the client to discover that others have similar problems. Individuals receive information
about their problems from either the therapist or other group members. Financially, group
therapy is also cheaper for clients who might otherwise not be able to afford individual
counseling. Less verbal clients and those more resistant in individual settings may find it
easier to open up about their problems in a group setting. Clients get helpful feedback from
peers that may allow them to gain better insight into their own particular situations.Couples and Family Therapy
This is especially true in family and marital counseling sessions. Trained professionals can
direct spouses and family members to openly discuss their individual perspectives on the
same issue. In the neutral setting of the therapist’s office, individuals can come to better
understand others’ feelings and beliefs and how their behavior affects others. The therapy
can serve as a training ground to practice better communication skills and bring about
improved relationships.Self-Help Groups
Self-help groups are yet another way that individuals who share the same problem may get
assistance. One of the best-known examples is Alcoholics Anonymous. Recovering
alcoholics get peer support and have an outlet to share their individual experiences. It
should be noted, however, that trained psychotherapists do not conduct these sessions. The
responsibility for leading the group is up to the group members themselves. Meetings can
be attended anywhere in the United States. New members can receive a sponsor, one who
has been in recovery for a longer period of time, to call in emergency situations. A spiritual
aspect underlies Alcohol Anonymous’s Twelve-Step Program as well.Community and Preventive Approaches
With deinstitutionalization came the problem of how to help patients released from mental
hospitals and an ever-growing number of other people in need of aid in local communities.
The vast increase in the homeless population, many of whom have symptoms of schizo-
phrenia, has posed a problem that has not been solved. Yet these problems have led to the
rise of a relatively new subfield of psychology, community psychology. Community
psychologists aim to promote psychosocial change to prevent psychological disorders as well
as to treat people with psychopathologies in their local communities.
As part of the community mental health movement of the 1960s, local clinics cropped
up. With continued funding problems, these local clinics try to provide both treatment and
preventive services. One of their major goals is to treat people with psychological problems
to prevent them from getting worse and help them recover. They address unemployment,
poverty, overcrowding, and other stressful social problems that can affect mental health.
Other initiatives include prenatal and follow-up well-baby care, dissemination of informa-
tion on sexually transmitted diseases, suicide prevention programs, child abuse prevention,
and training of paraprofessionals to help community members cope with emergency situa-
tions. They hold free screenings for depression and anxiety, sponsor suicide hotlines, and
provide outreach programs for at-risk children and teens.236 ❯ STEP 4. Review the Knowledge You Need to Score High