Reviewing the origins of group therapy and group psychotherapy in the United States goes back to the turn of the century. For example, early empirical small action-group studies stemming from Pratt (1906), Freud (1922), Burrows (1927), and Moreno (1953) are some of the earliest reviews. Although these studies were deep-rooted, there was no organization at this time supporting group therapy. This paucity was addressed in the United States, where the need for formalizing group therapy was addressed. Thus, organizational roots emerged in the 1940s in two separate interdisciplinary organizations: the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) and the American Society for Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (ASGPP). These organizations were started in 1942 in New York City by Samuel Slavson and Jacob Levy Moreno, respectively. Both men displayed robust personalities impeding the way of coming together to form one group therapy organization.
Consequently, they formed two separate groups. Moreno’s organization stressed the psychodrama side of group psychotherapy and Slavson’s focused on psychodynamic group therapy. Many mental health care providers who were interested in group psychotherapy in those early years, were associated with one or both of these organizations. Although in the past the division created dissension among therapists, we are now witnessing mental health professionals being involved in both organizations in both leadership and clinical roles.
Since that time recent group associations emerged, including the International Association for Group Therapy and Group Processes (1973), The Association of Specialists in Group Work (1975), and American Psychological Association approved the Division of Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy in (1991). Today many members are affiliated with both organizations.
To further organizational d growth, The American Psychological Association, The Society for Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy, The American Group Psychotherapy Association, and the German Health Ministry have committed financial support to create an evidence-based group treatment (EBGT) website. This website would be widely available to clinicians and the public. The purpose of the EBGT website is to provide a centralized, updated location which houses the current evidence-based group treatments by disorder and treatment type. The meta-analyses show group therapy to be a proficient modality, according to Burlingame, Strauss, and Joyce (2013), who demonstrated there is sufficient data showing that the group therapy modality is as efficient and effective as individual therapy. This will be helpful for all group organizations, perhaps a meeting point to continue talking with each other.
To further the interdisciplinary collaboration, The Group Psychologist has initiated two group therapy columns, one focusing on process group therapy and the other addressing experiential group therapy. The process group therapy column is shared with the Psychodrama Network Newsletter. The sharing of group therapy modalities is critical in promoting group psychotherapy. Please let us know if you’d like to be interviewed for one of these columns or to submit your own column.
Thomas Treadwell, EdD, CGP
Editor
Leann Terry Diederich, PhD
Associate Editor
References
The American Group Psychotherapy Association, n.d.)https://www.agpa.org/
American Psychological Association, Division 49, Society of Group Psychology & Group Psychotherapy (n.d.)https://www.apadivisions.org/division-49/
American Society of Group Psychotherapy, Psychodrama & Sociometry (n.d.) https://asgpp.org/
Association of Specialists in Group Work. (N.D.) https://asgw.org/
Burlingame, G., Strauss, B., & Joyce, A. (2013). Change mechanisms and effectiveness of small group treatments. In M. J. Lambert (Ed.), Bergin & Garfield’s Handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change (6th ed.) (pp. 640-689). New York: Wiley & Sons.
Burrow, T.,(1927).the group method of analysis. Psychoanalytic review. 14:268-280 https://pep-web.org/browse/document/PSAR.014.0268A
Moreno, J.L. (1946/1980). Psychodrama (6th ed.). Vol. 1, Beacon,NY: Beacon House.
Moreno, J.L. (1953). Who shall survive? Foundations of sociometry, group psychotherapy and sociodrama. Beacon House Inc. Beacon, NY.
International Association for Group Therapy and Group Processes. (2022, February 9)https://www.iagp.com/
Pratt, J. (1906). The Home Sanatorium Treatment of Consumption. Boston medical and surgical journal : https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM190602221540803
Unification Through Division: Histories of the Divisions of the American Psychological Association, Vol. 3, edited by D. A. Dewsbury 1999 American Psychological Association. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/10281-007