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

32 Substance Abuse Treatment: Group TherapyPre-group interviews are a widely used means ofgathering useful information about clients andpreparing them for what they can expect from agroup. Clients should be thoroughly informedabout what group therapy will be like. In addition,client preparation should• Explain how group interactions compare tothose in self-help groups, such as AlcoholicsAnonymous (AA).• Emphasize that treatment is a long-termprocess.• Let new members know that they may betempted to leave the group at times, but thatthey can gain a great deal from persistentcommitment to the process.• Give prospective and novice members anopportunity to express anxiety about groupwork, and help allay their fears withinformation.• Recognize and address clients’ therapeutichopes.In preparing prospective members for a groupexperience, it is important to be sensitive to peoplewho are different from the majority of theother participants in some way (e.g., much olderor younger than the rest, the lone woman, the onlymember with a particular disorder, or the only personfrom a distinctive ethnic or cultural minority).