Innovative Moments in Group Therapy: Analyzing voices of group change

Abstract

The Innovative Moments Coding System has been used for studying therapeutic change. However, there has hardly been any research on its application in group therapy and on how new I-positions emerge in groups. Based on the literature review on group therapy, constructivist therapy, and the dialogical self theory this article proposes three new types of innovative moments to study the complex interaction present in group interventions. These innovative moments group types are illustrated by contrasting two cases, Ángel and Zacarías, in a group that is centered on recovering from self-stigma in patients with a severe mental disorder. The results show a different group innovative moment profile in these two cases. This adaptation of the innovative moments model can be used to track how different voices from different participants interact and are integrated in the group dynamics. Lastly, this article also highlights some clinical implications for group work and group change from a dialogical perspective.