| Summary: | "So many of the healing arts, it may be said of group psychotherapy that it has been practiced since the advent of mankind, but as a self-conscious discipline with an attempted appraisal of causes and effects group psychotherapy is of decidedly recent origin. Its concepts, theories, practices, indeed, are still in their initial and fluid state, but a number' of urgent stresses in world affairs have served greatly to accelerate and intensify the need for it. In the last few years, by reason of the large numbers of military psychiatric casualties and the greatly increased demands for psychiatric services in general, group psychotherapy has, it would appear, suddenly been called upon to fill a role of unprecedented proportions. Although this art is very new and there has yet been insufficient time and opportunity for precise formulations, the demand is already sufficiently great to attempt a summation of current usages and, from a practical point of view, to indicate some guiding, although still largely tentative, principles for those who contemplate the use of group psychotherapy. If a terse and succinct statement of the particular contribution group psychotherapy makes to the healing arts be asked for it may be said that this method constitutes more nearly a living-through process in relation to the social setting than practically any other form of psychotherapy. The range arid variety of groups which may be treated by group therapy methods would appear almost limitless. It would be impossible and also unnecessary to catalogue group therapeutic procedures with every conceivable type of group. Here the therapy of a number of representative groups has been depicted. If it is borne in mind that the principles and dynamics, of group psychotherapy are the same with all manner and complexions of groups, although the particular modes of application may vary, there need arise few difficulties in the contemplated treatment of new and hitherto untried kinds of groups. Again, that is not to say that the subject has been thoroughly exhausted. There is still much more to be-worked out in the practices and theories of group therapy. It is only to be hoped that with this work a footing may be provided for further and more abundant explorations in this fascinating method of therapy. To those who have been of assistance in the preparation of this book, and especially to Mrs. Lillian Davis for her untiring efforts, I wish to express my profoundest gratitude"--Preface. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).
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