This is a great book to understand how to have groups and the steps in understanding how.

It's been a month... where is my book? I don't know, I haven't gotten it yet. I've gotten the other book I bought in the same order, a used book. I have yet to see the new book. This is very disappointing. It's hard to wait for a book and get further and further behind in my studies. I should have gone to a different site.

This was a very helpful manual for Group Therapy. It was a little lengthy in spots, but I would recommend it for anyone interested in improving their skills as a group counselor.

Yalom did a superb job in taking his readers through the process- the world of group psychotherapy. I especially appreciate reading about the cases to see how the theories actually came together. I have learned so much from a pro!

i was very pleased with the product i ordered arriving on time and in the condition promised

A real masterpiece! Astonishingly comprehensive, most excellently and lucidly written,interesting, profound, convincing, frank and open-minded, and contains, in my opinion, the best of group thinking and pracice.

Plain and simple, Yalom's seminal text on group therapy is a MUST for anyone wishing to perform therapy in this format. While he comes from a Gestalt standpoint, I feel he remains fairly objective in both his recommendations and observations from his experience. He does a good job at incorporating the latest research to back up his viewpoints as well. His examples are clear and thought-provoking, and he spells out everything in an easy to understand manner. He himself has said that he's more of a writer than a psychologist (and I believe him after seeing his therapy videos!). I learned so much from this book that I don't know where to begin. With every sentence came an "a ha" moment for me! *Note: Keep a highlighter in hand while you read.* Even though its breadth is fairly daunting (with almost 700 pages), Theory & Practice is WELL worth the read....and re-read. I've referred to it repeatedly throughout my experience running groups. Can't recommend this one highly enough.

I've read a lot of Yalom's work and have been fortunate enough to find material by his wife. As a counselor who has worked in the trenches for over 23 years I appreciate his perspective, knowledge, wisdom and insight.

This book never fails to deliver. While this is a lengthy tome of material to digest, I've found that it reads like a novel and left me feeling more hopeful as I came away with more insights, more skills, and a deep appreciation for the work I do and Yalom's contribution to the field.

I hope he continues to write.

There is a newer edition but there was $45. difference-not work the extra. It's been a bible of group for my interns and myself, a psychiatric social worker with mentally ill offenders.

This book is simply the best there is for the novice as well as the experienced group leader. I plan on keeping it in my bookcase for years to come.

I advocate using this book if you need to find good guidelines on establishing a group meeting or studying for comp exams. Great reference tool when you get into practice also. Good easy read.

Yalom is ever the master on the topic of group therapy. This is of course, a must read for any novice in the area of group therapy. It is also, as I have discovered, an essential treasure chest for those of us who wish to improve our skills.

This is the fundamental book for anyone who does group work. For a therapist, a minister, any type of of leader or director. This book expertly describes how to deal with difficult members and provides the foundation for any type of group.

It is really wonderful to rely on you for purchases. I am extremely grateful because all items bought have been forwarded and on time.
Dan

This book was a required reading for one of my classes at school. I am familiar with Yalom's work after he became an author of more popular literature (The Gift of Therapy, Love's Executioner, etc.) so I was half expecting this book to be written in the same style. It is written like a text book. At times, you can see Yalom's personality coming through, but most of it is dry and rather unemotional. However, this book is still edifying and (while not entertaining) easily read.

Yalom has vast knowledge and experience with group therapy, and in this book he imparts it to neophyte counselors in a logical and detailed format. He carefully explains the therapeutic value of a group, the factors necessary to facilitate change, and the role of the therapist. He emphasizes the here-and-now focus, and how group members create a social microcosm of their life within the therapy group. Yalom advises on practical matters, like the selection of clients and the creation of the group. He then carefully explores the stages that groups move through, and some problem members that one could encounter.

The drawbacks of this volume include the length - it is excessively long (they could cut chapter 9) due to the verbosity of the author. I had to look up several words and phrases that I was unfamiliar with, and I have to admit, some pages bored me. Nevertheless, for a text, this is a great book. I read every page, to the end, even the unassigned chapters. I'll keep this in my library for reference, and I hope to be able to refer to it repeatedly.

Yalom has vast knowledge and experience with group therapy, and in this book he imparts it to neophyte counselors in a logical and detailed format. He carefully explains the therapeutic value of a group, the factors necessary to facilitate change, and the role of the therapist. He emphasizes the here-and-now focus, and how group members create a social microcosm of their life within the therapy group. Yalom advises on practical matters, like the selection of clients and the creation of the group. He then carefully explores the stages that groups move through, and some problem members that one could encounter.

The drawbacks of this volume include the length - it is excessively long (they could cut chapter 9) due to the verbosity of the author. I had to look up several words and phrases that I was unfamiliar with, and I have to admit, some pages bored me. Nevertheless, for a text, this is a great book. I read every page, to the end, even the unassigned chapters. I'll keep this in my library for reference, and I hope to be able to refer to it repeatedly.

This is an excellent book for group counseling practice. It provides lots of cases with comments and reflections.

A comprehensive text that is easy to read and comprehend.Very helpful for anyone planning to lead a group in therapy.

A comprehensive text that is easy to read and comprehend.Very helpful for anyone planning to lead a group in therapy.

he's done it again...yalom has an amazing insight into human nature and the healing components of therapy of any modality. to fully appreciate this book, as well as his other works, you have to at least be okay with the notions of existentialism, as his conceptualization and methodologies are built on the basic premises of this theory. i have shared his works with intelligent and particularly introspective patients, and they really seem to relate to his notions. thinking outside the box is important to appreciating yalom, in my opinion, as he does not subscribe to standard cognitive-behavioral or psychodynamic notions. these are very important and useful approaches, but existentialism is a horse of a different color and encourages patients to consider themselves and the lives they are living in a different way. this book takes these important concepts and applies them to group therapy in a very practical way.

he's done it again...yalom has an amazing insight into human nature and the healing components of therapy of any modality. to fully appreciate this book, as well as his other works, you have to at least be okay with the notions of existentialism, as his conceptualization and methodologies are built on the basic premises of this theory. i have shared his works with intelligent and particularly introspective patients, and they really seem to relate to his notions. thinking outside the box is important to appreciating yalom, in my opinion, as he does not subscribe to standard cognitive-behavioral or psychodynamic notions. these are very important and useful approaches, but existentialism is a horse of a different color and encourages patients to consider themselves and the lives they are living in a different way. this book takes these important concepts and applies them to group therapy in a very practical way.

this truly is the universal group therapy handbook. it is extremely helpful for those practicing with long running groups. the case studies provide excellent illustration of the concepts discussed. it is a highly practical text with applications to both the group counseling realm, as well as the individual counseling realm.

Yalom's techniques are timeless, as long as human nature and how it plays out in social interactions transcends time and place. Thus, decades after publication, this book of group therapy lives on, whereas others, more faddish, are either narrowly focused on sufferers of the "disease of the year", or, in the case of "pragmatic", short-term "manual-based" groups which insurance companies favor, assume that all one has to do is give the patient the right recipe and 8 weeks to practice it, and they'll be cured of life-long ingrained pathological behaviors.
Anyone who thinks this book is "out of touch" or demonstrates a lack of empathy by Yalom, probably has a pet style of group therapy, and an axe to grind. Often, seemingly more empathic therapists, run groups in which everyone takes turns getting sympathy, distress is "validated", whereas the patient's contribution to it is ignored, and the premise is that sufferers are misunderstood victims of a neglected disease who are finally in the hands of someone who "gets it". Usually therapists who lead such groups, don't only wish to empathize, but are driven by a wish to feed their own vision of their specialness as the champions of the underdogs.
One of Yalom's greatest contributions is the effectiveness with which he used the group approach to exactly show patients how they cause their own distress--by creating a group atmosphere in which members play out their poor social skills, and get the powerful impact of peer feedback on this. He did so in a way which demonstrated genuine empathy in action: by steering members to identify (and empathize) not only with each others' misery, but with each others' strengths. Sympathy without a kick in the [...], is patronizing, and implies inequality. Sympathy with a kick in the [...] (always best given by peers), is sympathy with belief in your power--this shows respect for all of you, your strengths and your miseries. THIS is empathy. THIS is what empowers group members to overcome their problems. And this truth, will never go out of date.

It is about time Yalom stopped expending his already out of touch books on group therapy. His first edition was an asset in the beginning development of group therapy but his many editions are just another way of selling books. In many cases his more recent editions give graduate students an unrealistic and often out of touch perspective on group psychotherapy. One only has to watch one of Yalom's group therapy videos to really see the detachment and lack of feeling this man produces in his work. The book was a bore but there will always be those groupies through cognitive disonance who will aplaud its great contribution. I feel sorry for the clients who come to their groups if they model themselves after Yalom. Sort of similar to all those Benjamin Spock babies running around after their mothers raised their kids by his book and are now completely neurotic.

As a former hospital chaplain, mental health therapist, and one-time patient, I am greatly put off by the author's assumptions and arrogance concerning group therapy. His attempts to "bring out" and "socialize" Highly Sensitive Personalities, Introverts and those with Schizo-social disorders borders on criminal. Starting with p.231, the author spins a rather slanted bias in favor of extroversion, brashly assuming that introverted patients need "fixed" if they are to be productive and happy in a group therapy environment. Such gross insensitivity and ignorance is unfortunate, misleading, and inexcusable in a scholarly text such as this.

I read this book for one of my college courses (group therapy) and cannot express my gratitude for having come across this book. Mr. Yalom dissects and explains nearly all imaginable aspects of group process, from before the first meeting to well after termination. Beyond that, he provides wonderful insight into human behavior. This information is invaluable to me. I agree that it should be required reading for anyone seeking a profession in human services. Yalom is the man!!

Nobody should do group psychotherapy without reading this book.

I am currently using this for class and it is a very good book. Yalom, explains the process of group work and what aspect of the process works and what doesn't. You will be able to use what you read in this book with your own groups. Expects some laughs because there's a lot of humor also. You won't be bored.

Dr. Yalom's book is not only a veritable masterpiece, but a tour de force that deals with everything you ever wanted to know about group psychotherapy.

Comprehensive without being pedantic, thorough without being dense, Dr. Yalom puts the group process under a magnifying glass and, in straightforward easy-to-understand language and conceptualization, gently guides the student through all of the subtlties and nuances of group work.

I had to purchase this book for use as the main text in a group process course, but this book will remain on my shelf long after I have taken the course. Dr. Yalom's keen insight into not just how/why groups behave and function the way they do, but also his insight into basic human nature, has made this book very enjoyable as well as educational.

I have used Irvin Yalom's text for three years as a companion to a process-oriented ten week group experience for undergraduate psychology students. The students have complained of Yalom's exceptional vocabulary and historical and literary allusions, but some have apparently managed to read the parcels I've assigned and have reported appreciating the wonderful vision and breadth of Yalom's novel-like presentation.
I enjoyed this book immensely as a graduate student of counseling and have found it to be a wonderful resource. It has been very enjoyable to watch my students see Yalom's principles get played out in our demonstration group and it has been gratifying to see these forces affect my clients therapeutically even with the limitations of managed care. In fact, I would say that Yalom's existential leanings are very consistent with strength-based, solution-focused psychotherapy.

This book is one that every graduate student in psychology or beginning therapist should read and have on their shelf. Yalom covers and discusses many important aspects of group therapy such as interpersonal learning, basic thearpist tasks, the idea of working in the here-and-now, therapist transference and transparency, selection of patients, creating a group, problem patients and training the group therapist. Yalom addresses this book to new therapists just starting out, as well as therapists who have been in the field for some time. Yalom presents the new therapist with the many considerations that need to be looked at when forming a group and actually leading a group and he assists the therapists who have been in the field for some time with ways in which to sharpen or improve their skills. Yalom's book appears to be based on highly functioning upper middle class individuals who seem to have good jobs and relationships with their family, friends and spouses. One may gather this assumption from the clinical vignettes and cases that Yalom presents throughout the entire book. Yalom incorporates much of his own practical experience with individuals in the groups that he has led himself, which makes his book feel like you are reading a novel and not a textbook per se. Although Yalom based his book on highly functioning upper middle class individuals, he never addressed the idea of group therapy with children or individuals of different ethnic backgrounds, which seem to be two important areas in today's society, especially within the realm of therapy. Yalom incorporates a rigorous research base within his text, such as discussing some of the current treatment modes and the diagnostic criteria for managed care, which other authors tend to maybe leave out or not touch upon, in essence leading the reader to believe that what Yalom speaks about is true, factual and practical when referring to group therapy. Although Yalom conducted an extensive amount of research on the area of managed care, I do not think it is possible for an individual to be covered by a managed health care or insurance company for a group that is conducted over a one to two year period, as Yalom presents in some of his clinical vignettes. One thing that I think Yalom has done that other authors have not is present the reader with twelve variables that he refers to as "therapeutic factors," (i.e. instillation of hope, universality, altruism, and group cohesiveness) which in essence are the driving tools and elements that assist therapy groups with rectifying individual character distortions. Yalom's book assisted our graduate psychology class in gaining an immense amount of insight and depth into the area of group therapy in such a short amount of time. Yalom's book is one that should be included in all graduate programs in psychology!

Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy by Dr. Yalom is an excellent book from which to gain knowledge and understanding of the dynamics of group process and also and essential piece of literature to keep at hand as a valuable reference book. This is the book that should be part of the therapy room equipment. I found this book to be pretty comprehensive and well written. Each chapter unfolds in a refined, detailed, manner providing depth in understanding every step of the process of group therapy. Yalon goes beyond reminding us of the importance of the therapeutic environment to provide a safe and warm place to facilitate sharing and disclosing. He expands from his theoretical framework to explain group dynamics in practical, concrete, ways through the use of terminology from other philosophical views and perspectives. He also stresses the need for therapists to strive to create a therapeutic culture in which the group and individual members can begin to take the roles they play in their natural environments. His whole approach to the process of group therapy is existential emphasizing on the "Here and now" and focusing on what is going on in the immediate present of the group. Evidence of his existential approach can be seen throughout the book with his consistent theme of interpersonal learning, self-exploration, self-growth, and taking responsibility for changing one's behavior to enhance personal life. Yalon provides answers to the questions he anticipates his readers may have. Questions such as regarding the creation of a group, and probable problems encountered during the course of different phases of group therapy. He goes on to explain in a detailed, specific manner, different variables that may influence the success of the group. He also provides possible solutions to these problems and transmits to the reader a sense of faith on the success of the group, and the process of the group learning experience. An important aspect, that yalon neglected when writing this book, is cultural diversity. It appears that the results of the research mentioned in his book can not be generalized to populations other than white, middle class adults, who are at a certain intellectual level of functioning, and who are motivated to work to change. Other than that, this book is an excellent resource book "To keep and to hold till'..." another better book comes along and "Do us apart"..

Yalom's book, The Theory And Practice of Group Psychotherapy, is written in such a way that a reader with a fair understanding of psychological theory and clinical practice can understand and utilize the material presented. As a student, I found the book extremely helpful as the material was presented in such a way that I will be able to use it in the future should I decide to practice group therapy; of which, I am interested. I found the structure of the book helpful as the table of contents led me through the book in a progressive manner that provided me with motivation to keep reading. This structure began with an overview of a study that presented what patients found helpful in a group therapy setting and the process through which this learning took place. Important topics, and why these topics are important, are thoroughly explained. Topics that I especially found important were "the therapeutic factors", interpersonal learning, group cohesiveness, working in the "here-and-now", transference and transparency, creation of the group, and the specialized formats and procedural aids for therapists. The benefit of being able to utilize the material in the future made the length of the book much more appealing. Yalom covers material that will help me start a group, move a group along and understand the dynamics of transference and how it works for a therapist if it is recognized and understood. In the future I may find that Yalom does not cover something that should have been included in the book but had not been, but as of yet I will be confident as a group therapist, or cotherapist, with the material covered in the book. This book, along with the education and training that I have had this year at my training sight and in practicum, have provided me with the tools that I will need to be confident as a beginning group leader and therapist.

No lengthy explanation needed here. I am a graduate counseling psychology student with a particular interest and experience in groups. We refer to this particular Yalom book as the group therapy "bible," since it pretty much contains everything you could ever need to know about the basics of running therapy (and even support) groups. This is one of very few books I've had to read for school that I actually couldn't STOP reading--it's that good. My professor for this course has been doing groups for over 20 years and says she still refers back to this book for insight when leading her groups. Also check out Yalom's book on existential therapy! There is some case study overlap with the group book, but it's another favorite. And don't let the size of this book intimidate you. You won't be able to put it down! Yalom is the man . . . Happy reading!

The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy is the first text I've enjoyed reading as a psychology graduate student. Other texts have been useful and have provided me with knowledge. This book did that and more, it provided vignettes that brought Yalom's statements, research findings, and observations to life. The pages became practical as well as meaningful. In the first 216 pages of this book, Yalom lays down a much needed foundation of group psychotherapy for the neophyte therapist. These pages not only build a case for group work efficacy, but it gave the reader a workable foundation upon which to build on.I enjoyed the practicality of the chapters discussing the formation of a group. From this a psychology graduate student can easily delineate what a successful group would look like, how often it would meet, for how long, and where to meet. It is self evident that Yalom has done extensive group therapy research, for he did not provide concrete information with out backing it up with research. I haven't read too many texts in which the author takes such effort to back up his/her conclusions. This book is jammed packed with practical information and techniques a graduate student as myself can utilize when beginning their first group experience. Many details are included such as getting supervision, the leader's role, techniques, and the use of audiovisual tapes. These details along with theory and vignettes create a comprehensive and palatable resource manual on how to develop and conduct an adult psychotherapy group. However, there were a couple of topics he left out. Although, Yalom clearly indicates he does not approve with the HMO movement of brief therapy, it is a reality. He indicated that he likes his groups to meet for 18 months. Neophyte therapist at internship sites and post graduate sites are dealing with HMOs, college campus psychological clinics, school based setting, etc. and this length of time is never an option. He doesn't have to agree with such time constraints, but not address them is a disservice to novice therapists. The neophyte therapist is clearly his audience in this book, thus it is important he address the audience's needs. He should know what is expected of us in our profession. What is often expected of us, is to work with clients within eight to ten sessions. I would have loved to receive practical ways of conducting and modifying his approach to fit the time constraints that I and other neophyte therapists face. I work in a school based counseling program. Many of the children are so emotionally and verbally impaired, that I do not think they would provide the group with much, if any, verbal material. I'd like to know how Yalom feels about child group work and how he'd make the preliminary preparations and conduct sessions. Children have very different capabilities and needs, and I would have liked Yalom to address them.

Yalom's revolutionary book, The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy, is essential reading for the graduate student in therapy and counseling. It provides a comprehensive guide to the group experience, from the beginning to the end, and everywhere in between. It includes how one would create a group, problems to expect, and practical solutions to these problems. The book does not read as a typical textbook, but as a novel. The author's style is informative, but not laden with academic jargon. The high readability is also due to the fact that Yalom includes real-life examples throughout the entire book. This helps the reader to apply theory to situations that will be encountered in the course of conducting group therapy. Each chapter is outlined explicitly, which helps with future referencing. The most practical knowledge gained from reading this book is the emphasis the author places on the here-and-now process of group therapy. This is an aspect often overlooked by new group therapists. The explanation of group process demystifies the group experience and explains how it is that groups are beneficial to the members participating in them. This book is also practical in that it gives an explanation of all possible pitfalls encountered in the group setting, including problem patients and attrition in the group. The author helps the reader to know what to expect and how to handle problems when they arise. While this book was an extraordinary guide to the group experience, there were a few shortcomings. First of all, the book was based on outpatient groups Yalom lead at Stanford, which might not be applicable to all of the population. The reader is advised to take this into account when reading the book. Also, the groups were all long-term, sometimes lasting several years. In reality, this may not be a practical occurrence, as therapists may have trouble finding members that will commit themselves to such a long-term group. There were two major aspects of group therapy that needed more attention in this book. First of all, cross-cultural issues were not discussed in this book. This is an extremely important aspect of all therapy, and it was not addressed here. It is questionable that all of the results presented in this book would apply to multi-cultural situations. In addition, brief therapy groups were rarely mentioned in this book. In reality, therapists will probably conduct homogeneous brief therapy groups much more often in the course of their careers. The author included a chapter on the encounter group that was so popular in previous decades but is rarely used anymore. It would have been more fruitful to address the brief therapy group and omit the encounter group. Despite these shortcomings, this book is of extreme value to the new therapist. It includes the group in all aspects, and answers readers' questions before they are even asked. It should be mandatory reading material for all graduate students before they lead their first groups.

Irvin D. Yalom writes a magnificent book in The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy. This well written and thoughtful book covers many pertinent and related issues to the topic of group psychotherapy. Yalom incorporates experience and theory in order to display to the reader, a well formatted thesis containing valuable techniques which are directed not only to the novice therapist, but to the expert therapist as well. Some of the strong benefits of the book include: First and foremost, a dynamic and extremely gifted author in Irvin Yalom whose experience in the field is matched by few others, and whose writing throughout the book has an easy flow of readability which many other authors unfortunately lack. Yalom uses vignettes of previous experiences by both himself and other therapists throughout the entire book in order to give the reader a concrete and interesting example of how his theories are put into practice. This also gives the reader a rare look into many different types of groups and experiences which help the reader identify and get a clear picture of what a group therapy meeting looks and feels like. As Yalom writes, he has consideration for different viewpoints of other authors and theorists. He notes these differences and gives the reader reasons why he believes his techniques to be more effective and facilitating to the group process. He notes and discusses research in a palatable manner not loosing sight of the fact that his book is directed toward current and future therapists using practical techniques to help members of a psychotherapy group. A constant theme throughout the book is the concept of the "here and now" which Yalom uses to stress that the group should maintain focus on those things which are relevant to the current circumstances. This means that any topic or subject may be brought up in the group yet it is the therapist's and members of the group's duty to relate the experience to the "here and now" and how it relates to a person's or group's life today. Yalom also stresses that the group is like a microcosm of society and shows how many of the attitudes and types of individuals which are found in society at large can also be pronounced in a small group. He gives novice therapists guidelines and techniques on how to handle an array of circumstances in very positive and therapeutic manner. He also gives veteran therapists techniques on how to finely tune their approach in therapy, and possible solutions in solving problems which have likely alluded them in the past. A major quality about which impressed about the book was Yalom's periodic reminder of humility. Unlike many other professionals in the field who constantly remind us of how genius they are, and who write more to impress their colleagues than they do to reach individuals who might actually benefit from their work, Yalom lets the reader know one fact; that he is only human. Yalom gives examples in the book of mistakes he has made in the past while conducting groups, and he uses these experiences to teach the reader that mistakes are not only possibly to occur, they are likely to occur, and that often times a therapists can use the circumstances to make a more rich experience for members of a group. He encourages many types of human interaction in the group stressing that members stay in the "here and now" and that the therapist take on a role more like that of a member than a leader. Yalom even shows the reader how to create a group and how to handle certain types of clients an behaviors which can paralyze the group process. A shortcoming of the book is that it pays little if any attention to cultural factors. It also does not adequately cover the topic of brief therapy, which is becoming more popular and practical in modern times. Also, Yalom did not address how a therapist might strategically conduct group therapy while working with different means of payment which are common today. Despite these shortcomings, Yalom's "Group Psychotherapy" is a phenomenal book which is a must read for anyone in the field, and a great starter book for anyone who is interested in the topic.

Dear Dr. Yalom,Although you are a psychiatrist, you may equally be considered a psychologist, sociologist, philosopher and researcher. No wonder your book is in its fourth edition, been translated into twelve languages, and sold 700,000 copies. I had been doing group psychotherapy for several decades before being introduced to your text. You express many things I had considered but never refined. I sensed that therapy groups were cultures and had norms. I knew that people begin to display their "problems" in the group with more blatant problems appearing first. I knew empathetic understanding was curative. I knew these things but you add depth, research, connection to the behavioral sciences and literature, and your own creativity.Early in life you developed a notion that "writing a novel is the very finest thing a person can do." The novel and psychotherapy share the experience of human drama, from folly to inspiration. You see the psychotherapeutic novel unfolding before you. You demonstrate that therapeutic things occur in an atmosphere of safety and honest, self-disclosing communication. You examine group dynamics in theoretical, empirical and practical ways that go beyond a novel.In expressing the theoretical sections of the text, you sound more like a sociologist than a psychiatrist. You use the words norms, social microcosm, primary family, interpersonal learning, group cohesiveness, and altruism. Your knockout punch was the idea of a therapy group being a sociological entity known as a "social microcosm" and that the therapist's job is to create a therapeutic culture. Social microcosm refers to the idea that in a "freely interactive group" that meets for sixteen months or more, people will become who they are in the larger world and the individual's pathology will be played out before you on the group stage. Your philosophic leanings toward existentialism can be seen in your emphasis on concepts such as the "here and now," and the individual's acceptance of personal responsibility for change. "Here and now" focuses on an awareness of the intra-group relationships. The basic existential question you ask of clients is, "Are you happy with the social reality that you have created?" If not, the individual is asked to accept responsibility for changing it. Groups have PowerYou believe that group approaches must be evaluated by outcome research. Compelling evidence is presented in your text that groups are effective and not simply a low cost model of individual psychotherapy. Evidence suggests, "...that the outcome of group psychotherapy is virtually identical." You state that research finds that successful therapy, whether individual or group, is characterized by a therapist/ patient relationship of "trust, warmth, empathetic understanding and acceptance."The Power Elements of the GroupYou assert that there is something special about a group. You specify the factors that fuel the power of the group. Based on research of "most successful patients," you posit twelve variables, ranging from Altruism to Universality, that are the power elements enabling therapy groups to bring about corrections of personality distortions. You offer these as the therapeutic skeleton of any therapeutic group.Don Quixote Yalom Fights the WindmillI also appreciate your willingness to take on the giants, though there is not much chance of winning. You take on managed care, DSM-IV and labeling, and problem specific group therapy. Your quote below is one that most therapists can identify with."I've always agreed with Jung that a different therapy must be constructed for each patient ... As the years pass, this attitude moves me further and further away from the center of professional psychiatry, which is being fiercely driven by economic forces in precisely opposite directions- namely accurate de-individualizing (symptom based) diagnosis and uniform, protocol-driven, brief therapy for all."ConsiderationsThe weaknesses of your approach are similar to those of traditional verbal psychotherapy. Your subjects appear to be fairly highly functioning upper middle class adults with jobs and relationships. They seem to be individuals who have had experiences with individual therapy, read the latest self-help books, and are prone to self-analysis. You never approach the ideas of ethnic or cultural diversity and how this affects group dynamics. Would individuals of Asian, African-American or Arabic background find your approach to group beneficial? Are there special problems presented by children? Is this type of therapy equally effective for poor people? As a therapist I ask, "How often is a therapist able to convene the same group of five to ten people for eighteen months to two years?" This time period is not generally feasible as managed health would certainly have no part of it, private funding would be a burden for many, and insurance will no longer cover it. At the individual level, it is difficult to ask someone to commit for two-years. I'm not sure that I'd want to commit to a group for that period of time. Summary: You give us the concept of social microcosm, then you mix in norms such as honesty and self-disclosure, add a couple of jiggers of "here and now" and you have a therapeutic cocktail that addresses long term personality problems. You have probably done more research on group therapy than any other human animal in history. Your text combines the best available empirical evidence with touching vignettes and is accurately described as reading like a novel. Thank you for taking the slight of hand magic out of the group process and replacing it with substance. We have gained light and insight since the dark ages of group psychotherapy and your contribution has been a major part of that. My training in group psychotherapy consisted of being thrown into a group with a tape recorder and told to do group therapy, and that we would talk about it later in supervision. Thank God for progress and the accumulation of knowledge and research. You have taught us to be aware and sometimes share the unspoken parts of interactive experiences. Thank you.

Love, Peace, and Group Psychotherapy, Bill Lombardo, Ph.D.

Yalom's revolutionary book is essential reading for the graduate student in counseling. It provides a comprehenive guide to the group experience, form the beginning to the end, and everywhere in between. It includes how one would create a group, problems to expect and practical solutions to these problems. The book does not read as a typical textbook, but as a novel.The authors style is informative but not laden with jargon. The high readability is also due to the fact that Yalom includes real-life examples throughout the entire book. This helps the reader to apply theory to situations that will be encountered in the course of conducting group therapy. Each chapter is outlined explicitly, which helps with future referencing. The most practical knowledge gained from reading this book is the emphasis on the here and now process of group therapy. This is an aspect often overlooked by new group therapist. The explanation of group process demystifies the group experience and explains how groups are beneficial to the members participating in them. This book is also practical in that it gives an explanation of all possible pitfalls encountered in the group setting, including problem patients and attrition in the group. The author helps the reader to know what to expect and how to handle problems when they arise. While this book was an extraordinary guide to the group experience, there were a few shortcomings. First of all, the book was based on outpatient groups that Yalom led and supervised at Stanford University, which might not be applicable to all of the population. The reader is advised to take this into account when reading the book. Also, the groups were all long-term, sometimes lasting several years. In reality, this may not be a practical occurrence, as therapist may have trouble finding members that will commit themselves to such a long term group. There were two major aspects of group therapy that needed more attention in the book. First, cross cultural issues were not discussed. This is an extremely iimportant aspect of all therapy, and it was not addressed here. It is questionable that all the results presented in this book would apply to multi-cultural situations. In addition, brief therapy groups were rarely mentioned in this book. in reality, therapists will probably conduct homogeneous brief therapy groups much more often in the course of their careers. The author included a chapter on the encounter group that was popular in previous decades but is rarely used anymore. It would have been more fruitful to address the brief therapy group and omit the encoounter group. Despite these shortcomings, this book is of extreme value to the new therapist. It includes all aspects of group behaviior and answers the readers' questions before the are even asked. It should be mandatory reading material for all graduate students before they lead their first groups.

It's really wonderfull to find out that somebody have done this work to put in words all these groupphenomenons. And its easy to learn to see what is happening in groups, when you have readen this book.