Group psychotherapy offers ideas from individual counselling theory together with an understanding of group dynamics. It can be a highly effective form of therapy for many people. Human beings are fundamentally social, born into and raised in a group - the family. It is in this group that we learn both helpful and unhelpful ways of relating to ourselves and to one another. In a psychotherapy group, these more unconscious ways of relating become available for conscious understanding. Insights and new learning create opportunities for personal change.

Group psychotherapy can benefit many people, including:

• People wanting to understand themselves and their relationships.
• People who currently work in small groups, and seek to increase their understanding of group behaviour and dynamics.
• People for whom their working environment relies crucially on effective collaboration within small groups of colleagues.

Deep and lasting change happens best in a carefully managed group. To this end, all prospective group members are initially offered a number of individual counselling sessions. A psychotherapy group draws on the potential of every individual within the group and not just the group conductor. The group as a whole has an existence and therapeutic identity, just as much as the individuals within it.

Groups of up to eight (nine including the group conductor) meet once a week for regular sessions of 90 minutes. Members are expected to attend regularly and so, except in emergencies, should give ample notice of absence. The events within a meeting are confidential, and group members should avoid discussing any issues raised if they meet outside the group context. A group session has no formal structure or agenda, but group members are encouraged to speak about important issues, and in turn respond to others as attentively as possible. In this way, established patterns of behaviour can be recognised, understood, and over time changed for more appropriate ones.

Over the course of time the membership of the group slowly changes: members commit to an agreed minimum attendance of one year. Typically, for an individual to leave the group is the result of a collective and informed decision, for which ample notice is given. When vacancies occur, new members may join at the invitation of the group conductor and with adequate notice to existing group members.

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Initial consultation and assessment

Supportive relationships outside therapy

Working alliance for group work