Quick Guide for Clinicians - SAMHSA Store - Substance Abuse and ...

Groups Commonly Used in Substance Abuse Treatment 135. Interpersonal Process GroupsInterpersonal process groups use psychodynamics,or knowledge of the way people function psychologically,to promote change and healing. Alltherapists using a “process-oriented group therapy”model continually monitor three dynamics:• The psychological functioning of each groupmember (intrapsychic dynamics)• The way people are relating to one another inthe group setting (interpersonal dynamics)• How the group as a whole is functioning (groupas-a-wholedynamics)Principal characteristics. Interpersonal processgroup therapy delves into major developmentalissues, searching for patterns that contribute toaddiction or interfere with recovery.Leadership skills and styles. In interpersonalprocess groups, content is a secondary concern.Instead, leaders focus on the present, noticingsigns of people recreating their past in what isgoing on between and among members of thegroup.Techniques. In practice, group leaders may usedifferent models at various times and may simultaneouslyinfluence more than one focus level at atime.