Sibling dynamics and group psychotherapy

Rough and Tumble Play in the Adult Group

Rough and tumble play's function and purpose in the relational group are explored. This mode of communication involves mild roughhousing in its childhood form and verbal sparring and mild teasing in adults. Multiple uses in group therapy for this type of play exist. Although group leaders have used this mode of communication for the past 50 years, it has yet to be fully recognized and conceptualized as such. The developmental benefits of rough and tumble play come to life through case examples as they occur in different levels of group: member to leader, leader to member, and member to member.

Patient selection for psychodynamic group psychotherapy: practical and dynamic considerations

Most group therapists rely on clinical interviews to screen prospective group members' suitability for long-term, open-ended, psychodynamically oriented group therapy. Faulty selection is detrimental to everyone involved and can even lead to the demise of the group. In order to avoid, or at least significantly limit, premature terminations or problematic mismatches between a patient and the rest of the group, pre-group screening needs to examine reality factors, resistance, ambivalence, and their interplay. Therapists need to be aware of countertransferential pressures that affect the screening process. The careful exploration of six specific areas during the clinical interview process increases the likelihood of optimal patient selection and participation. A selective literature review and clinical examples are provided.