Group Psychotherapy for Psychological Trauma

Book excerpt: This indispensable book is designed to help practitioners create, initiate, and maintain therapy groups for traumatized individuals. Written by an array of experienced group therapists, the book addresses general aspects of trauma group therapy as well as issues specific to different populations and clinical problems. Cogent, practical information is provided on such important topics as screening and selecting members, understanding the impact of trauma on group dynamics, managing the effects of flashbacks, addressing dissociative states, working with countertransference reactions, and dealing with clients' emotional crises. Approaches and strategies are discussed for diverse groups, including survivors of sexual and physical abuse, clients with severe medical illnesses, bereaved children, survivors of catastrophic events in the community, victims of political and ethnic persecution, and those with diagnosed mental disorders in which trauma plays a significant role. Filled with illustrative case material, the book offers essential insights and tools for therapists, supervisors, and trainees from a range of orientations.