The Expressive Arts in Intimacy Groups with Parents: Processes and Outcomes
Main Article Content
Abstract
In light of the growing needs of people for mental health services and the limited resources available, the literature calls for moving from individual therapy to group therapy. Parents of challenging children may be considered one such vulnerable population for whom the lack of professional assistance not only affects parents’ mental health and functioning but also that of their children. Group psychotherapy is an efficient and effective solution for parents: Research has concluded that group therapy is equally or more effective compared to individual therapy. Yet, group therapy is not frequently used with parents, mainly because psychologists are not trained to conduct such groups. Parent groups require therapists who understand parent-child relationship and who are trained in special methods and techniques that help parents engage in the group process. The aim of this paper is two–fold: 1. Present a group therapy modality to increase intimacy in parent-child relationships that relies on the creative arts; 2. Provide outcome and process research based on four large studies, to support the validity of the intervention.
Article Details
The Medical Research Archives grants authors the right to publish and reproduce the unrevised contribution in whole or in part at any time and in any form for any scholarly non-commercial purpose with the condition that all publications of the contribution include a full citation to the journal as published by the Medical Research Archives.
References
2. Burlingame GM, Strauss B. Efficacy of small group treatment: foundations for evidence-based practice. In M Barkham, W, Lutz, LG Castonguay (Eds.), Bergin and Garfield’s Handbook of psychology and behavior change. 50th anniversary edition. 2021: 583-624. Wiley.
3. Marmarosh C, Forsyth DR, Strauss B, Burlingame GM. The psychology of the COVID-19 pandemic: A group level perspective. Group Dynamics, Theory, Research, & Practice. 2020; 24: 122-138.
4. Rosental J, Alldredge CT, Burlingame GM, Strauss B. Recent developments in group Psychotherapy research. American Journal of Psychotherapy. 2021; 74: 52-59.
5. Yalom DI. The theory and practice of group psychotherapy. 1985, 2nd ed. New York: Basic books.
6. Yalom DI, Leszcz M. The theory and practice of group psychotherapy . 2021, 6th ed. New York: Basic books.
7. Shechtman Z, Kiezel A. Why do people prefer individual therapy over group therapy? International Journal of Group Psychotherapy. 2016; 66: 571-591.
8. Weiss F. Special issue on group psychotherapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy. 2021; 74: 50-51.
9. Sharabany R. Intimate friendship scale: conceptual understanding, psychometric properties, and construct validity. Journal of Social and Personal Relationship. 1994; 15: 449-470.
10. Greenberg LS. Emotion-focused therapy: coaching clients to work through their feelings. 2002. Washington, DC: APA.
11. Gladding S. The creative arts in counseling. 2021, 6th Ed. Alexandria, Virginia: ACA.
12. Yalom ID. The Yalom reader. 1998. New-York: Basic Books.
13. Kottler JA. On becoming a therapist. 1986. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
14. Shechtman Z. Treating child and adolescent aggression through bibliotherapy. 2010. New York: Springer.
15. Tanous-Haddad L, Shechtman Z. Movies as a therapeutic technique in school-based counselling groups to reduce parent-child conflict. International Journal of Counseling. 2019; 97: 306-316.
16. Pennebaker JW. Opening up: The healing power of expressing emotions. 2016, 3d ed. Guilford
17. Crothes SM. A literary clinic. Atlantic Monthly. 1916; 118: 291-301.
18. Rubin, J. Introduction to art-therapy: sources and Resources. 1999. New York: Taylor & Francis.
19. Dean ME, Landis H. Creative art-based approaches with adolescent groups. In C Haen, S Aronson Eds., Handbook of child and adolescent group therapy. 2017: 124-13. New York: Routledge.
20. Weiser J. Phototherapy techniques. 1993. New York: Jossey-Bass publishers.
21. Toren Z. Changing life stories with phototherapy. 2023. Israel. Niv
22. Al Yagon M. Perceived close relationships with parents, teachers, and peers: Predictors of social, motional, and behavioral features in adolescents with LD or combined LD and ADHA. Journal of Learning Disabilities. 2016; 19: 597-615.
23. Shechtman, Z Gilat I. The effectiveness of counseling groups on reducing stress of parents of children with learning disabilities. Group Dynamics, Theory, Research, and Practice. 2005; 9: 275-289.
24. Danino M, Shechtman Z. Superiority of group counseling to individual coaching of parents of children with learning disabilities. Psychotherapy Research. 2012; 22: 592 -603
25. Eizenberg N, Fabes RA, Murphy BC. Parents’ reactions to children’s negative emotions: Relations to children’s social competence and confronting behavior. Child Development. 1996: 67: 2227- 2247.
26. Shechtman Z, Birani-Nnasaraadin D. Treatment of aggression: The contribution of parent involvement. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy. 2006; 56: 93-112.
27. Ziperfel M, Shechtman Z. Psychodynamic group intervention with parents of children with ADHD: Outcomes for parents and their children. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice. 2017: 21: 135-147.
28. Kivlighan DM, Holmes SE. The importance of therapeutic factors: A typology of therapeutic factors study. In JL Delucia-Waack, DA Gerrity, CR Kalodner, MT Riva., Handbook of group counselling and psychotherapy. 2004: 23-36. Thousand Oaks. CA: Sage.
29. Castonguay LG, Hill C. Transformation in psychotherapy. 2002. Washington, DC: APA