3 Video Set | 4:00:00

Understanding Group Psychotherapy: 3-Video Set

by Irvin Yalom

These are the definitive training videos by the leading authority on group therapy. Watch Irvin Yalom skillfully lead outpatient and inpatient therapy groups, and explain what he is doing and why.

Video samples:1 2 3

Available in Streaming & DVD

Understanding Group Psychotherapy: 3-Video Set

Group therapy is increasingly used in a wide variety of settings, but unfortunately many therapists receive little if any training in this modality, and are thrown in to a group to do their best. The result if that therapists often attempt to do individual therapy in a group setting, resulting in ineffective leadership and poor outcome. This powerful series teaches the core skills any group therapist needs, and then shows how they can be applied to different populations and settings; they are tremendously useful for self-study as well as teaching and training use. You may purchase each volume separately, or save by buying the complete set.

Volume I: Outpatients

Volume I, Outpatients portrays a re-enactment of four segments of group sessions over the course of a mixed adult psychotherapy group. Dr. Yalom provides insightful, behind-the-scene commentary regarding his interventions. You'll see how his interpersonal model is applied, and learn techniques to steer groups into the here-and-now so they remain dynamic, on-track, and powerfully therapeutic. The general principles clearly outlined her will be extremely helpful and applicable to all therapists leading outpatient psychotherapy groups.

Volume II: Inpatients

Volume II, Inpatients will teach you how to run effective groups with challenging clinical populations. This video program shows Dr. Yalom in action conducting an entire group session in an inpatient psychiatric setting, based on an adaptation of his Interpersonal Model of group psychotherapy. This highly structured approach helps to contain rather than escalate client anxiety, and can be adapted to work witha wide range of lower to mid-functioning populations in diverse clinical settings.

The group session is presented in three main segments: Orientation, Agenda Formation, and Agenda Filling. Dr. Yalom provides commentary before and after each segment, giving clear step-by-step explanations of the specific interventions and overall structure.

After viewing this program you will no longer tolerate unproductive sessions where clients go on with lengthy monologues about problems they have discussed for years. Instead you will be eager to harness the power of the here-and-now, helping clients to give and receive useful feedback, and develop more adaptive interpersonal skills. This video clearly demonstarates that valuable therapeutic work can be done in a single session!

Volume III: An Interview

In Volume III, An Interview Dr. Yalom engages in an in-depth discussion of the finer points of group therapy. He elucidates the therapeutic factors that are at play in a well-running group, and tackles such issues as selection of group members, dealing with dropouts, and working with a co-leader. He also discusses the early professional influences in his life that inspired his interest in both group work and existential psychotherapy, his research on bereavement, and his concerns for the next generation of psychotherapists.

"I would like to strongly recommend the "Understanding Group Psychotherapy" video series by Irvin Yalom as an adjunct to the his textbook The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy. It is an excellent teaching resource for graduate students taking the group psychotherapy course at Yale University School of Nursing. The video series offers clear guidance on development of group leadership skills, stages of group development, working with here-and-now techniques, curative factors of group, norm setting, and using the group as a therapeutic agent in healing interpersonal relationships. The live group illustration assist students in applying the theoretical constructs of group psychotherapy to real group situations in the inpatient and outpatient settings."
      Vanya Hamrin - MS, RN Assistant Professor, Yale University School of Nursing

"I very much admire both Yalom's deep conviction in the power of change through the interpersonal here-and-now group therapy modality, and the artistry, thoroughness, and mastery he shows in implementing it. The DVDs are very much worth viewing to see this master psychotherapist at work"
      Bob Edelstein, MFT - Reviewed in the Association for Humanistic Psychology Perspective

"I just wanted to say these past few weeks myself and a few colleagues have had a chance to look at the videos, and I wanted to tell you how much I value them. The videos are compelling - as clear and engaging as he writes - they are informative and helpful but remain enjoyable, and are an excellent tool for encouraging and developing skills as well feeding a passion for group therapy"
      Maggy Ruppert - Consultant Clinical Psychologist Norwich, UK

In Depth

Specs

Bios

Reviews

CE Course

Therapists often ask us whether they should purchase Volume I or Volume II. If you aren't able to purchase the entire set, we recommend starting with Volume I, as this teaches you the basic model. Yalom has always maintained that if you learn the core skills of his interpersonal approach, then you can effectively adapt them to different populations. If you're only working with high-functioning outpatient groups then Volume I will suffice. Volume II shows you how to modify the basic model when working in settings or with populations that require more structure (this model is fully described in his text Inpatient Group Psychotherapy). Although the clients shown in Volume II are in an inpatient setting, this model can be used (perhaps with minor tweaks) in outpatient, day treatment, and residential settings, for populations including substance abusers, dual diagnoses, adolescents, and other lower to mid-functioning clients. If you're working specifically in an inpatient setting or day treatment setting with clients who need a lot of structure, then Volume II might be your best choice. As always, feel free to give us a call, and we're happy to talk to you and help you choose what is most appropriate for the population you trat.

Note that when these videos originally were published, each volume was $350, so these prices represent a substantial savings.