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  It’s as if group members become mirrors for one another or as Dr. Yalom states “Given enough time, group members will begin to be themselves: they will interact with the group members as they interact with others in their social sphere, will create in the group the same interpersonal universe they have always inhabited. In other word, client will, over time, automatically and enviably begin to display their maladaptive interpersonal behavior in the therapy group.” It is this process that works so well to address character issues within each client that is contributing to or interfering with their quality of life. It also teaches us, the group facilitators, a thing or two about our own character. After all, we become group members as well, sometimes reluctantly other times willingly. The group process can be a powerful one where people learn to develop alternative ways of interacting with others and are confronted regarding maladaptive ones. This helped me to understand with more clarity the impact of a person’s group/system on their quality of life. This includes the “group” that is their family, their peers, their church, their co-workers, their classmates, and their alumni associates. All of which can be understood using the group process as a model and can help clinicians see patterns in a client’s behavior that are either strengths or weaknesses.

*Disclaimer: This post and others serve to add to the counseling community from my perspective. I am not an expert in the above mentioned subjects, however I love asking and attempting to answers questions that will eventually get me there.