Many of the approaches to psychotherapy we have already looked at are used in groups. There are psychoanalytically oriented groups, Adlerian groups, Gestalt groups, groups that use behavior modification, and others. Perhaps the most useful way to understand group therapy is to liken it to education. Many sorts of things can be taught, and many can be learned. Group therapy may be understood most clearly in relation to what kinds of learning and teaching really go on in it. Since group approaches to problem solving include many applications beyond our scope here--in industry, religion, schools, etc.--we will look more closely at the following forms of group therapy that are used in the context of psychotherapy: brief group psychotherapy, T-groups, {187} human potential groups, self-help groups, and the use of specialized approaches to psychotherapy in a group setting. (Marriage and family therapy, which are special forms of group therapy, are of interest to a large number of people, so they are discussed separately, in Chapter 14.) BRIEF GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY Also known as _short-term encounter groups_, brief group psychotherapy is intended for people who face life crises, who are motivated to change, and who are comparatively free of individual emotional disorders. Normally, there are about ten sessions. People who find short-term group therapy useful generally have well-defined problems to solve. Their experience in group therapy encourages them to become involved in new activities, join clubs, perhaps do volunteer work after being recently widowed, divorced, or separated; to take specific steps to find employment; or to practice new ways of behaving--to become more assertive, to implement a weight-loss plan, to return to school after raising a family, or to change careers. T-GROUPS Training groups were an outgrowth of the National Training Laboratories, an organization formed in 1947 by social psychologists who were interested in improving education. T-groups were made up of "normally adjusted people" who were interested in improving their communication skills so they could become more competent in difficult interpersonal situations. T-groups gradually widened their focus and became the basis for the practical orientation of many therapy groups today. Clients who feel isolated or alienated, find it hard to relate to others, lack a sense of meaning and direction, and do not have strong self-discipline often are attracted to T-groups. HUMAN POTENTIAL GROUPS