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This quasi-experimental study examines the effectiveness of a psychoeducational group intervention program consisting of psychoeducation sessions and group exercises based on psychodrama warm-up activities resulting from the needs of public sector call center agents in the workplace. Forty municipality call center employees from two municipalities (intervention and control groups) completed pre- and post-test measures before and after the intervention program. Within the scope of the study in sociodemographic form, the Brief Psychological Resilience Scale (BPRS), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS), Organization-Based Self-Esteem Scale (OBSES), Group Cohesion Scale (GCS), and Group Atmosphere Scale (GAS) were used. A follow-up session and follow-up test for the intervention group took place one month after the completion of the intervention sessions. The intervention group showed significant pre-to-post-test short-term effects on psychological resilience and pre-to-follow-up long-term effects on group atmosphere scores. However, there was no significant change in burnout, well-being, or organization-based self-esteem scores. Moreover, no significant difference was noted in the control group from pre- to post-test, except for the decrease in the group atmosphere scores.

Group sandplay therapy is a useful instrument for healing family rifts. This article is a case study where the group sandplay therapy method was used to address the client's conflicts with his family members. The therapy outcomes show that group sandplay therapy is efficacious in enhancing communication and interaction between family members, improving interpersonal relationships within a family, particularly the parent-child relationship, and alleviating parent-child tensions as barriers to effective home education.

Ernst Papanek (1900-1973) was an Austrian pedagogue who, between 1938 and 1940, was responsible for children's homes in France he directed for the OSE (Oeuvre de secours aux en-fants). In these children's homes at Montmorency, close to Paris, Papanek tried to treat the traumatized children who had lost their homes, their parents, and those who struggled with their own identities that had been called into question by ideological propaganda and personal experiences alike. Papanek decided to give their souls a new home and not only intended to keep them physically alive but also to use a new form of therapy that was supposed to treat the children as a group. In 1940, Papanek had to escape from France, via Spain and Portugal, to the United States, and he tried to rescue the children by bringing them across the Atlantic as well. However, when he advocated for the idea to continue their treatment as a group in a children's home like the ones he had run in France, he met with resistance, as such approaches were uncommon in the United States, where social workers sought to separate the children and have them adopted into different foster families nationwide. This paper describes this transatlantic "struggle of ideas" when it comes to the role of group therapy for traumatized children and the positive impact of such children living collectively in homes.

Guidance programs in school may not be meeting the current needs of students. School counsellors are forced to make decisions about which students should receive services, because of budget cuts and increasing demands placed on counsellors. This article proposes that, in the face of budget cuts to counselling services, students' needs would be better met with the incorporation of group counselling sessions. Music therapy is proposed as a preferred means of group counselling. The universality of music, the high success rate of clinical music therapy, and the strong music-adolescent connection are convincing reasons to incorporate group music therapy in schools.

Shortly following the temporary nationwide school dismissal amid COVID-19, the current exploratory case-study evaluated the feasibility of two engagement strategies delivered during group teletherapy: Class Dojo and opportunities to respond (OTR). Three elementary students with emotional and behavioral difficulties participated. An A-B-A design was used to evaluate the effects of Class Dojo on student engagement with therapist-delivered OTRs. Due to one student's poor response to the contingency, an A-B-C design was used to evaluate the additive effect of student-delivered OTRs on his engagement. Results indicated moderate to high rates of student attendance, and consistently high rates of engagement for two students. When students delivered OTRs, the student who initially struggled to engage demonstrated an increase in engagement. Practical issues are discussed and recommendations are considered for future research on increasing student engagement during online settings.

Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) is a chronic pain syndrome that often coexists with common musculoskeletal pain, sleep disorders, bowel syndrome, mood disorders, and fatigue. Although the aetiology of FMS pain has not been elucidated yet, psychotherapy methods are used in addition to physical methods to treat these pains. This study aims to examine the effect of psychodrama on a 62- year-old patient with back and chest pain and who lived alone. This patient participated in psychodrama group psychotherapy with 8 members who were all female and diagnosed with FMS. An informed consent form was obtained from the case for the study. This research is important because there are very few studies on fibromyalgia complaints with psychodrama group therapy, and it contributes to the literature. Studying the case with past trauma and losses in the psychodrama scene has led to a significant reduction in fibromyalgia complaints. As a result, the patient's pain level decreased from 90% to 32.5%, and the anxiety level decreased from advanced to normal. Thus, psychodrama group psychotherapy was found to be effective in reducing FMS pain.

Background: Specific treatment and interventions for individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions who display harmful sexual behaviour have yet to be widely evaluated. This review aims to consolidate and assess the quality of research exploring non-pharmacological interventions for individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions who display harmful sexual behaviour. Method: A systemic search of electronic databases was conducted. Articles were considered for inclusion, according to identified inclusion and exclusion criteria. At the end of the search, ten papers were deemed suitable for inclusion. Results: Ten studies were considered eligible for review, including a study of follow-up data of one of the original studies. Quality assessment indicated that the majority of papers provided weak research evidence, with only two papers receiving an "adequate" rating. A consistent methodological flaw was the lack of control groups for group interventions. Conclusions: There is currently a very small research base exploring non-pharmacological interventions for individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions who display harmful sexual behaviour. The current research is littered with methodological flaws, however reveals some useful information regarding the use of functional behaviour assessment and individualised treatment planning, as well as some of the limitations of using adapted group CBT interventions. Suggestions for future research include; studies evaluating the effectiveness of behavioural interventions for individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions who display harmful sexual behaviour, studies which include female participants, studies which utilise control groups where appropriate, and an evaluation of interventions for those with Autism Spectrum Conditions without Intellectual Disabilities.

The efficacy of group therapy as a counselling method is examined. Factors that reinforce the effectiveness of group therapy include the necessity of communication amongst the human species, the longevity of the practice of group work in the field of therapy, and the empirical research suggesting the success of the method. Barriers to the success of group therapy are considered, such as public misconceptions, ethical challenges and problems with maintaining confidentiality. A balanced appraisal of both the pros and cons are deliberated. Group therapy is determined to be a valuable method of counselling.

This is a case study of a Greek-American young adult and a New York City non-profit Day Habilitation consumer who was diagnosed with various developmental disabilities. The methods used for therapeutic and educational interventions included Gustav Heckman's version of Socratic Method called Socratic Enquiry used in individual sessions (one-on-one) for teaching Greek as a Second Language and English Reading and Writing along with social/behavioral skills group therapy sessions of five consumers where Hawaiian Talk Story was used. An intercultural approach was provided, as both methods were very appropriate for studying the intercultural dynamics of groups as well as individuals of diverse backgrounds in multicultural settings and the intercultural meaning of the results of those therapeutic and educational interventions.

This study investigates the effects of psychodrama on adults' anxiety and subjective well-being levels. A pre/post-test experimental pattern is used with experimental and control groups. The study sample consists of 24 non-thesis master's program students at Gaziantep University, Human Psychology, and Communication. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Subjective Well-Being Scale were applied as a pre-test to the experimental and control groups. The psychodrama group practice was performed with the experimental group once a week for eleven weeks, 90 minutes per session, while the control group did not receive any practice. After the application, the post-test was administered to both groups. The data were analyzed with SPSS 23 statistical program. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate the difference between the experimental and control group, and the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was applied for the changes within the experimental group. The findings indicate that the individuals' anxiety level in the experimental group significantly decreased compared to the control group. There was no significant difference between subjective well-being in the experimental and control group for pre-test and post-test applications.

Financial therapy is used to address the psychological, emotional, and behavioral components involved in the process of learning and utilizing new financial literacy skills. This study describes the use of a manualized financial therapy financial therapy intervention, the Five-Step Model, as it is piloted in a group setting. Current economic theories support the use of an intervention model that differs from traditional financial literacy teachings. Behavioral economics and the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change is used as a foundation for the Five-Step Model. A case study illustrates the key principles and effectiveness of the intervention model. Reflections and feedback from the members of the group are provided, along with a discussion of implications and directions for further inquiry.

Background: Death and loss are inevitable, and life changes profoundly for those left behind. A General Household Survey by Statistics South Africa indicated that 94.2% of orphans aged 7-18 years were still attending school. With no parental and often familial support, learners often had to turn to their teachers for support. Vukuzakhe, a non-governmental organisation, saw the need for a grief programme in schools. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate how the school-based grief programme is perceived by different stakeholders (grieving children, educators and programme facilitators). Setting: The grief programme is being implemented in four primary schools in Underberg and Himeville, rural KwaZulu-Natal, and this study will conduct an evaluation at all four sites. Methods: Appreciative Inquiry, based on a four-dimensional cycle, was used to evaluate a grief programme offered in selected primary schools in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Three stakeholder groups (grief support programme facilitators [n = 4], grieving children [n = 6] and educators [n = 2]) from four schools were asked three open-ended questions to ascertain the programme's value. Results: Nine key themes were identified: healing, insight, relationships, growth, skills, support, enjoyment, collaboration and value of the programme. All stakeholders noted positive outcomes resulting from participation in the programme and held it in high regard. Conclusion: Improvements for its future development were suggested and recommendations made for its further implementation at schools throughout South Africa.

The aim of this study is to increase university students' awareness and support their personal development through "Gestalt Group Program" that is predicated on Gestalt Therapy. Twelve university students in the second, third and fourth grades of the faculty of education participated in the study. Group study consisted of eight sessions. Each session was determined as 120 minutes. In this study, one of the qualitative research methods, content analysis method was used. To collect data for the study, researcher created "Personal Information Form" and "Gestalt Group Program Evaluation Form" and used on participants. Obtained qualitative data was examined via content analysis method. Finally, "Gestalt Group Program" was found to have a positive impact on raising university students' awareness.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a body image group counselling program on adolescent girls in the context of Positive Psychology and Positive Psychotherapy. The sample set consisted of 22 female students, 11 in the experimental group and the other 11 in the control group, and they are all in the 9th grade and have negative body images. Research was conducted based on a pattern of a pre-test, post-test and follow-up test with control and experimental groups. A Body Image Scale, Body Image Coping Strategies Inventory and Program Evaluation Form were used as data collection tools. The positive body image group counselling program was conducted on the experimental group for ten sessions. The Wilcoxon sign rank test, Mann-Whitney U test and repeated-measure of analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for data analysis. According to the results, the program was statistically significant. Additionally, the results revealed statistically significant increases in positive body images and coping strategies in the intervention group when compared with the control group. The program may be used to increase positive body image.

The hermeneutics of fairytales, understood as a new way to get their deep significances and therapeutic effects on children by the process of psychic conflicts awareness, represents a frequent topic in the current research, a real source of inspiration for those delivering literature for children or for those using fairytales for therapeutic purposes, either in case the children with special problems, or in individual or group psychotherapy of adults. Based on the experience in teaching fairytales at the specialization Pedagogy of Elementary and Preschool Education, and at two of the activities of the reading group, Books Mirrors, of the Department of Science of Education within the Faculty of Sociology and Psychology of the West University from Timi?oara, this article is a reflection on the therapeutic size of fairytales and of the didactic implications arisen.

Understanding the needs of parents with children with hearing loss (HL) is necessary to best support both the children and their families beyond what they have received in early intervention programs. The objective of this paper is to present the perspective of parents regarding their participation in a group intervention with their child and the impact this had on them as the parent of a child with HL. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews completed after the group intervention. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Two main themes emerged: (1) opportunities and the need for continued support, and (2) connections and joy. These results support the need for programs that offer ongoing strategies, resources, and connectedness for families beyond early intervention initiatives.

The My FRIENDS Youth Skills for Life programme is a group cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) based programme and was used with a group of five young secondary students who had previously experienced difficulty with emotional regulation, peer relationships and discipline at school. A mixed method approach was used and included screening questionnaires, school record data and participant feedback. Themes identified include emotional regulation, peer relationships, discipline, and classroom referrals. The mean result for emotional regulation did not reveal substantial change, however, on an individual level, one participant improved and one reduced. Peer relationships demonstrated an overall improvement. Discipline and classroom referrals reduced and the participant's recognitions (acknowledgements) increased at school. The results of the research project indicate that the My FRIENDS Youth Skills for Life programme assisted participants with developing life management skills, namely emotional regulation, developing peer and teacher relationships, and problem-solving.

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the group play therapy on the insecure attachment and social skills of orphans in Ahvaz city. Statistical population included all orphans in Ahvaz city, of whom 30 students were selected whose scores in insecure attachment and in social skills were one standard deviation higher and one standard deviation lower than the mean, respectively and they were randomly divided into two treatment (15 persons) and control (15 persons) groups. The research tools included Randolph Attachment Disorder Questionnaire (2000) (RADQ) and Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) questionnaire (Gresham and Elliot, 1990). This is an experimental study with pretest, posttest, and follow-up by the control group. Firstly, pretest was implemented for both groups, and then experimental intervention (play therapy) was carried out for the treatment group during 10 sessions. After the therapeutic program, the posttest and two months later follow-up were implemented. The results obtained using the statistical method of multivariate covariance analysis showed that group play therapy reduces the insecure attachment and increases the social skills at P < 0.001 during the stages of posttest and follow-up in the treatment group compared to the control group. Results also indicated that there is a significant difference between posttest and follow-up of the treatment and control group in terms of the components of social skills (collaboration, assertiveness, and self-control).

Each year, more and more students are entering the school system having experienced different forms of trauma, such as violence, death, abuse, and illness. Children who are exposed to trauma run the risk of facing negative long-term effects that include mental illness, depression, and anxiety. This literature review provides an overview of how exposure to trauma affects children's mental health, as well as student learning and behaviour. Academic performance, school attendance, and overall intelligence are affected by exposure to trauma. Suggestions for supporting students with trauma exposure range from everyday interactions to intensive intervention programs, which include traditional and non-traditional practices as well as group and individual programs.

Youth mental health is an area of profound disparity between the demand and supply of services, particularly in schools that serve students at risk of school dropout. This article describes the conceptual foundations and implementation of "MAGNIFY", a program that provides free group counseling to small alternative schools with students who have a history of behavioral problems in school or have been labeled at risk of dropping out of school. MAGNIFY is a non-structured program that uses school counseling graduate students to facilitate weekly school-based interpersonal process groups and is financially supported by local businesses and donors. Program components, finances, limitations, and implications are discussed.

Phyllis Booth is a licensed marriage and family therapist, a licensed clinical professional counselor, a registered play therapist and supervisor, and Clinical Director Emeritus of the Theraplay Institute in Evanston, Illinois. Her professional career includes training in clinical psychology at what is now University of Chicago Medicine, teaching at the University of Chicago nursery school and serving as a consultant to Head Start in Chicago, working as a clinical associate at London's Tavistock Institute, studying with British psychiatrist John Bowlby and pediatrician and psychoanalyst D. W. Winnicott, and spending a year at London's Anna Freud Center, which specializes in child psychoanalysis. Along with developmental psychologist Ann Jernberg, Booth helped establish the theoretical underpinnings of the Theraplay approach to child and family therapy. Later she developed the training program for Theraplay and designed the certification practicum for therapists who employed the method. She has trained therapists in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Finland, and South Korea and is the author of "Theraplay: Helping Parents and Children Build Better Relationships through Attachment-Based Play," now in its third edition. In this interview, Booth recalls her childhood play experiences, talks about her mentors and intellectual progenitors, discusses advances in the theory and practice of play therapy, and recalls resistance to and rewards in the field of play therapy during her career.

This article provides a rationale for using adventure-based counseling (ABC) principles to promote children's self-esteem through group work within the school setting. The effectiveness of combining Adlerian theory with ABC to promote self-esteem is established. The process that would allow a school counselor to plan, organize, facilitate, and evaluate this group successfully is emphasized. Previous literature (Wick, Wick, & Peterson, 1997) conceptualized the efficacy of combining Adlerian theory with ABC based interventions in school. This article expands upon this idea to rationalize the heightened need for this type of intervention in an era of increased interaction through technology and decreased opportunities for developmental social learning. Discussion includes recruiting counselees, forming objectives and intended outcomes, and designing a program within the school. This article includes a selection of activities and initiatives and suggested evaluative measures.

Those who are addicted to substances face increased psychological emotional, social and economic problems which can potentially have negative impacts on marital satisfaction and sexual self-esteem and efficacy. Routine activities are often displaced by the need to satisfy the physiological urges. Within a marital union, this along with other variables can distract many from their expected marital responsibilities and daily activities. This study investigated quality of life, marital satisfaction, and sexual self-efficacy in couples who were both addicted to substances within an identified treatment period. The number of participants was 40 ("N" = 40). Participants were randomly assigned to two of four treatment conditions. Each group was comprised of 10 people undergoing treatment for addiction. All participants were couples entering treatment together who agreed to participate in a treatment program in Qazvin city. Instruments utilized in this investigation included the Enrich marital satisfaction questionnaire (short form) and the Reynolds' sexual self-efficacy scale. Treatments consisted of eight sessions of training in the form of group therapy, which were conducted by trained clinicians. The control group consisted of those who were waiting for training. No treatment/ training was given. After intervention both groups were tested. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data. The results indicated that training significantly improved marital satisfaction and sexual self-efficacy. Scores obtained in the treatment and control group showed a significant difference (p less than 0.05). The conclusion of this study suggests that couples where both partners are addicted to substances can increase their levels of satisfaction and efficacy within the marital union. Quality of life therapy empowers people to actualize their knowledge, attitudes and values. These skills can enable partners to have increased motivation for starting healthy behaviors which will have significant impacts on their marital satisfaction and sexual function. Trainings designed to enhance communication and collaboration can improve the quality of the marital union despite the influence of substance and addiction within both marital partners.

Although cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is touted as the predominant approach in sex offender-specific group treatment, a review of the field shows that the "behavioral" part of CBT has become minimal in relation to that which is cognitive. The authors show how a revitalized "behavioral sensibility" may help to enhance group treatment by focusing greater attention on directly observable behaviors. This clinical practice article presents an array of behaviorally-oriented techniques for conducting groups, beginning with the establishment of an operant group environment that supports behavior change; expanding empirical awareness of events occurring in group; streamlining interventions with non-verbal signals; targeted reinforcement of social interaction and bonding; and more. The article also describes several behavioral techniques designed specifically for sex offender-specific groups, which can enhance self-disclosure, social awareness, self-esteem, empathy, and management of deviant thoughts.

The purpose of this paper is to present a preliminary, qualitative review of a therapeutic programme for preschool children and their parents in severely under-resourced contexts to aid the development of the underlying skills required to be ready for formal school. A team of two pairs, each comprising an occupational therapist and a community worker, responded to teachers' requests to assist struggling children in their classes. This led to the development of a programme focusing on Grade R classes, by firstly helping teachers to develop their capability and confidence in assessing and assisting children to develop the abilities underlying vital school-readiness skills during whole-class, therapeutic group sessions. Secondly, parent group sessions were added to empower parents to understand and support their children's development needs at home and so to complement the work done by teachers in the classroom. This second aspect, of working with the parents, developed owing to observations of the children's irregular school attendance, scant parent-school contact, and teachers' reports indicating that parents were not aware of, nor equipped to deal with, the challenges faced by their children. Implications for practice, for planning and for further research are discussed.

This article describes the theory and practice of Art Therapy Connection (ATC), an inner city, yearlong school art therapy program in Chicago, IL, for students identified as being at risk of failing grades 3-12. The ATC program helps to address the mental health needs of students living in impoverished communities and the constant threats they experience on a daily basis. It utilizes an Adlerian art therapy approach, with an emphasis on developing group identity, group cohesion, and cooperation. In turn, a feeling of belonging and trust can be established through social interest so that students feel encouraged to stay in school and succeed. This article explains the program's goals and objectives, typical art directives, and informal outcomes.

This study examined the effectiveness of a group art therapy intervention within a school setting to increase coping skills and decrease disruptive behaviors in a group of 6 eighth-grade students at risk for making a poor transition to high school. The mixed-method AB single-case experiment measured each individual's changes in behavior and coping from baseline (A-phase) to post-intervention (B-phase). Changes in pre- and post-intervention "Me in Ninth Grade" drawings also suggested improved ability to anticipate social roles and an increased sense of school belonging. Results partially supported the hypothesis that the school art therapy group can be beneficial in decreasing disruptive behaviors and increasing coping skills for the transition to high school. (Contains 4 tables and 5 figures.)

The study described the interaction between therapist and clients in a group intervention with two mothers and a grandmother. Five out of thirteen taped sessions were designated for analysis. Main results: a) therapist's categories that stood out: approval, recommendation, interpretation, information and information request; b) clients' categories that stood out: report, agreement, relation, and opposition; c) the probability for recommendation coupled with use of approval exceeded the probability of occurrence of other combinations. Possible explanations for the results were offered and new research questions were raised. (Contains 4 figures and 1 table.)

Research was conducted on the experience of change for participants in a group-based psychotherapy approach called Therapeutic Enactment (TE), which involves the enactment of embodied narratives of participants' past experiences. This study asked the question, "What is your story of change in TE?" The author conducted in-depth interviews with five TE protagonists, asking each person to tell their story of change in therapeutic enactment. The current article provides excerpts from each participant's narrative, highlighting the changes that clients attributed to their TE experience. Suggestions for counsellors considering TE for themselves or their clients and future research directions are discussed.

The aim of this research is to investigate whether cognitive-behavioral group practices and psychodrama decrease adolescent aggression. This is a quasi-experimental, pre-post and follow up study with two experiments and one control group. The Aggression Scale (Buss & Warren, 2000) adapted to Turkish by Can (2002) was administered as a pretest to 9th grade students of Nezihe Yalvac Anatolian Hotel and Tourism Vocational High School in Adana. After the administration and assessment of the scale, 36 students who had the highest aggression levels were selected and were randomly divided into three groups. The experimental and control groups each included 12 students. Cognitive behavioral techniques were applied to the first experimental group in 10 sessions, psychodrama techniques were applied to the second experimental group in 14 sessions. No application has been done to the control group. After the groups ended, the Aggression Scale was re-administered to all groups as a post test. 16 weeks after ending the groups, the scale was administered one more time to the experimental groups as a follow up test. Findings were analyzed with ANCOVA and t test for dependent samples. Findings have showed that cognitive-behavioral approach was effective in decreasing aggression scores, except verbal aggression and psychodrama approach was effective in decreasing all aggression scores except verbal physical aggression. ANCOVA analyses showed that cognitive-behavioral approach was more effective in decreasing total aggression, physical aggression, and anger than psychodrama. Follow up test results showed that the effects of group practices on both experimental groups were lasting even 16 weeks later.

This article provides a particular view on the use of Functional Analytical Psychotherapy (FAP) in a group therapy format. This view is based on the author's experiences as a supervisor of Functional Analytical Psychotherapy Groups, including groups for women with depression and groups for chronic pain patients. The contexts in which this approach emerged are presented. With the help of the terms technique and tactic, an attempt is made to pinpoint how exactly the tasks of the therapist in conducting FAP are put into practice in the group. During the explanation of these ideas, a series of examples of how FAP can work in the group setting are given. These contributions are aimed at stimulating divergent thinking about, and experimentation with, FAP in group settings.

Contingency management (CM) for drug abstinence has been applied to individuals independently even when delivered in groups. We developed a group CM intervention in which the behavior of a single, randomly selected, anonymous individual determined reinforcement delivery for the entire group. We also compared contingencies placed only on cocaine abstinence (CA) versus one of four behaviors (CA, treatment attendance, group CM attendance, and methadone compliance) selected randomly at each drawing. Two groups were formed with 22 cocaine-dependent community-based methadone patients and exposed to both CA and multiple behavior (MB) conditions in a reversal design counterbalanced across groups for exposure order. The group CM intervention proved feasible and safe. The MB condition improved group CM meeting attendance relative to the CA condition. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)

Contingency management (CM) is effective in enhancing retention in therapy. After an 8-week baseline, four community-based substance abuse treatment clinics were exposed in random order to 16 weeks of standard care with CM followed by 16 weeks of standard care without CM or vice versa. In total, 75 outpatients participated. Patients who were enrolled in the clinics when the CM treatment phase was in effect attended a significantly greater percentage of therapy sessions than patients who were enrolled in treatment when CM was not in effect. This study is one of the first to investigate CM in community settings implemented entirely by community clinicians, and results suggest that CM is effective in improving therapy attendance. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)

This paper is an adaptation of Kohlenberg and Tsai's work, Functional Analytical Psychotherapy (1991), or FAP, to group psychotherapy. This author applied a behavioral rationale for interpersonal process groups by illustrating key points with a hypothetical client. Suggestions are also provided for starting groups, identifying goals, educating clients, and making use of FAP in beginning the group process.

In Minnesota treatment, the therapists aim at breaking clients' denial to encourage them to accept their addiction. However, the confrontation is risky since, instead of making the patient ready for a change, it may strengthen resistance against the diagnosis of addiction and the treatment recommendations. We will explore the role of laughter in confrontational practices. The study is based on conversation analysis of group therapy sessions in an inpatient addiction treatment clinic in Finland (7.5 hours of data altogether). The laughter prevails in three different kinds of practice: laughing off the troubles, strengthening the confrontation by laughing at the patient, and ameliorating the confrontation. Laughter is a flexible device for preventing or resolving the possible risks of confrontation. (Contains 6 footnotes.)

This brief report examines the benefits of a creative art therapy group program for outpatients suffering from psychiatric disorders. Included is a review of relevant treatment outcomes literature on the effectiveness of group art therapy. The authors describe the Creative Art Therapy Group Program offered to adult psychiatric outpatients that is followed in various teaching hospitals. Case examples illustrate the clinical effectiveness of creative art therapy groups and highlight specific changes that improved patients' quality of life. The report's findings suggest that participating in a Creative Art Therapy Group Program is a beneficial treatment for patients in ambulatory psychiatric clinics. (Contains 8 figures.)

This article examines how altered books can be used in art therapy with adolescents. An altered book is a published book that has been changed into a new work of visual art through various art processes such as painting, drawing, collage, writing, and embellishment. Books are discussed as an art canvas on which to provide stimulation, structure, portability, and increased opportunities for reflection. Altered book making is an option for art therapists who are looking for a means to provide containment while promoting creativity. Case examples of using altered books in art therapy groups with adolescents are featured. (Contains 4 figures.)

This study summarized two treatment research studies and included recidivism data for two years post discharge for group therapy. The study compared Mode deactivation Therapy (MDT), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), and Social Skills training (SST), results of the MDT series of studies and the two year post-study recidivism data. The data from the studies of Apsche and his colleagues (Apsche, Bass, Siv 2005; Apsche, Bass, Jennings, Murphy, Hunter, and Siv, 2005), were used to demonstrate the overall efficiency in treatment of MDT. The follow-up data suggests the MDT has positive generalization effects post-treatment. (Contains 6 figures and 5 tables.)

Fire-setting students are those who intentionally or unintentionally set one or more fires due to curiosity, stress, a need for attention, or due to criminal delinquency. This article describes the nature of fire-setting behaviors, discusses the profile and risk factors associated with the behavior, and outlines a group program using empathy training and solution focused brief therapy. The benefits of using solution focused brief therapy and empathy training are discussed along with specific techniques involved in using each component.

This pilot study examined whether aggressive responses and attitudes of high-risk adolescent girls would decrease after a group treatment that focused on the specific needs of aggressive adolescent girls. Twelve girls, aged 12-16 years from two residential facilities, participated in eight, one-hour group sessions. Results indicated a statistically significant decrease in direct aggression responses and antisocial beliefs from pretest to posttest, but no significant changes on prosocial responses or attitudes toward other girls. There were significant correlations between direct aggression and antisocial beliefs, (r (11) = .49, p is less than .05), and between age and aggression, (r(11) = -.59, p is less than .05), indicating that older adolescents chose less aggressive responses than younger adolescents. The results are discussed from a feminist, ecological understanding of the importance of developing gender-sensitive programming to deal effectively with adolescent female aggression.

The effects of a cancer diagnosis can be devastating and far-reaching. Expressive-supportive group therapy has proven useful for treating patients struggling with many of these effects. In addition, individual therapeutic writing methods have shown benefit for many individuals addressing a variety of difficult life circumstances including cancer. In this article, we describe specific techniques and processes of an innovative expressive journaling group for cancer patients offered at a comprehensive cancer centre in western Canada. Further, we discuss existential and constructivist connections to our clients' experiences and our work. In addition, we note specific practice considerations and references. Finally, implications for research into journal writing groups are provided.