Brabender, V., & Fallon, A. (2009). Developmentally focused leadership activities of the therapist. In V. Brabender & A. Fallon, Group development in practice: Guidance for clinicians and researchers on stages and dynamics of change (pp. 133-159). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/11858-006
In chapter 5 of this volume (see record 2008-15311-005), we presented a vignette that provides the reader with an opportunity to see a group unfold with minimal intervention from the therapist. The current chapter is devoted to an examination of the role of the therapist in catalyzing the group's development. In introductory texts on group psychotherapy, therapists receive guidelines for how to conduct an effective group. We begin our consideration of the role of the therapist by outlining these guidelines and then proceed to stage-specific considerations for the role of the therapist. We conclude the chapter with a discussion of leadership structure, in particular how practitioners can function most effectively as cotherapists in leading groups. Although this chapter's primary focus is how the therapist functions in the group to promote group development, the individual members and subgroups of members also play critical roles in whether a group progresses, stagnates, regresses, or configures itself as an antigroup. As such, the leadership of the group is not owned by the therapist. Individuals and subgroups of members who play a crucial role in helping a group to move through a stage or from one stage to another are emerging or informal leaders. Their involvement has been shown to be critical to group efficacy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)