THE SELECTION OF YOUNG ADOLESCENTS FOR GROUP THERAPY: WORKING TOWARDS COHESION

Abstract

Abstract As the young adolescent grapples with the search for a sense of personal identity, the driving need is to be accepted and valued. Developmentally, the peer group often becomes the transitional space that facilitates this process. The young adolescent, in the process of moving from primary to high school, searches for a place in such a group which can accommodate his/her struggle. Achieving membership requires “reciprocal mirroring”: for the individual to have his/her growing self reflected in the group; and for the group to have itself reflected in the individual. This article is based on an analysis of a young adolescent group that ended prematurely. It was concluded that if the group was not homogeneous enough for clear identification and consequential cohesion to take place, the continuation of the group would be a risk. From a developmental perspective, it became increasingly clear that there were important inter-personal sub-phases for the young adolescent. The article is an attempt at formulating these more systematically in order to inform the process of selection for future groups.