Group Dynamics in Occupational Therapy: The Theoretical Basis and Practical Application Group Treatment

From The Critics

Reviewer: Jaime Phillip Munoz, MS, OTR/L(Univ of Illinois at Chicago Coll of Associated Health Professions)
Description: This book facilitates the therapist's use of theory in group therapy practice. It discusses the theoretical basis of group dynamics and reviews group treatment techniques from a variety of practice theories employed by occupational therapists.
Purpose: The book provides some limited background discussion of practice theories that is intended to assist students to compare and contrast the essential concepts of these theories. It also discusses a step-by-step process for group leadership and offers opportunities for the student to learn and practice this process using the various practice theories.
Audience: The text is intended for the occupational therapy student, but it may also prove to be a valuable reference for the therapist who would like to incorporate more theory-based group therapy into their current practice.
Features: The black-and-white illustrations are clear and well conceived. The author offers practice session plans, experiential exercises, and various worksheets that are helpful to the student and to the classroom instructor. There are also examples of appropriate group sessions for each of the practice theories discussed. Reference quality and quantity vary from chapter to chapter, and some practice theories are presented and discussed in more cursory ways. The author indicates that she has typically used a historical approach when citing the work of the original authors of the various practice theories. It would have been useful to have included published works of group interventions based on the practice theories covered in the text, perhaps as an additional bibliography.
Assessment: This is a useful book that can assist therapists to link theory to group practice and to examine the theoretical underpinnings of their current practice. For the instructor, it is a useful tool that can serve to build a student's effective group leadership skills as well as to provide practical, therapeutic activity suggestions that put into action concepts from a variety of practice theories.

Jaime Phillip Munoz

This book facilitates the therapist's use of theory in group therapy practice. It discusses the theoretical basis of group dynamics and reviews group treatment techniques from a variety of practice theories employed by occupational therapists. The book provides some limited background discussion of practice theories that is intended to assist students to compare and contrast the essential concepts of these theories. It also discusses a step-by-step process for group leadership and offers opportunities for the student to learn and practice this process using the various practice theories. The text is intended for the occupational therapy student, but it may also prove to be a valuable reference for the therapist who would like to incorporate more theory-based group therapy into their current practice. The black-and-white illustrations are clear and well conceived. The author offers practice session plans, experiential exercises, and various worksheets that are helpful to the student and to the classroom instructor. There are also examples of appropriate group sessions for each of the practice theories discussed. Reference quality and quantity vary from chapter to chapter, and some practice theories are presented and discussed in more cursory ways. The author indicates that she has typically used a historical approach when citing the work of the original authors of the various practice theories. It would have been useful to have included published works of group interventions based on the practice theories covered in the text, perhaps as an additional bibliography. This is a useful book that can assist therapists to link theory to group practice and to examine the theoretical underpinningsof their current practice. For the instructor, it is a useful tool that can serve to build a student's effective group leadership skills as well as to provide practical, therapeutic activity suggestions that put into action concepts from a variety of practice theories.

Booknews

A handbook to the group process that provides a seven-step method for leading groups, which is grounded in an existential/humanistic framework. Examines group dynamics theory as it relates to group structure and development, and offers guidelines for understanding the group process within the context of the major disciplinary lenses. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

3 Stars from Doody