Behavioral Group Therapy with Heterogeneous Clients

Abstract

Previous reviews of the status of behavioral group therapy (Flowers, 1979a; Upper & Ross, 1977) concentrated in part on the distinction between behavior therapy done in a group, such as massed desensitization (Paul, 1966) or massed assertion training (Booraem & Flowers, 1977) and behavior therapy done by a group, in which the group interaction is a crucial part of the therapeutic process (Flowers, 1979a). Subsequent work in the field of behavioral group therapy (Upper & Ross, 1979, 1980, 1981) has clearly demonstrated that there are in fact four types of behavioral group therapy in present use. These groups can be differentiated by two variables: (a) the variety of behavioral techniques employed (singular vs. multiple); and (b) the degree to which the members share similar problems (homogeneity vs. heterogeneity). Although heterogeneity in this context has been primarily defined in terms of the presenting problem, the term heterogeneity in this chapter also means variance in terms of such associated variables as sex, socioeconomic status, previous experience in therapy, and the like.