What student psychotherapists want from an experiential group

• Published in: European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling Vol. 1; no. 3; pp. 377 - 393
• Main Authors: Tantam, Digby, Hyde, Keith
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01-12-1998
• Subjects: cause; explanation; justification; psychotherapy; reason
• ISSN: 1364-2537; 1469-5901
• DOI: 10.1080/13642539808400526

A study of four thirty-week experiential groups, involving two group conductors and forty-one other group members showed that 90 per cent of students' expectations of change were exceeded, indicating increase in interpersonal learning and, over a longer period, emotional change. the culture of the groups was consistently positive and expressive. There was some evidence that conductors had a similar style which corresponded to that predicted by the group analytic method, and that both showed behaviours which were indicators of 'good quality' therapy. There were substantial correlations between a positive culture and better than expectation outcome at the end of term one, and good psychodynamic practice by the conductors and outcome at the end of the course.