Joshua M. Gross
REGRESSION AS A NORMAL GROUP PROCESS
Process-based psychotherapy groups that last for any extended pe- riod of time are inevitably confronted with the problem of people leaving which presents us with the issue of bringing in new members. This is a normal developmental event in the life of a group and its im- plementation can significantly impact the quality of experience for both the new member as well as the existing group members. Group developmental stage theory tells us that groups will go through a se- ries of developmental stages over time and that any changes in the group’s membership will most often result in a regression in group developmental functioning.
Group Developmental Stages
Tuckman’s (1965) four stages of group development tell us that we can expect a group to progress through a series of stages as members engage in interpersonal discourse and interaction. The initial stage of norming describes the group’s overall press to establish the necessary community standards that allow for organized and predictable social interaction. Through the development of community standards, mem- bers become increasingly aware of their individual differences and are said to be storming. As group members become accustomed to their differences, opportunities emerge for new social roles, which is described as horning. When group members prepare to leave, they
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are said to be adjourning as they engage with others through a pro- cess of termination. The life cycle of a group involves an ongoing se- ries of cycles through these developmental milestones. Bringing in a new member most often regresses the group back into the initial stage of norming.
POPULATION
Process-based psychotherapy groups are most often focused on the discussion of experiences and perspectives of the individuals in the group. Open-ended process groups may run for many years with an ever-evolving membership as people complete their treatment and others come into the group. The addition of a new member is a com- mon event in an ongoing process group due to the natural attrition in members over time.
SIGNIFICANT OR NEGATIVE INTERVENTION
The leader can have a significant positive or negative impact on the overall functioning of the existing group and the new member’s intro- duction by providing useful structure. The selection of a new member for an existing group is a matter of finding a good fit, which is based upon the clinical judgment of the leader. This intervention goes fur- ther by considering the fact that the group will be regressed back to a new starting point with the addition of a new member. When we are faced with the task of bringing a new member into an existing psy- chotherapy group we have the opportunity to assist the existing group and the new member in making a transition that is consistent with the developmental status of the group.
Even in the case of a group that has existed for many years with a solid core of well-experienced members, the group composition is changed with the loss of an experienced member and the introduction of a new one. This point of time is at least temporarily marked by a change in relationships between members as well as the overall group-as-a-whole experience. By taking the time to prepare the exist- ing group members, and assisting them to deal with the impact of a loss, they are better prepared to engage in the many accommodations demanded by this transition. By preparing the new member as to what
Bringing a New Member into Group: Marking a New Place in the Cycle 47
to expect and the group rituals they will be joining, the leader ensures that the transition will be less likely to cause distraction or resistance in the course of the work of the therapy group.
A Two-Point Approach
• First point: the existing group. When at the point of being ready to incorporate a new member, the group is should be informed as to how this process will occur. Usually, the therapist is in the po- sition of making the selection of the new member and informing the group of the upcoming addition. The group will do well to be advised that this change will have an impact on how the group may feel toward members and that it is reasonable to have mixed feelings about the transition. Group members who have been through this previously are likely to know what to expect and can offer their opinions about the upcoming transition.
• Second point: the new member should be known to the therapist and the preparatory process for joining a group is best carried out in one or more preparatory interviews. The new member should be apprised of the group rules and agree to abide by them. The therapist can assist the new member to feel less anxi- ety by telling him or her what to expect in the course of the ini- tial meeting and what will likely be discussed at that time. By preparing the new member in this way it is more likely that he or she will be able to interact with the existing group members in ways that will facilitate a positive initial experience.
At the start of the group meeting the therapist should acknowledge to the group and new member(s) that “we have new people in the room” and that this is an opportunity to review our rules. Upon com- pletion of this discussion, the group and the new member need to all once again agree to the rules; this gives everyone an equal basis for entering together into the work of the group. Process groups should focus on the experiences and perspectives of the individuals involved and, as such, it is often useful to ask the group members to say a little about who they are, what they are working on, and how they feel about the group. This ritual is often comforting in this period of tran- sition and assists both the existing members and the new member to work through their anxiety and address the work of the group, mainly, to talk about their experiences and perspectives.
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EFFECTIVE OR CONTRAINDICATED
The major concern about termination and adding of new members is the impact on the working therapy group. The leader can anticipate that this is a regressive situation (Fehr, 2003) and avert resistance by preparing the group and the new member. The leader who does not make these preparations, or is unclear as to the impact of such a tran- sition, is less likely to be able to maintain the safety and structure of the group intervention through transitions of membership.
REFERENCES
Fehr, S.S. (2003). Introduction to Group Therapy: A Practical Guide (Second edi- tion). Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Press.
Tuckman, B.W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological