Wednesday, 2:30 – 4:00, F3   
        Group Therapy: Harnessing the power of group dynamics to promote change 
                          Eric J. Dykstra, Psy.D 
                  616-667-9551  edykstra@developmentalenhancement.com     
        Objectives: 
        Identify effective methods for the practical application of concepts related to improving the 
        delivery of services for persons with developmental disabilities at the level of the state.   
        Identify advances in clinical assessment and management of selected healthcare issues related 
        to persons with developmental disabilities. 
        Notes: 
                                                                                                                         WELCOME!
                                     Group Therapy:
                           Harnessing the power of group dynamics to promote change                 • Brief Discussion:
                                                                                                        –Your Experiences with Groups
                                     Eric J. Dykstra, Psy.D
                            Developmental Enhancement, PLC
                              Outline of Presentation                                                                       GROUPS
                   • General Group Principles                                                       • Collections of Individuals
                       –The Group Leader                                                                –Connected in some way
                       –Group Development                                                               –Together for some purpose
                       –Group Dynamics                                                                  –Situated in some manner
                   • Group Psychotherapy
                       –History and Purpose of Group Therapy
                       –Leaders in Group Therapy
                       –Application of Principles to Therapy
                   • Nuts and Bolts 
                                  Group Leadership                                                                 Group Leadership
                   • Formal vs. Informal Leadership                                                 • Presence
                   • Functions of Leader                                                                –Authentically engaging with others
                       –Creator & Sustainer                                                                • Present-focused
                          • establish & facilitate growth                                                  • Reaching Out
                       –Starter & Summarizer                                                               • Expressiveness
                       –Partner, Teacher, and Guide                                                        • Self-Knowing
                                                                                                  (Halpern & Lubar, 2003)
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                           Group Development: Phases                                                                            Group Dynamics
                                                                                                             • Groups as a Social Microcosm
                     • Forming (getting acquainted)                                                              –Here-And-Now Interactions
                     • Storming (struggling forward)                                                             –Real-Time Problem Solving 
                     • Norming (becoming interpersonal)                                                          –In-Vivo Relationship Building
                     • Performing (working together)
                     • Transferring (generalizing)
                                  Group Dynamics                                                                                        Groups
                    • Natural Hierarchies                                                                    • Overlap between group psychotherapy and 
                        –Leaders and Followers,                                                                 other groups, teams, and other collections of 
                                                                                                                individuals
                        –“Pecking Order”
                    • Roles
                        –Interpersonal Patterns
                        –Situational Patterns
                                History of Group Therapy:                                                              History of Group Therapy
                                                Leaders
                     •  Joseph H. Pratt – MD working with patients with TB. Found                            • Movement from psychoanalytic 
                        the social support was vital to understanding, teaching, and 
                        inspiring                                                                               psychotherapy to psychoeducation, skills 
                     •  Trigant Burrow–psychoanalyst who wrote extensively at                                   training, and support groups
                        beginning of 20th century about the healing social dynamics 
                        that were only present with the help of a group.                                         –E.g. AA Movement, Anger Management, DBT, 
                     •  Wilfred Bion– British psychoanalyst that wrote extensively on                               Social Skills Training, Depression Support Groups . 
                        groups and group processes in mid-1900s, involved in 
                        Tavistock Institute                                                                         . . . . . the list goes on and on
                     •  Irvin Yalom – popularized theory and practice of group 
                        psychotherapy. Psychodynamically rooted, but very 
                        existential/humanistic in practice.
                     •  Carl Rogers – Encounter Groups, leader of humanistic 
                        movement
                   (Ettin, 1999; Rogers, 1970; Yalom 2005)
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                                                 Yalom                                                                                   Yalom: 
                                                                                                                      Purpose and Function of Groups
                     • Landmark Text:                                                                        • Universality                      • Development of 
                         –Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy (5                                      • Altruism                             socializing techniques 
                           editions)                                                                         • Instillation of hope              • Imitative behavior 
                            • Provides a comprehensive perspective on a wide range                           • Imparting information             • Cohesiveness 
                              of topics related to groups – especially relationally-                         • Corrective                        • Existential factors 
                              focused process groups                                                                                             • Catharsis 
                                                                                                                recapitulation of the 
                                                                                                                primary family                   • Interpersonal learning 
                                                                                                                experience                       • Self-understanding
                                                                                                            (Yalom, 2005)
                               Types of Therapy Groups                                                                  Purpose of Group Therapy:
                                                                                                                               Clinical Perspective
                     • Psychodynamic groups
                         – Process oriented, long term, “re-doing relationships”                             • Provide Opportunity to Learn
                     • Support groups
                         – Minimally structured or agenda-focused
                     • Problem-solving groups                                                                • Provide Opportunity to Grow
                         – Focus on teaching one particular set of skills or solving one 
                           type of issue (e.g. Anger Management, Social Skills)
                     • Psychoeducational groups                                                              • Provide Opportunity to Live
                         – “Learning About” (e.g. Parenting Groups)
                     • Integrative or Multi-faceted Groups
                         – Include components of some or all of the above (e.g. DBT 
                           (Linehan, 1993), other current group approaches)
                           Purpose of Group Therapy:                                                             Group Therapy with Individuals 
                           Administrative Perspective                                                                        with ID/DD & MH
                                                    • Provide Services that                                  • Why Group Therapy?
                                                      are Needed                                                 –All of the benefits above, plus
                                                    • Provide Services                                               • Greater need for social networking
                                                      Effectively                                                    • Such frequent issues with interpersonal skills
                                                    • Provide Services 
                                                      Responsibly
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