This article is a product of the American Group Psychotherapy Association Annual Conference, Connect! 2025. The article reconceptualizes aggression as a neutral life force that can be utilized to heal internalized misogyny, contrasting with Freudian views of aggression as inherently destructive. It examines how misogynistic cultural messaging leads individuals to redirect aggression inward, through the narcissistic defense, creating self-critical patterns that reinforce oppressive norms. Group psychotherapy is particularly well-suited to address problems with aggression, misogyny, and internalized misogyny. Through theoretical analysis and clinical examples, the author demonstrates how embracing aggression transforms self-attacking patterns into empowered self-expression. The intersection of psychological analysis with sociopolitical context is presented as essential for addressing both personal suffering and systemic oppression. This framework offers clinicians a path to help clients develop conscious relationships with their aggressive energy, creating possibilities for individual healing of internalized misogyny and fostering social change.

This article examines how mattering (the sense of being seen, valued, and needed) and anti-mattering (the belief one is invisible, insignificant, or expendable) are expressed symbolically and transformed in group psychotherapy. Anti-mattering symbols, such as lateness, withdrawal, a power struggle, relational devaluation, and an identity-based attack, are understood as expressions of : the expectation that relational recognition will be absent, unreliable, or irrelevant. Using five previously published clinical vignettes re-analyzed through a symbolic lens, a typology of mattering and anti-mattering symbols is presented, along with a six-step intervention sequence for transforming mattering. This process engages multiple members, sustains contact through interpersonal tension, and repairs ruptures in ways that are emotionally resonant and trustworthy, and ultimately transforms anti-mattering symbols. The framework integrates developmental, sociocultural, and psychoanalytic perspectives to restore epistemic trust, and expand the group's capacity for mutual recognition and interpersonal mattering.

The aim of this pilot study was to examine the effect of a solution-focused goal-setting group counseling program on the academic procrastination, academic self-efficacy, and goal commitment levels of 8th grade Turkish students. A quasi-experimental design was used to asses 17 students (7 students in experimental group, 10 students in control group) for 8 weeks. The results revealed that, compared to the control group, students in the experimental group showed a significant increase in goal commitment and academic self-efficacy, as well as a significant decrease in academic procrastination. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on higher education, particularly the shift to distance learning, is examined in this study. Psychology graduate students' subjective experiences of online group supervision are explored, and the pandemic's influence on their learning is analyzed. Thematic analysis and computer-assisted qualitative data analysis of 14 student interviews reveal three distinct themes: (a) the presence of complex and ambivalent emotions; (b) significant influences of the online setting's characteristics on student experiences, including formal and limited communication, disembodied interactions, and distractions; and (c) unique interactions within the online supervision matrix involving supervisors and peers, as revealed through a group-analytic approach. The findings highlight the relationship between online settings and psychological processes during crises, offering insights to refine online supervision practices in an evolving social world.

Group therapy is a key intervention for complex trauma, and virtual groups are becoming more widespread. This report provides a thematic analysis of feedback obtained from 26 patients with complex posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) who underwent 8-week teletherapy trauma-focused (tTFT) groups during the COVID-19 pandemic, crossing perspectives with their experiences in in-person groups. Patients reported on their sense of physical, emotional, and sanitary safety online and in-person, reflected on virtual factors affecting the group psychotherapy process, and commented on their sense of connection in the group, online or in-person. When given the choice, most patients preferred in-person groups.

Our paper reports on the development and psychometric properties of the Therapeutic Mentalization Scale for Group Therapy (TMS-GT). The TMS-GT is an 11-item self-report measure designed to assess individuals' experiences of having been mentalized in group therapy. Two combined samples of adults (n = 157; M = 28.4, SD = 12.1) participating in separate outpatient group psychotherapy treatments completed the TMS-GT posttreatment, with a subsample (n = 87) completing the TMS-GT again 3 months later and the other subsample (n = 70) completing measures of group psychotherapy processes and psychiatric symptoms. Multilevel exploratory factor analysis identified the two-factor structure of the TMS-GT, reflecting two dimensions of the experience of having been mentalized: mentalized attunement and mentalized continuity. The two subscales demonstrated adequate internal consistency and temporal stability. Moreover, additional psychometric findings provided further support for the validity of the TMS-GT. Overall, preliminary analyses suggest that the TMS-GT appears to be a reliable and valid measure of the experience of being mentalized among adults participating in outpatient group therapy.

"The Order of Time" "", "Where reasons end" "", "The Unpast" I suggest that the "here-and-now" leans on an illusion of past-present-future and obscures the multiple temporalities of many patients. I review considerations of time in psychoanalysis and Scarfone's "unpast," wherein the repressed is untouched by time and is continually repeated in a time that does not pass. The residue of trauma, neglect, and absence are unrepresented and find expression in the "untelling" of repetitions and enactments where there is no past where trauma can be located and mourned and no present from which to view the past. When the untelling of group enactments tell their story, new temporalities emerge and the unpast is transformed. The untelling becomes a lived narrative in group and the past becomes instantiated. Trauma and neglect can be mourned and new realities grow. I argue that this does not depend on patients using words and can be disrupted by doing so. A vignette illustrates these concepts.

Existential groups (EGs) have been used in mental health care settings to help patients struggling with various mental illnesses, some proven effective in reducing psychiatric symptoms and increasing self-awareness, hope, and meaning in life. However, there is a need for greater knowledge of health outcomes, characteristics, and treatment variables of such groups. To provide clinically valuable knowledge for group therapists and further research, a scoping review was conducted to determine the characteristics of EG in terms of leaders' professions, time frames, diagnoses, locations, patients' and clinicians' affiliations, theoretical approaches or traditions, treatment rationales, and outcome variables and results. A systematic database search identified relevant papers published between 2013 and 2023. Of 4,838 unique publications, 22 were eligible for inclusion. EGs in mental health care featured numerous group characteristics linked to different group leaders' professions, clinical contexts and diagnoses. Multiple therapeutic rationales, together with different secular, spiritual and/or religious traditions were found to be applied in diverse ways. A quantitative method was used in 17 of the 22 studies, of which six were randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies. Both psychological and existential outcomes were measured, such as reduced psychiatric symptoms and increased self-awareness, hope, and meaning in life. Research on EGs in mental health-care settings has increased, characterized by robust study designs demonstrating the effectiveness of EGs. The findings can contribute to a more evidence informed implementation of EGs in clinical practice. However, more research is needed on semi-open long-term groups, long-term outcomes, and qualitative and mixed-methods designs.

Deaf and hard of hearing (D/HOH) individuals experience higher rates of mental health disorders and face significant barriers when accessing services, particularly in group therapy settings. This study investigates group therapists' perspectives on incorporating D/HOH clients into mixed-ability therapy groups predominantly composed of hearing individuals. Using a mixed-methods design, this study compares the experiences of therapists who have facilitated such groups with the perceptions of those who have not. Qualitative results highlight perceived barriers for therapists without experience working with D/HOH members, including concerns about group cohesion, communication challenges, and interpreter integration. Therapists with experience working with D/HOH members identified the benefits of mixed-ability groups, such as increased empathy, cultural learning, and strengthened group connections. These findings emphasize the need for expanded training, practical accommodations, and cultural competency development to ensure inclusive and effective group therapy for all.

Excoriation disorder (ED) involves uncontrollable skin picking, not explained by a dermatologic or other psychological conditions. ED is associated with emotion regulation impairment, psychosocial distress, and psychiatric comorbidities. This study investigated the efficacy of psychodrama group therapy (PGT) in reducing ED symptoms. A randomized controlled trial compared psychodrama group therapy (PGT, n = 26) and support group therapy (SGT, n = 27) as a control. The comparison included ED severity, psychosocial impact, emotion regulation, depression, anxiety, social adjustment, and general clinical status. Bayesian ANOVA models showed improvement in skin excoriation (BF = 1.15e + 7), emotional regulation (BF = 258.12), depression (BF = 89.73), impact of excoriation (BF = 71.69) and anxiety (BF = 20.27) over time for both groups. PGT was not more effective than SGT, but group psychotherapy is a valuable treatment option for ED.

Therapist-initiated termination of treatment for a child from a therapy group presents unique ethical and clinical dilemmas. While termination in group therapy has been widely discussed, the topic of forced termination remains underexplored. This paper expands and elaborates on this issue by addressing key challenges specific to working with younger populations, including therapist-patient-parent dynamics, boundary setting, physical contact, and developmental considerations. We examine the implications of therapist-initiated termination for the child and for other group members. A structured decision-making framework is proposed to assist therapists in evaluating the necessity of removal while minimizing potential harm. By integrating clinical and ethical considerations, this paper offers a refined perspective on the complexities of therapist-initiated termination in child and adolescent group therapy.

The expansion and consolidation of group therapy in online settings has generated, and continues to generate, significant debate, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities of this transition. This study aims to explore the main themes and underlying latent dimensions of a psychodynamic group psychotherapy conducted online. Forty-two clinical reports from a group of nine patients who participated in the first nine months of online group therapy were analyzed using qualitative textual analysis with T-Lab software. The analysis was carried out in two phases to capture both differences and the longitudinal development of the therapeutic process, comparing T1 (the first four months of therapy) and T2 (months four through nine). Utilizing the Psychodynamic Analysis of Narratives for Multiple Interpretative Levels (PAMIL), the study identified key latent themes, including the formation of the therapeutic alliance, the development of group cohesion, and the processes of sharing and comparing emotional experiences. The qualitative analysis of clinical session reports proved to be an effective method for investigating the less explicit dimensions of group dynamics in the online setting. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the specific processes activated in virtual psychodynamic group therapy and underscore the value of narrative material as a tool for both clinical and research purposes.

Social connectedness is a fundamental human need that is thwarted by chronic loneliness. The therapeutic application of role-playing games (TA-RPG) has the potential to promote social connection and flourishing by providing opportunities to work on mental health through immersive, collaborative storytelling. The purpose of this discussion is to describe the pilot implementation and evaluation of a TA-RPG group at VA medical center. Four group cycles were conducted over 18 months. Sixty-five percent of those who initiated the group completed treatment, attending an average of 11 out of 12 sessions. Qualitative analyses identified themes of perceived benefit and impactful group processes. Participants reported a high degree of satisfaction. These preliminary findings suggest that TA-RPGs may be a viable and engaging group therapy approach for fostering connection.

Brief group-based psychological treatments are a common tool for increasing service access. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills groups have been used with several clinical populations to improve emotional regulation. This research aimed to examine the effectiveness of DBT-informed classes across four treatment settings in reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation, as well as examining participant factors associated with treatment responsiveness and class dropout. A total of 315 participants completed pre-post measures as a part of standard clinical care. Linear mixed model analyses showed that participants who completed DBT-informed classes experienced significant reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation. Only an individual's baseline DSM-5 score significantly predicted responsiveness to treatment in terms of decreasing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation.

Though psychodynamic group psychotherapy, like all therapy approaches, espouses the use of specific interventions and distinct mechanisms of change, in general, it is unclear the extent to which different therapy orientations actually differ in practice. The goal of this study was to use Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC), a software for quantitative text analysis that counts words and calculates proportions of words from specific predefined categories, as a method for assessing in-session core characteristics of group psychodynamic psychotherapy for perfectionism. LIWC was used to assess the presence of the seven core characteristics found to be unique to individual psychodynamic psychotherapy in the group therapy context, and whether these core psychodynamic group characteristics, when assessed on the word level, predict week-to-week changes in group member-rated perfectionism-related emotional distress. Results suggest that group members' emotional distress increased in early sessions before decreasing in later sessions. Further, core psychodynamic in-session characteristics, including focusing on affect and emotions; identifying patterns in group members' actions, thoughts, feelings, experiences, and relationships; focusing on group members' interpersonal relationships; and focusing on group member-member or leader relationships, all predict less perfectionism-related emotional distress the following week.

This study aimed to identify subgroups of patients sharing similar outcome trajectories during group-based psychotherapy for chronic pain, to explore baseline predictors of trajectories, and to describe clinical outcomes as a function of these trajectories. Participants (n = 71) underwent eight weekly sessions of group psychotherapy for chronic pain at a tertiary care multidisciplinary pain treatment center. Pain outcomes, psychological distress, sleep, pain acceptance, and psychological inflexibility were assessed before, during, directly after, and 3 months after the intervention. Using growth mixture modeling, three to four trajectories were identified for pain-severity and psychological-flexibility symptoms during treatment; baseline levels of depression, pain severity, and psychological flexibility predicted trajectory membership. More research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying patients' variability in trajectories of symptom change across treatment.

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Interpersonal "mattering" refers to being visible, important, and needed by others, whereas "anti-mattering" describes feeling invisible, insignificant, and not needed. While mattering is a well-known concept in empirical psychology, it has received little attention in the group psychotherapy literature. By applying theory and techniques to case examples, this paper explores how group psychotherapy can increase one's sense of mattering using modern psychoanalytic principles. Mattering is also discussed as a critical element of group cohesion that can improve the group therapy process. By addressing developmental and societal deficits in mattering, group psychotherapy can improve each member's enduring sense of mattering to self and others, leading to positive mental health and social adjustment outcomes.

This study aimed to explore leadership experiences under supervision and experiences of being a member in the same experiential training group of master's level counseling students. The study group comprised seven female students. The participants took part in the experiential training group, which consisted of eight face-to-face sessions. The data were collected through two focus groups. A semistructured interview form containing 10 questions was used to obtain the students' experiences. Content analysis yielded three themes-experiencing the group as a member, group leadership experiences, and supervision experience.

Group size is a consideration for all psychotherapy groups, yet the topic has been subject to surprisingly few empirical investigations. This review explored the influence of group size within group psychotherapy by investigating its associations with cohesion and clinical outcomes. Significant group-size associations were found in seven of the 17 included individual and meta-analysis studies (combined N = 21,425), pointing to partial support for the influence of group size. Some interesting tentative trends were identified, such as potentially better outcomes in smaller groups and greater group-size influence in process-orientated groups. Considerably more research is needed, as psychotherapy group-size decisions should ideally be informed by empirical evidence rather than by relying on clinical opinion, conventional wisdom, and recommendations made by influential commentators.

The challenges of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are many and create delays in development overall, but particularly in the area of self-development for children and adolescents. Neurodevelopmental delays can lead to disruptions in self-development, which may negatively impact the individual's social, cognitive, and emotional functioning. Group therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for youth, however, there is a lack of literature demonstrating how group therapy can be beneficial for self-development for neurodivergent children. The areas of self-development include self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-repair. This article will explore the rationale and strategies to create and facilitate therapy groups that foster self-development in neurodivergent youth.