Rayna D Markin, Dennis M Kivlighan, Cheri Marmarosh, Sabrina Ge, Paul L Hewitt
{"title":"Predicting Change in Emotional Distress from Language Characteristics of Group Psychodynamic Therapy for Perfectionism: An Empirical Case Study.","authors":"Rayna D Markin, Dennis M Kivlighan, Cheri Marmarosh, Sabrina Ge, Paul L Hewitt","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2456006","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2456006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"503-538"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143988806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Élisabeth Lamoureux, Karen Ghoussoub, Yoram Shir, Marc O Martel, Zakhar Prylutskyy, M Gabrielle Pagé
{"title":"Exploring Pain-Severity and Psychological-Flexibility Trajectories During Group-Based Psychotherapy for Chronic Pain.","authors":"Élisabeth Lamoureux, Karen Ghoussoub, Yoram Shir, Marc O Martel, Zakhar Prylutskyy, M Gabrielle Pagé","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2469132","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2469132","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"467-502"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144015101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Julia Riddell, Darren Neufeld, Jolene Kinley, Dylan Davidson, Natalie Mota, Jo Ann Unger, Christine Henriksen, Tara Conway, Jonathan Jette, Depeng Jiang
{"title":"Effectiveness of Eight-Session Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Classes for Reducing Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and Emotional Dysregulation in a Transdiagnostic Population.","authors":"Julia Riddell, Darren Neufeld, Jolene Kinley, Dylan Davidson, Natalie Mota, Jo Ann Unger, Christine Henriksen, Tara Conway, Jonathan Jette, Depeng Jiang","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2454677","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2454677","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"539-569"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143781502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Allison R Battles, Robert A Curland, Patrick J Cruitt
{"title":"A Pilot Evaluation of a Therapeutically Applied Tabletop Role Playing Game Group Therapy Among Veterans.","authors":"Allison R Battles, Robert A Curland, Patrick J Cruitt","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2454666","DOIUrl":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2454666","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"443-466"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143732281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paul L Hewitt, David Kealy, Anna Kristen, Martin M Smith, Ella Davidson, Danielle S Molnar
{"title":"Therapeutic Mentalization in Group Therapy: Development and Preliminary Validation of a Measure of Experienced Mentalization.","authors":"Paul L Hewitt, David Kealy, Anna Kristen, Martin M Smith, Ella Davidson, Danielle S Molnar","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2497237","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2025.2497237","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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<sub>age</sub> = 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.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-32"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144180993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aurélie Montagne, Sara Cohen-Fournier, Lucie Dubes, Laurence Ducharme, Bintou-Miranda Sanokho, Roshni Alam, Cécile Rousseau, Helen Noble, Rachel Langevin, Zoë Thomas
{"title":"Teletherapy Groups for Complex Trauma: Probing Patient Experiences.","authors":"Aurélie Montagne, Sara Cohen-Fournier, Lucie Dubes, Laurence Ducharme, Bintou-Miranda Sanokho, Roshni Alam, Cécile Rousseau, Helen Noble, Rachel Langevin, Zoë Thomas","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2497239","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2025.2497239","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-28"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144121109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tate Henderson, Jacob Bingham, Gabriel Hoose, Tate Paxton, Michaela Thackeray, Cameron Alldredge, Gary Burlingame
{"title":"Alliance and Cohesion Predicting Outcome in Group Psychotherapy: A Structural Equation Model Meta-Analysis.","authors":"Tate Henderson, Jacob Bingham, Gabriel Hoose, Tate Paxton, Michaela Thackeray, Cameron Alldredge, Gary Burlingame","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2499046","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2025.2499046","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Within group psychotherapy, previous meta-analyses have shown that the client-therapist relationship (</i>alliance<i>) and group relationships (</i>cohesion<i>) both predict client improvement. Accounting for the inherent connection between alliance and cohesion, we meta-analyzed studies (<i>k</i> = 14) that individually measured alliance, cohesion, and an outcome among group therapy participants. A random-effects, two-stage structural equation model found that alliance (<i>b</i> = .12) and cohesion (<i>b</i> = .12) uniquely predicted outcome and were statistically indistinguishable. Findings replicate past meta-analyses. Alliance and cohesion are highly related, and both uniquely predict outcome. Minimal studies and large heterogeneity limit generalizability, but we encourage clinicians to foster all therapeutic relationships and we provide researchers with suggestions for future work.</i></p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-28"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Qualitative Study of Turkish Counseling Students' Experiences in a Dual Role as Group Member and Leader in a Supervised Training Group.","authors":"Gülfem Çakir-Çelebi, Seval Apaydin","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2497238","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2025.2497238","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-31"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"On the Psychology of \"Mattering\" in Group Psychotherapy: A Modern Psychoanalytic Perspective.","authors":"Aaron E Black","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2497242","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2025.2497242","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-30"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Self-Development in Group Therapy with Neurodivergent Youth.","authors":"Kevin B Hull, Sam Steen","doi":"10.1080/00207284.2025.2484176","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2025.2484176","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":46441,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Group Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":"1-34"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144054349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}