Ruptures and Repairs in Group Psychotherapy: From Theory to Practice

The group climate, cohesion, and alliance with the leaders are critical elements of effective group psychotherapy. Although there has been significant attention to these curative mechanisms, there has been less attention to ruptures in the group relationships or the repair of them. The current special issue is devoted to theory, research, training, and practice regarding ruptures and repairs in group treatment. Contemporary and more traditional theorists describe how ruptures facilitate change in group therapy. Researchers apply the empirical findings on ruptures in individual therapy to group therapy and describe how ruptures can be measured. Group therapists also address how group leaders can contribute to ruptures and their subsequent repair. This introduction to the special issue concludes with the implications for practice and a call for future research that will help us fully understand how ruptures affect group process and outcomes in group work.