundaries

boundaries

An essential concept in structural family therapy; the divisions between family subsystems

enmeshed

In structural family therapy, an unhealthy type of relationship among family members resulting from overly permeable boundaries between subsystems

disengaged

In structural family therapy, an unhealthy type of relationship among family members resulting from overly rigid boundaries between subsystems

undifferentiated ego mass

In family therapy, a term used to describe an emotionally fused family

triangles

In family therapy, a phenomenon in which one or both of two family members in conflict attempt to bring a third member into the conflict to garner support

communication patterns

An area commonly targeted by family therapists as the source of psychological symptoms and an area for improvement in family therapy

functionalism

In family therapy, the belief that although psychological symptoms may appear maladaptive, they are in fact functional within the family environment of the individual

family life cycle

A six-stage theory of family development that can be modified to account for the wide variety of families that a family therapist may see

homogenous groups

Therapy groups in which all members share a common characteristic, such as a diagnosis

circular causality

In contrast to linear causality, a theory typically endorsed by family therapists whereby events influence one another in a reciprocal way