Group Process and Structure in Psychosocial Occupational Therapy

Book excerpt: Effective group leadership techniques are the focus of this practical, sound volume. Dedicated to assisting occupational therapy practitioners and students in understanding current theory and state-of-the-art techniques in group treatment, this functional book fills the gap left by existing literature and educational programs that focus mainly on diagnoses and task analysis. Highly skilled professionals examine the important concepts of group therapy--structural elements, such as goals, norms, group size, physical environment, and instructions that can be varied depending on the purpose, needs, and functional level of the client; the ability to guide and control process elements, such as spontaneous feedback; and the ability to support clients and help build a cohesive, safe group. Fascinating examples of innovative new group techniques--social skills game, mime group, and the use of robots--demonstrate how creative content can effectively combine structure and process in group treatment.