What is it about?
Group therapy is an effective and cost-effective means to support positive mental health. However, group therapy facilitation is understudied within psychology, so the evidence-base for how clinicians can lead groups most effectively is limited. In this article, we argue that identity leadership theory can help to address this lack of research by providing a new and practical framework for understanding effective group therapy facilitation. This theory proposes that leaders are more effective when they represent important parts of a group's identity, create a shared sense of "us" as a group, take steps to show they have the group's best interests at heart, and structure rituals and activities that support the group's needs and goals.
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Why is it important?
Our paper paves the way for new research and guidelines aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of group therapy facilitation. We suggest several ways that facilitators can (and do) engage in identity leadership, with a new theoretical basis for why these strategies work. We also argue that identity leadership in group therapy may lead to improved clinical outcomes by (a) building group member attendance and engagement, (b) creating mental health-promoting norms and identities, and (c) strengthening therapeutic relationships.
Perspectives
Writing this paper involved spending many hours theorising and researching as part of my PhD project. I believe that group therapists and group therapy are currently understudied, underutilised, and undervalued resources for supporting mental health. I hope that this paper marks the start of a new way of thinking about group therapy that values group therapists as leaders who can make a real difference.
Alysia Robertson
Australian National University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A social identity approach to facilitating therapy groups., Clinical Psychology Science and Practice, September 2023, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/cps0000178.
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