Use of videotape feedback with severely disturbed adolescents

A year of group therapy using videotape feedback with seriously disturbed adolescents offers evidence that such feedback facilitates the correction of these youngsters' distorted body images, low self-esteem, lack of capacity for self-observation, and poor peer relationships. The conscious use of videotape also played an integral part in the group process. It seemed to serve as a third therapist, with considerable amounts of resistance and transference focused on the equipment as it went through the process of being monster, toy and useful tool. An additional benefit was provided to the cotherapists in terms of supervision, and in teaching other staff the techniques of group therapy.