Group therapy
Interpersonal group therapy
has huge potential to help
people in their recovery.
However, ongoing supervised
practice and support are critical
in training effective facilitators,
says Dr Tim Leighton
Up close and interpersonal
ANYONE GOING TO A RESIDENTIAL OR DAY REHAB will
almost certainly be asked to participate in some form
of group therapy, and there is also a place for this kind
of therapy at other stages of change. Participating in
group therapy can be scary but it can also be
exhilarating and life changing. However, it’s vital that
the staff who run the therapy know what they are
doing, and have the skills to help each member get
what they need from the group to build and
strengthen their resources for change.
Yet there is very little training available in group
therapy in this country, particularly when it comes to
models suitable for people with addiction problems.
At Action on Addiction we have offered introductory
training in interpersonal group therapy for many
years, both as part of our University of Bath degree
course and as standalone CPD, and while many people
have found this training invaluable, it is only
introductory. To master a therapy, particularly a
complex group therapy model, it takes more than a
week’s basic grounding, no matter how well
practitioners understand the model and its
application, and no matter how enthusiastic they feel
about what they have learned. What is needed is
ongoing supervised practice, training and support.
Many of us who work in this field are expected to
practise models of counselling and therapy with fairly
minimal training in the specialist interventions, and
while we may have generic counselling qualifications
which form a vital foundation for the work, most of
this training does not include group therapy
facilitation. Our cash-strapped field seems not to be
able to afford to train our practitioners to the level
and for the duration required to produce really skilled,
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‘There is very little training
available in group therapy in
this country, particularly
when it comes to models
suitable for people with
addiction problems.’
confident and qualified therapists. There is a huge
amount of talent and vocational energy in the field so
there are beacons of good practice in many areas, but
we also know that sometimes standards fall short.
We feel that practitioners deserve more, and it has
long been our ambition to create and develop a
proper clinical training for people working
therapeutically in the field of addiction. Our new
intermediate course in interpersonal group therapy is
our first offering – it’s designed to be accessible, and
it will be very much practice-based. Attendance at the
training group each month will focus on collaborative
learning and skills building, while the academic
knowledge required
will be built with
guided distance-
learning between the
sessions.
Why go for
interpersonal group
therapy? We believe
this model has great
potential to help those
who are on the journey of recovery understand the
way they relate to other people and learn to build
fulfilling relationships that meet social and emotional
needs. In problematic drug use or addiction,
relationships are often impaired, and relating to
others without the use of drugs can be a challenge.
However, trusting relationships with others and
participating in a rewarding social network are some
of the strongest predictors of durable change. Feelings
of belonging, and receiving and giving support to
others, have been for many people the cornerstone of
a recovery of confidence and self-worth.
The course is designed specifically for those
working with people who have alcohol, drug,
gambling and related issues. It takes a great deal of
skill, understanding, perseverance and confidence to
facilitate therapy groups that are safe, trusting and
lead to lasting change, and we hope that this course
will make a contribution to the more widespread
provision of this excellent model.
Dr Tim Leighton is director of professional
education and research at Action on Addiction
More information at
www.actiononaddiction.org.uk
Source: www.actiononaddiction.org.uk
October 2019 | drinkanddrugsnews | 11