GROUP THERAPY FOR OFFENDERS:Learning in Groups, Humanistic Groups

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Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

Lesson 31

GROUP THERAPY FOR OFFENDERS

Objective:

To know that how group therapy works

When, where and with whom is GT more beneficial

To understand that how different approaches work in group settings

To get an insight about the disadvantages of GT

To intimate with the benefits of GT for therapist

How Group Therapy (GT) Works?

"A form of psychotherapy where there are multiple patients led by one or more therapists"

The presence of two or more therapists is important in Forensic settings because:

To manage a group of people , who are violent and aggressive

Another purpose is the supervision, unlike GT, situations involving individual therapy

usually supervisor is out of the room.

Presence of another therapist facilitate the therapeutic process and can provide Feed Back

Group therapy is very diverse. There are two general ways of categorizing group therapy, by the time

limits set on the duration of the group, and by the focus of the group and the way group members are

selected. Psychologists with different theoretical training will use group therapy for many different

types of psychological problems and concerns like:

Substance Misuse Treatment

Anger Managements

Thinking and Problem Solving

Sex Offender Treatment

Music Therapy

Art Therapy

When, where and with whom?

When, where and with whom is group therapy effective? A crucial thing to remember is that GT is not

alternative of Individual therapy, just to economize the therapy. A forensic psychologist must foresee

the real need of GT. Is GT is more effective for that particular individual or not? For instance if an

offender or an individual with Asperger's syndrome, who hate the presence of other people around, so

imagine if a therapist gathers a group of such people what will be the result, absolutely hoax and

banging situation!

Behind the prescription of GT there must be a solid reason. Usually in Forensic settings, groups are

established when incarcerated individuals are ready for group interaction and half of the treatment is

already done.

Learning in Groups

As discussed earlier different approaches significantly differ from each other. While working with

groups basic concern does not alter, the only difference is that here the gravity of therapeutic process is

not only the treatment and behaviour of one individual. Now let's understand that how different

approaches work in group scenario.

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Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

Psychodynamic Groups

Psychodynamic groups are based on the same principles as individual dynamic therapy and aim to help

people with past difficulties, relationships and trauma as well as current problems. They aim to do this

with the help of the whole group of up to eight people plus one or two facilitators.

Groups are based on the principle that groups themselves are helpful, supportive and enabling to people

and that the whole group can be involved in change and understanding. Group therapists believe that

everyone attending a group has strengths and can contribute.

Offenders and ASPD are incompatible to their original group and legal system; it means that an

individual is like a single piece of the jigsaw, without much meaning on its own. On joining a therapy

group the individual tries to reconstruct the original jigsaw of his family, shaping the other people to fit.

In Individual psychodynamic therapy (IPT), therapist analyze transference, counter transference and

general behavior and assumes that client have similar behavioral pattern with other relations in non

therapeutic conditions. (relationship with siblings, parents and family). In GT family replicate other

group members (six or more people like siblings fighting to grasp the attention of parents)

If all such problems are solved then a healthy relationships emerges as a result and healthy societal

manners are adopted by the group members.

Humanistic Groups

HGT takes an entirely different point of view from psychodynamic approach, according to humanistic

view in offender's group therapy; we have a bunch of people learning to grow together. Therapist

cultivates the environment of respect and acceptance. It is made cleared therapist set a rule at the start of

GT that irrespective of the whole crimes and wrong deeds, group has to give respect and acceptance to

each other. Now imagine a group of offenders who have been indulged in different kinds of crimes

through out the life (may have involved in violent activity, rape, murder, child molestation and so on) so

according to the preset rule they are not suppose to frown while listening to others rather have to nod. In

this way the atmosphere of respect and acceptance is elicited.

When criminals share the darkest and ugliest parts of their criminal lives, the therapist and other group

members are not just listening with attention but also irrespective to all their deeds, giving them regard

as a human being. In this atmosphere criminal learn to regard, accept and honor other people and a

healthy interaction emerges.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Based Groups

A minimum educational level is required for this therapy because clients and therapists work together,

once a therapeutic alliance has been formed, to identify and understand problems in terms of the

relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviour. The approach usually focuses on difficulties in

the here and now, and relies on the therapist and client developing a shared view of the individual's

problem. This then leads to identification of personalized, usually time-limited therapy goals and

strategies which are continually monitored and evaluated.

Social Skills Groups

These group therapies are conduct in class room like situations. Social-skills training helped reduce

suspiciousness and facilitate healthy interaction among inmates and staff as well. In which people are

trained social skills like how to say "no" with out fighting with others.

Assertiveness training

A polite but assertive `no' to excessive requests from others is taught to enable offenders to promote

balance in life with out fighting. Assertive communication can also help in handle difficult family,

friends and co-workers more easily, reducing drama, violence and stress.

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Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

Anger management skills are also taught in this group training

Better ways to handle frustration/anger

Counting to 10 before reacting

Distracting oneself to a pleasurable task

Learning an internal dialog to cool oneself down and reflect upon the best course of action

Acceptable ways to resolve conflict are also part of social skill trainings, like

Using words instead of physical contact

Seeking the assistance of the teacher or conflict resolution tea

Psycho-education Groups

These groups are also based on class room format, people are taught about their emotions, difficulties

and their remedies. This type of psychoeducation is a some times family-based treatment modality that

typically begins by attempting to form a collaborative relationship between the therapeutic team and

family members. In general, psychoeducation efforts are designed to teach family members about a

given mental disorder, its course, prognosis, medications, and management. At times, such education is

provided to individual families, whereas at other times it is offered in a multi-family workshop.

Disadvantages of Group therapies in forensic settings

Along with many advantages, major disadvantages of GT include:

Much gain is not available if offender is not willing/ready for group therapy

GT is absolutely not recommendable for individuals with Asperger's syndrome, as they hate

company of others.

GT is not beneficial with the group of severe mental disorders.

Group Therapy of Therapists

Can we run groups of therapists, staff and doctors e.t.c? Personally I found it very beneficial as a group

discussion takes place with usually a senior and experienced therapist. Therapist gets strength, feed back

and suggestions from such groups. A person who is continuously working with offenders who have

been involved in devilish nature of crimes and as a human being it is really difficult to work with them

maintaining an unbiased positive attitude. So in such condition analysis of counter transference and

discussion can be very helpful. Techniques of art therapy are used to understand the internal mental and

unconscious processes of therapist for better understanding. Psychodynamic is the best approach for

therapy of therapist, no matter from which perspective therapist is.

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