Advantages of Heterogeneous Therapy Groups in the Psychotherapy of the Traumatically Abused: Treating the Problem as Well as the Person

Abstract

The authors combine a social-constructionist perspective with a psychodynamic one in discussing the problem of trauma and its treatment. They argue that effective treatment of traumatic physical, sexual, and psychological abuse must do more than alleviate the pain of the sufferer. Factors that cause and perpetuate abuse must be addressed by the abused person in conjunction with other nontraumatized persons who may have been abusive or passive in the face of abuse. An argument is made for heterogeneous therapy groups as a context for this to occur.