A transactional analysis involves the determination
of which ego states are operative in a given transac-
tion between people.
Another aspect of TA is the emphasis ongames
(Berne, 1964). Games are behaviors that people
frequently use to avoid getting too close to other
people. Such games are orderly transactions that
contain ulterior motives. In TA group therapy,
much effort is devoted to discovering and analyzing
how the members play games with one another.
Berne tends to believe that pseudointimacy rather
than authentic intimacy characterizes TA groups.
The games members play tend to cover their real
feelings and beliefs. He sees one function of the
therapist as that of a teacher who, through ques-
tions, interpretation, and even confrontation, tries
to bring patients to the point where they can
choose between games and more satisfying
behavior.
TA tends to be a swift-moving, action-oriented
approach. There is an emphasis on the present and a
sense of grappling with immediate problems that
makes it attractive to many patients and therapists.
TA has an aura of responsibility, of learning how to
choose between options, and this can be a desirable
alternative to more traditional forms of group ther-
apy that often appear to lumber along at an agoniz-
ingly slow pace. There is also a conceptual
simplicity to the whole technique that seems to
make it understandable and perhaps more accept-
able to patient and professional alike.
Yet this very simplicity, coupled with the zeal
and entrepreneurship of some TA practitioners, has
led to a popularization that can be dangerous.
Critics argue that human problems are complex
events that cannot easily be translated into games
and that any gains from such procedures are there-
fore likely to be short-lived. Certainly, there is little
in the research literature to calm such fears because
TA therapists rarely produce research.
Gestalt Groups. Gestalt group therapyis difficult to
categorize. Like psychoanalytic group therapy, it is
oriented toward the experience of the individual
patient. At the same time, its emphasis on resident
seminars, weekend retreats, brief workshops, and
general popularization gives it a distinct flavor of
the encounter movement (e.g., Rogers, 1970).
These features may have stemmed in part from
the strong and at times flamboyant nature of Fritz
Perls (the leader of the Gestalt movement), coupled
with the considerable publicity that was given the
Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California.
As we saw in Chapter 13, Gestalt therapy
focuses on leading the patient to an awareness of
the“now”and an appreciation of one’s being in
the world. In group therapy, this is achieved by
concentrating on one member at a time. The ther-
apist focuses on the patient, while the other group
members serve as observers. This has been dubbed
the“hot seat”approach. Patients are asked to expe-
rience their feelings and behavior—to lose their
minds and find their senses. Other members of
the group are not just passive observers; they may
be called on to say how they regard the person in
the hot seat. At times, there are bits of role-playing,
the reporting of dreams, and dialogues between
patients (Perls, 1973). But regardless of whether a
member is an observer or in the hot seat, there
tends to be intense involvement in the proceedings.
As with TA methods, the popularization of the pro-
cedures, the lack of research on the results, and the
emotionality involved all make it difficult to assess
the effectiveness of Gestalt group therapy and to
determine whether its effects generalize beyond
the specific situation or weekend.Behavior Therapy Groups. Group behavior ther-
apy, a fairly popular mode of group therapy in con-
temporary clinical psychology, seems to have
grown out of considerations of efficiency rather
than a primary decision to focus on the dynamics
of group interactions (Lazarus, 1975; Rose, 1991).
It is entirely feasible to conduct desensitization ses-
sions, model interpersonal skills, or use cognitive
restructuring interventions in a group setting
(Rose, 1991). For example, it is possible to teach
patients in a group setting how to relax, and it is
equally possible to establish common anxiety hier-
archies simultaneously with several patients. Where
such procedures are feasible, it is certainly efficient
to use them. In contrast to other group therapy436 CHAPTER 15