Group Therapy Training Research Articles

Effects of cognitive training and group psychotherapy on cognitive performance of post COVID-19 patients: an exploratory and non-randomized clinical trial

Cognitive complaints are common signs of the Post COVID-19 (PC) condition, but the extent and type of cognitive impairment may be heterogeneous. Little is known about neuropsychological treatment options. Preliminary evidence suggests cognitive symptoms may improve with cognitive training and naturally over time. In this clinical trial, we examined whether participation in a weekly group consisting of cognitive training and group psychotherapy is feasible and would exert beneficial effects on cognitive performance in PC and whether improvements were associated with intervention group participation or represented a temporal improvement effect during syndrome progression. 15 PC patients underwent an 8-week intervention. Cognitive performance was assessed before and after each intervention group participation. A control group of 15 PC patients with subjective neurocognitive or psychiatric complaints underwent two cognitive assessments with comparable time intervals without group participation. To attribute changes to the intervention group participation, interaction effects of group participation and time were checked for significance. This is an exploratory, non-randomized, non-blinded controlled clinical trial. Within the intervention group, significant improvements were found for most cognitive measures. However, significant time x group interactions were only detected in some dimensions of verbal memory and visuo-spatial construction skills. Significant time effects were observed for attention, concentration, memory, executive functions, and processing speed. The intervention setting was feasible and rated as helpful and relevant by the patients. Our results suggest that cognitive symptoms of PC patients may improve over time. Patients affected by both neurocognitive impairments and mental disorders benefit from group psychotherapy and neurocognitive training. The present study provides evidence for a better understanding of the dynamic symptomatology of PC and might help to develop further studies addressing possible therapy designs. The main limitations of this exploratory feasibility trial are the small sample size as well as the non-randomized design due to the clinical setting.

Positum MGS Coaching Protocol in the Framework of Positive Group Psychotherapy Training for Specialists Working with Groups of Children and Adults Affected by War, Disasters and Refugee Crises: a Case Study

War brings destruction in the broader sense, forcing millions to flee their homes, and resulting in an increased burden of depression, anxiety, PTSD and other mental and behavioral disorders. This burden grows even more in the framework of pandemics and natural disasters, as social and protection services experience crisis of resources. Providing one-to-one mental health care is no longer feasible for masses of refugee and internally displaced children and adults who need support, and, as a result, the need to have increasing numbers of mental health specialists who intervene in groups becomes more and more emergent. The paper reviews the Positum MGS approach to work with groups of children and adults in refugee settings, and not only, suggests the ‘Positum MGS coaching protocol’ within the framework of group Positive Psychotherapy (PPT after Peseschkian, since 1977)TM. Empirically supported and demonstrated by a case in the paper, the protocol being applied by a Positum MGS trainer or team of trainers, during an in-person training of 4-5 days, helps trainees greatly in learning to use psychosocial transcultural games and related techniques as resilience-building tools with groups of children, adolescents or adults. Either in the position of PPT trainers, psychotherapists, consultants or students, the participants in a Positum MGS core training and coaching or PPT training at basic or master levels with a focus of working with groups, can be supported through the suggested coaching protocol and questions in line with the 5-stage consultation of PPT.

Reflective practice and psychotherapy case experience of Specialty Doctors and Associate Specialists (SAS) working in psychiatry: UK-wide survey.

To survey nationwide opportunities for Balint-type and reflective support group participation and psychotherapy training among doctors classified as Specialty Doctors and Associate Specialists in psychiatry ('SAS psychiatrists') and the professional benefits and barriers to access. Approximately 9% of SAS psychiatrists responded, from all UK regions. A minority reported participating in a Balint-type group (27.3%) or reflective practice/support group (30.9%), and only 6.5% were not interested in participating. Although 44.8% planned to see a psychotherapy case, most reported barriers, particularly time constraints, job plans and lack of support. The 22.1% who reported already gaining psychotherapy case experience reported many benefits, including becoming a better listener (84.8%), more empathetic (81.2%), enjoying work more (78.8%) and overall becoming a better psychiatrist (90.9%). The reported interest in Balint group and psychotherapy training opportunities exceeded existing provision; psychotherapy case experience benefited professional development and self-reported clinical capabilities. Healthcare trusts and boards need to consider more actively supporting SAS psychotherapy training and reflective practice.

DUYGU DÜZENLEME GÜÇLÜKLERİNİN AZALTILMASINDA SANAT TERAPİSİNİN ETKİSİNİN İNCELENMESİ: TERAPİ Mİ EĞİTİM Mİ?

It can be said that the main goal of psychotherapy approaches is to change dysfunctional attitudes and behaviors. The therapeutic effectiveness of psychotherapy methods that lead to change, in other words, the establishment of a causal relationship between the change in the target behavior, symptom or disorder and the intervention is examined through effectiveness studies. Emotion regulation processes play an important role in the development of many psychopathologies. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of the art therapy program on reducing the emotion regulation difficulties of individuals and to compare it with the effect of the same practices on reducing the emotion regulation difficulties of individuals participating in art therapy training, which is carried out in an experiential way. In the study, art therapy program was applied to the first experimental group and art therapy training was applied to the second experimental group. Psychology undergraduate and psychology graduate students participated in the study. Individuals who scored high on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and volunteered were assigned to the first experimental group (11) and the second experimental group (11) by random sampling method. The program was applied to both experimental groups once a week for a total of ten sessions, each session lasting 180 minutes. The same program developed by the program coordinator was applied to both groups. Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was used to compare the groups within each other. As a result, it was found that the emotion regulation difficulties of the individuals who participated in the art therapy program decreased, and the difference between the mean pre-test and post-test scores of the individuals who participated in the art therapy training program was not significant at the .05 level. From this point of view, treatment motivation is an important issue for art therapy as in other treatment methods. It can be stated that being ready for change and taking steps towards recovery is an important factor in emotion regulation.

The effectiveness of group therapy based on acceptance and commitment on reducing stress and depression symptoms of mothers of children with separation anxiety disorder

Aim: This research was conducted with the main purpose of determining the effectiveness of group therapy based on acceptance and commitment on reducing stress and depression symptoms of mothers of children with separation anxiety disorder. Method: The statistical population of the current research includes all mothers of children suffering from separation anxiety disorder in 2021 who referred to private medical clinics in Babol city. For sampling, a non-probability sampling method based on the purpose was used and according to the type of research, 20 mothers who had anxious children were selected (10 in the experimental group and 10 in the control group). And they participated in 8 2-hour sessions for two months starting from the 24th of April and ending on the 11th of June. The tools used are: Beck's 21-question depression questionnaire with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.78; Perceived stress scale by Cohen (1983) with Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.86 was used. In order to analyze the data, after collecting the data, it was recorded in the computer under the SPSS24 program and descriptive statistics, which included the frequency distribution and percentage, were used, and in the inferential statistics section, in order to find the effectiveness of the research components from Analysis of covariance test was used. Results: The results indicate that group therapy training based on acceptance and commitment to mothers of children suffering from separation anxiety disorder reduces depression and the effect size is (0.887); Perceived stress becomes the effect size (0.723). Conclusion: Group therapy based on acceptance and commitment can reduce depression and stress of mothers of children with separation anxiety disorder

New horizons in group psychotherapy research and practice from third wave positive psychology: a practice-friendly review.

Group psychotherapy has been shown to be equivalent to individual therapy for many disorders, including anxiety, depression, grief, eating disorders, and schizophrenia (Burlingame & Strauss, 2021). In addition to effectiveness in reducing symptoms, group offers members a sense of belonging, purpose, hope, altruism, and meaning throughout treatment (Yalom & Leszcz, 2020). These additional outcomes are especially important considering the COVID-19 pandemic and national/international conflicts, given the trauma, disruptions, and losses people have experienced. Applying recent developments in positive psychology to group therapy can enhance treatment. A practice-friendly review examined recent advances in the positive psychology literature, demonstrating how group therapy offers members unique growth opportunities in addition to reducing symptoms. Key findings from studies applying positive psychological constructs to group therapy outcomes are synthesized. Our review sheds light on the relevance of third wave positive psychology to enrich group therapy (Lomas et al., 2021). Specifically, group therapy can facilitate the development of vitalizing psychological virtues, and these can be used to assess treatment outcome: humanity, wisdom, transcendence, courage, temperance, and justice. Interrelatedly, we present support for including attachment theory and mentalization within a positive psychological group framework. Implications are explored for group therapy research, clinical work, and training.

Experiential Group Psychotherapy Training with Undergraduate Students in Spain

ABSTRACT This paper describes a single case study design examining the experiences of 14 undergraduate psychology students in Spain who participated in a group psychology course with an analytic, experiential group training component. Our goal was to better understand trainees’ experiences as participants in the groups and gather their perceptions on the main mechanisms of learning that occur. Qualitative data came from participants’ personal reflective journals, and thematic analysis was used to code these data. Quantitative data came from participants’ pre-post scores on a therapeutic factors inventory (Yalom’s therapeutic factors). Test scores suggest that altruism, universality, cohesion, increased among participants, from pre- to posttest. In addition, qualitative analysis revealed that the group process followed an expected progression (e.g., hesitant and superficial, to deep and emotionally charged interventions, to themes surrounding closure and integration). We review learning mechanisms identified by participants, such as practice in the observer role and the use of silences in the group. Finally, we review the usefulness of an experiential approach in helping undergraduate students learn about group process, develop interpersonal skills, experience personal growth, and acquire group facilitation skills. Study limitations are also discussed.

Efforts to improve self-concept with adolescent therapeutic group therapy (TKT) and assertive training (AT) for 7th grade students at SMP Negeri 20 Pekanbaru City

Adolescents frequently experience social changes that lead to issues, when they start building relationships with people of the same sex as well as those of the opposite sex in order to gain recognition, self-identity and social behavior. Lack of self-confidence, low self-esteem, shyness, anxiety, and hesitancy in expressing opinions are symptoms that appear in adolescents. They also only being silent when given the opportunity to ask questions during the learning process in class or outside of it, and difficulty saying no to things they don't like. One could say that these students have poor or negative self-concept. Through the application of Adolescent Therapeutic Group Therapy (TKT) and Assertive Training (AT), this community service seeks to enhance students' self-concept in the 7th grade at SMPN 20 Pekanbaru. This program is in the form of applying the Therapeutic Group Therapy (TKT) for adolescents and Assertive Training (AT) which is carried out through describing, modeling, role playing, feedback, and transferring. Pre-test and post-test procedures were used before and after the application of Adolescent Therapeutic Group Therapy and Assertive Training (AT). It was known that 26 students were categorized as having a high self-concept at pre-test, and that number rose to 32 at the post-test.

Interventions for Reducing the Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Black/African American Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Purpose: Research demonstrates tremendous harmful effects for children and adolescents that have experienced trauma of various forms before the age of eighteen. These effects are profound as not only are they linked to current detrimental effects such as increased rates of substance abuse, early sexual activity, higher rates of depression, and suicidal ideation, but they also have shown to be damaging in adulthood. This systematic review provides an examination of interventions that reduce the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) for Black/African American children and adolescents. Methods: This study used an intervention assessment tool to determine the methodological rigor derived from the American Psychological Association on assessing interventions as the risk of bias tool. The methodological rigor was used to assess the interventions that reduce the effects of ACEs. Effect sizes for controlled trials, pre-post effect sizes, and pilot studies were calculated. Results: This search identified a total of 1,594 studies in which 617 were screened and five were selected. The five utilized harm reduction interventions to address the effects of ACEs. All of the study participants were Black/African American children and adolescents. The effect sizes that were available ranged from medium to large. The Strong African American Families Program (SAAF) intervention had the strongest methodological rigor with a medium effect size. Conclusion: The review suggests that the combination of individual therapy, group therapy, and psychoeducational training techniques provided positive effects on the reduction of ACE related symptoms for Black/African American children and adolescents. The randomized control trials yielded the greatest improvements from the interventions. However, the findings were few and the need for interventions for this population continue to grow.

Effects of Task-Specific Training after Cognitive Sensorimotor Exercise on Proprioception, Spasticity, and Gait Speed in Stroke Patients: A Randomized Controlled Study.

Background and objectives: Common problems in stroke patients include loss of proprioception, spasticity, and impaired gait. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of task-specific training (TST) combined with cognitive sensorimotor exercise (CSE) on proprioception, spasticity and gait speed in stroke patients. Materials andMethods: Thirty-seven subjects were randomly divided into three groups; (1) the TST after CSE group (Experimental I, n = 13); (2) the TST group (Experimental II, n = 12), and (3) a conventional physical therapy training group (control group, n = 12). Evaluations were performed before the commencement of training and again eight weeks after training was initiated. An electrogoniometer was used to evaluate proprioception variation. The composite spasticity score (CSS) and MyotonePRO were used to evaluate spasticity. In addition, 10 m walk test was used to assess gait speed. Results: After training, the Experimental I group showed significant improvement in proprioception compared to the Experimental II and control group (p < 0.05). In CSS, gastrocnemius muscle tone (GMT) and gait speed among three groups, Experimental I group differed significantly after eight weeks of training compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: These findings suggest that the TST combined with CSE provided significant improvements in proprioception, spasticity, and gait speed.

A Comparative Study of the Effect of Group Reality Therapy Training and Group Cognitive-Behavioral Training on Empathy and Self-Control and Marital Satisfaction of Women with Marital Conflict

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of reality therapy and cognitive-behavioral training on empathy and self-control of women with marital conflicts. Methods: The design of the present study was a quasi-experimental with pre/post-test and follow-up, and included a control group. The statistical population of the study included all women with conflict with their husbands who referred to counseling centers in 7th district of Tehran in 2020. Among them, 60 people were selected by purposeful sampling method and randomly divided into two experimental groups and a control group (twenty individuals in each group). Initially, all three groups underwent a pre-test, followed by 8 sessions of reality therapy for the first experimental group (Glasser, 2012) and 8 sessions of cognitive-behavioral training (Free, 1999) for the second experimental group. At the end, post-test was performed for all three groups and after three months, a follow-up test was performed to confirm the results. Data collection tools included the Sanai and Barati Marital Conflict Questionnaire, the Julif and Farrington Empathy Questionnaire, and the self-control Questionnaire of Tanji et al. Findings: The results of multivariate analysis of covariance showed that both reality group therapy and cognitive-behavioral training had a significant effect on empathy and self-control of women with marital conflict (P&lt;0.01). cognitive-behavioral training has been more effective on self-control than reality group therapy. However, reality group therapy has been more effective on empathy than cognitive-behavioral training. Conclusion: Due to the effectiveness of both methods on research variables, the use of these trainings by psychologists and counselors in the psychological education program for people with marital conflict is recommended. Also, due to the greater impact of each training on one variable, it is suggested that paired training programs be adjusted based on these findings.

Save the future: Enhancing substance abuse refusal skill in adolescent

Adolescent is a vulnerable age to having negative impact as substance abuse. This study aimed to determine the effect of therapeutic group therapy and assertiveness training against substance abuse refusal skills in adolescent. The study used a quasi-experimental pre-post test without a control group. The research consisted of 87 high school adolescents in East Java. Data were obtain using Drugs Avoidance and Self Efficacy Scale (DASES) instrument. The results showed significantly increased substance abuse refusal skill after therapeutic group therapy and assertiveness training (p>0.05). This research-proven who has nursing intervention using therapeutic group therapy and assertiveness training is recommended to increase substance abuse refusal skills who can prevent substance abuse in adolescent research.

Gruppenpsychotherapeutische Weiterbildung und Versorgung über digitale Medien

Summary Group Psychotherapy and Group Training Online As a result of the Corona pandemic, digital forms of communication have come into focus. In other countries (e. g., USA), there was a relatively rapid switch to digitally conducted group psychotherapeutic care services. In the German health care system, outpatient group psychotherapies hardly did not take place in presence due to strict hygiene regulations, nor digitally due to a lack of privacy-compliant platforms. In our paper, we address the resulting consequences for the further development of group psychotherapy.

Gibt es Fortschritte in der Gruppenpsychotherapie und Gruppenanalyse? „The facts are friendly“ – Klinische, wissenschaftliche und Ausbildungsperspektiven

Summary Any progress in Group Psychotherapy and Group Analysis? “The Facts are Friendly” – Clinical, Research and Training Perspectives This article answers questions related to the progress of group psychotherapy from the perspective of a researcher and clinician in a moment when group treatments seem to boom in a training context, related to health political decisions as well as supported by positive research results. Besides remarks on some developments related to group therapeutic approaches, the author suggests a reflection of integrative concepts and a focus on the results of social psychology. Current societal developments, primarily the Covid-19 pandemic, indicate the importance of group psychological issues in the present time. An improvement of the image of group psychotherapy still needs joint efforts on a political, scientific and practical level, and intensifying group psychotherapy training.

Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback in Patients With Tobacco Use Disorder During Smoking Cessation: Functional Differences and Implications of the First Training Session in Regard to Future Abstinence or Relapse.

One of the most prominent symptoms in addiction disorders is the strong desire to consume a particular substance or to show a certain behavior (craving). The strong association between craving and the probability of relapse emphasizes the importance of craving in the therapeutic process. Former studies have demonstrated that neuromodulation using real-time fMRI (rtfMRI) neurofeedback (NF) can be used as a treatment modality in patients with tobacco use disorder. The aim of the present project was to determine whether it is possible to predict the outcome of NF training plus group psychotherapy at the beginning of the treatment. For that purpose, neuronal responses during the first rtfMRI NF session of patients who remained abstinent for at least 3 months were compared to those of patients with relapse. All patients were included in a certified smoke-free course and took part in three NF sessions. During the rtfMRI NF sessions tobacco-associated and neutral pictures were presented. Subjects were instructed to reduce their neuronal responses during the presentation of smoking cues in an individualized region of interest for craving [anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insula or dorsolateral prefrontal cortex]. Patients were stratified to different groups [abstinence (N = 10) vs. relapse (N = 12)] according to their individual smoking status 3 months after the rtfMRI NF training. A direct comparison of BOLD responses during the first NF-session of patients who had remained abstinent over 3 months after the NF training and patients who had relapsed after 3 months showed that patients of the relapse group demonstrated enhanced BOLD responses, especially in the ACC, the supplementary motor area as well as dorsolateral prefrontal areas, compared to abstinent patients. These results suggest that there is a probability of estimating a successful withdrawal in patients with tobacco use disorder by analyzing the first rtfMRI NF session: a pronounced reduction of frontal responses during NF training in patients might be the functional correlate of better therapeutic success. The results of the first NF sessions could be useful as predictor whether a patient will be able to achieve success after the behavioral group therapy and NF training in quitting smoking or not.

Group Therapy Trainees’ Social Learning and Interpersonal Awareness: The Role of Cohesion in Training Groups

ABSTRACTDespite the common use of experiential training groups for group therapy training, the essential features of training groups have not been fully realized yet. Few studies have tested the impact of cohesion on trainees’ session-to-session development over the course of a training group. As such, this study empirically tested the association between trainees’ perceptions of group cohesion and their interpersonal awareness and social learning session-to-session. Results indicated that within- and between-trainee cohesion was significantly related to trainees’ social learning and interpersonal awareness. Additionally, time significantly moderated the between-trainee cohesion–social learning relationship, such that this relationship increased over time.

Complexities with group therapy facilitation in substance use disorder specialty treatment settings

In spite of increased attention to research-based interventions for substance use disorders (SUDs), a formidable research-practice gap impedes the implementation of evidence-based treatments (EBTs). An underappreciated dimension of this gap is a mismatch in treatment modality: Whereas clinical trial and implementation research has focused primarily on individual therapy, the majority of SUD specialty treatment is in group format, with open-enrolling groups being most common. This study aims to narrow this research-practice gap by exploring clinicians' perspectives on complexities with group therapy facilitation in SUD specialty treatment settings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 group clinicians from among three outpatient SUD specialty clinics—diverse in their operational structures, treatment philosophies, clientele, and services—located in the same Midwestern U.S. metropolitan area. Interview questions addressed organizational characteristics, services provided, group therapy curricula, and use of EBTs or other structured treatments. Clinicians emphasized the importance of having flexibility in facilitating groups, through built-in group processes and clinicians' own adaptions and accommodations; this flexibility was especially emphasized for the use of EBTs or manualized interventions. Clinicians also had difficulties with group facilitation generally, as evidenced by their reported difficulty in managing complex group dynamics, their limited group therapy experience and training, and their reliance on educational groups. We discuss specific strategies for improved innovation and implementation of EBTs for SUD group therapy.

Complicity in Groups That Do Harm; or, The Messiah Comes the Day After You Don't Need Him Anymore

Complicity in Groups That Do Harm; or, The Messiah Comes the Day After You Don’t Need Him Anymore Robert S. Pepper1 issn 0362-4021 © 2018 Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society group, Vol. 42, No. 4, Winter 2018 351 1 Director of Training, Long Island Institute of Mental Health, Rego Park, New York. Correspondence should be addressed to Robert S. Pepper, PhD, CGP, 110-50 71st Road, #1E, Forest Hills, NY 11375. E-mail: DrRobertSPepper@aol.com. As a graduate student majoring in sociology, I was fascinated by the power of groups to affect members’ perceptions. Experiments like Solomon Asch’s (1951) “Effects of Group Pressure Upon the Modification and Distortions of Judgment,” Stanley Milgram’s (1963) “Behavioral Study of Obedience,” and Philip Zimbardo’s (2007) “The Stanford Prison Experiment” come to mind as outstanding examples of a group’s power to define reality. Books on the subject of the power of groups and culture to shape reality that immediately come to mind are Benjamin Whorf’s (2015) Language, Thought, and Reality, Erich Fromm’s (1941) Escape From Freedom, and my own book, Emotional Incest in Group Psychotherapy: A Conspiracy of Silence (Pepper, 2014). In my way of thinking, the expression “seeing is believing” should be the other way around: “Believing is seeing.” The Whorf–Sapir hypothesis states that language itself shapes our view of reality. Without the word for a phenomenon, we cannot see it. All groups have inherent tension between belief systems and reality. When a group’s perception of reality conflicts with reality, reality gets trumped. While groups differ in terms of their values, groups are remarkably similar in the means that they use to keep members from straying too far from the group view of the world, with concomitant consequences for those that stray too far. This is even the case in group psychoanalytic institutes, which is the subject of my book. In recent days, the headlines have been rife with explosive stories about the abuses of power at the hands of misogynistic men who run the movie and TV industries. 352 pepper While these revelations are egregiously shocking, they are nothing new, as tales of the casting couch go all the way back to the beginning of the motion picture business . And, as is the case with all businesses, making money is the highest priority. One consequence of money as the ultimate reality is that people become objects, to themselves and to each other. But more of that later. Although many people inside these organizations have publicly reacted with shock and surprise and say, “We never knew!” the rest of us are incredulous and wonder, “Who are they kidding?” or “Are they lying?” or even “Are they so naive not to see what’s right before their eyes?” Truth be told, the conflict between belief systems and reality is a dynamic that characterizes the social structure of many groups in the present, and indeed has existed throughout history. In light of these recent accusations of abuses of power and the concomitant conspiracies of silence tacitly protecting the abusers, and even more recently the conspiracy of silence within the White House itself, an age-old question can be raised: Why do group members, who are free to leave, choose to stay with leaders whose groups do harm? The answer probably lies within the purview of theories in sociology, psychology, and social psychology. Ironically, we need look no further than our own profession of group psychotherapy for an answer. The community of analytic group psychotherapy training institutes across the country that establish dual relationships promulgate an environment that by definition sets the stage for abuses of power. When senior group leaders are in multiple role relationships with their trainees, that is, when they are simultaneously their group therapists, supervisors, teachers, administrators, friends, and even relatives, and patient/trainees are in complicated multiple role relationships with each other, as colleagues, friends, fellow group therapy patients, and fellow training group members, the boundaries between transference, countertransference, and reality are so contaminated that the treatment is virtually worthless. According to my research (Pepper, 2014) and the research of others (Temerlin & Temerlin, 1982), the existence of dual relationships at analytic training institutes...

Multicultural social justice group psychotherapy training: Curriculum development and pilot.

Multicultural social justice group psychotherapy training: Curriculum development and pilot.

Adapting Group Therapy to Address Real World Problems: Insights from Groups Offered in the Bahamas

ABSTRACTThis article presents a cultural adaptation of a group therapeutic approach that is being offered in the Bahamas. “The Family: People Helping People” project was designed as an intervention to improve socialization in New Providence, the Bahamian capital and its most heavily populated city. “The Family” group model offers support and training to improve communication in relationships and to encourage constructive emotional expression. This article will provide an overview of “The Family,” address key elements of this approach that are culturally tailored, and offer clinical examples and note implications for group therapy training. This cultural adaptation offers helpful insights for addressing community problems, such as violence and societal fragmentation, and may inform the development of community-based group interventions in other settings.