The Group Psychotherapy Treatment Planner, Kim Paleg and Arthur E. Jongsma, Jr. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2000. 303 pages, softcover, $ 39.95.
The purpose of The Group Psychotherapy Treatment Planner is to clarify and simplify the group therapy treatment planning process. It is intended for the mental health professional who deals with therapeutic issues in a group setting. This book is a step-by-step guide to assist the clinician in defining treatment issues, setting goals and objectives, and developing a treatment plan by choosing from a wide range of options suggested by the authors.
Twenty-eight specific treatment problems, appropriate for group therapy, are presented with a brief chapter devoted to each. Behavioral definitions, long-term goals, short-term objectives and therapeutic interventions are listed for each presenting problem. Finally, links to diagnostic criteria for DSM-IV are suggested. A bibliography is organized in the appendix according to each treatment area and an index of DSM-IV codes is included with presenting problems as the organizational framework. For the therapist who uses a computerized record system, there is an electronic version of the treatment planner.
The content of this book is designed to take the practitioner through a step-by-step approach to defining the focus of a treatment group and assisting the group members to identify goals and objectives. The interventions are varied and include a broad range of approaches. While accurate and complete, interventions range from very basic ("Assign group members to express emotional needs and personal desires.") to more complex ("Teach group members to differentiate between whether the parent's or the child's rights are being violated.").
As a matter of style, headings for the objectives and interventions appear only at the beginning of columns and would be useful on the top of each page for some of the longer treatment plans. Except for this, the format is easy to follow and allows the therapist to easily use the plan as presented and/or to individualize plans.
The Group Psychotherapy Treatment Planner is a useful tool for any therapist who works with groups. It is valuable for the clinician who uses the "presenting problem" approach to therapy or for the clinician who uses DSM-IV diagnoses. It is designed to be used independent of or in conjunction with computerized programs that facilitate record keeping. Although the process might benefit from the addition of an evaluation step, the problem selection and definition, goal and objective development, and intervention steps are essential to the development of a treatment plan.
As a practical matter, it is helpful to have a menu of potential interventions from which to choose when working with clients in groups. While therapists should never adopt a "one-size-fits-all" approach when choosing interventions, there are some strategies that have proven successful over time. These strategies may be relevant and useful when tailored to the needs of the individuals in the group. For that reason, and for additional ideas that may be generated as a result of the suggestions in The Group Psychotherapy Treatment Planner, this is a very good resource for the practitioner who works with groups. The efficiency of suggested treatment plans, accountability, and a systematic approach for keeping client records make this an important source book in the field of group therapy.