Dr. Irvin Yalom: Understanding Group Therapy

Dr. Irvin Yalom, a well-known America existential psychologist, presented a brief history of group therapy and an overview of the interview processes. The film "Understanding group therapy Volume 3: The interview" points out some specific skills needed when approaching the group process and identifying members of the group.
The film begins by describing some of the key things that we learn about our self and others when interacting with others. Yalom believed that, interacting with others helps you understand yourself. We begin to see and understand the things that make us like, other people as well as the things that make us different from people when we interact with people from different walks of life. Group therapy, just like individual …show more content…
These four givens are: freedoms and responsibilities, existential isolation, meanlessness and death. The goal of existential therapy is to help members addresses any issues surrounding these givens. There is often something difficult for people to process about the fact that you exist in the world alone and will die alone. As humans, we search and desire relationships and companionship for others. Some use relationships to shield them from isolation. This could be useful and detrimental to therapy.

Although, there are very many therapists that like to utilize group therapy, likewise there are a lot of therapists that don’t like group therapy. Yalom believes that this comes from lack of training in programs and being more fit for individual therapy. With existential therapy, as people grow into understanding their long to connect with individuals with similarities. The film suggests that it is especially, important to increase your skills in group therapy training especially when HMOs lack therapy to 8 sessions when 30 group sessions could be offered at the same