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Mental health consultation with groups

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Abstract

A case-seminar method of group mental health consultation is presented and differentiated from group supervision, seminar teaching, sensitivity training, and group psychotherapy. The group consultant employs roles and techniques of a teacher, a group leader, a clinician, and a communication facilitator. Analysis of the process of group consultation suggests that several phases are discernable and that each phase offers opportunities for fruitful, problem-solving discussions of the personal reaction of clients and consultees. Group discussion of consultees' reactions to and feelings about their clients and the active use of group processes by the consultant most clearly differentiate this method from Caplan's approach to mental health consultation with individual consultees.

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Some of the ideas expressed here were presented in papers at the American Orthopsychiatric Association, New York City, 1961 (C.D.S.); the Southeastern Psychological Association, Gatlinburg, Tenn., 1961 (C.E.); and the American Psychological Association, Los Angeles, 1964 (J.A.). We appreciate the cooperation of C. B. Davis, Director of the Consolidated Health Department of Wilmington and New Hanover County, N.C. and of Robert F. Young, Director of the Halifax County, N.C., Health Department. We are also grateful to Irving Alexander, Lloyd Borstelmann, Gerald Caplan, Louis D. Cohen, J. Edward Connors, Saul Cooper, and Norman Garmezy for stimulating discussions about consultation and to the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, La Jolla, California, where early drafts of this paper were written while the first author was on sabbatical leave.

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Altrocchi, J., Spielberger, C.D. & Eisdorfer, C. Mental health consultation with groups. Community Ment Health J 1, 127–134 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01435201

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