Self-Reporting in Group Psychotherapy

When a therapeutic group shares a given amount of time without rigid rules for equitable distribution, it happens that the competitive behavior of some members prevents others from speaking up. This is one of several reasons why in analytically oriented group psychotherapy we find that actually none of the patients, not even the most aggressive ones, can experience satisfactory verbal catharsis in every session. Accounting for the unevenness of verbal participation are such other factors as the difficulty to link up with a dominant subject matter, blocking and retreat from the reality of the session into silent free association, or day dreaming. Also some social prohibitions are not entirely relinquished, and they are strongest in the beginning phases of treatment. Patients express feelings of frustration due to these limitations for verbal catharsis by saying: “I had no chance to speak” or “I just couldn't get in.” Sometimes a patient feels that the group will not consider his problem sufficiently interesting or important to warrant cutting short a topic already under discussion. In the course of treatment a form of gentleman's agreement develops among some members. One patient who usually is actively participating might say to another: “Go ahead. I'm not so pressed today and I'd rather get credit for next time.” This kind of deal-making as well as complaints about lack of a chance to speak are common forms of rationalization for the patient's resistance. It seems to that patient that the amount of verbalization he can put into a session is the measure of his emotional participation.

Self-reporting as introduced by us has yielded a clearer view of these frustrations in the group therapy process and at the same time has provided the patient with an additional means of catharsis. Following each group session the patient writes down his experiences, impressions, and reactions. These self-reports which are mailed to the therapist provide an added source of i