Adolescent Group Therapy: A Social Competency Model

This book offers a health-oriented, integrative approach to adolescent group therapy. George R. Holmes and his associates believe that promoting social competency in each adolescent group member is central to successful therapy. The enablement of interpersonal skills neutralizes the environmentally sponsored psychopathology that adolescents use to survive. The authors also emphasize the co-therapy relationship. They offer recommendations for supervising trainee therapists and for applying their model to other contexts, such as high schools.

The authors discuss strategies developed in their clinical work, covering such issues as scapegoating, silence, and withdrawal. They explore how processes, roles, and meaningful issues change over the life of the group. Social competency should be the main focus, they argue: it is essential to nurturing self-parenting skills and a healthy identity. The co-therapy relationship--the interaction between co-therapists and among co-therapists and group members--also greatly determines therapeutic change. The book includes recommendations for supervising trainee therapists and for applying this model to other contexts, such as high schools. Adolescent Group Therapy will be of interest to students and to teachers and professionals in psychology, counseling, vocational rehabilitation, social work, nursing, education, and child and adolescent psychiatry.

This integrative approach to adolescent group therapy advocates a focus on health in each group member. Holmes and his associates offer recommendations for supervising trainee therapists and for applying their model to various settings.

GEORGE R. HOLMES is Professor of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychology at the William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute.

ROBERT V. HECKEL is Professor of Psychology at the University of South Carolina.

LUCILLE GORDON has a private practice and is Executive Director of the United Behavioral Clinics of Columbia.