A Commentary on "A Therapist's Guide to Issues of Intimacy and Hostility Viewed as Group-Level Phenomena"

The article by J. Dugo and A. Beck, "A therapist's guide to issues of intimacy and hostility viewed as group-level phenomena" (1984), International Journal of Group Psychotherapy 34, 1, 25-45, was reviewed to determine its applicability to current clinical practice and for instructions and training for leaders of psychotherapy groups. The authors write from the psychoanalytic perspective to propose four leader roles for differing group phases and describe the impact of each leader type on the functioning of the group, the leader, and the group members. Central to the thesis for the article are the perception and importance of the group as a whole as an entity. The commentary also addresses implications across identities, research implications and needs, and the impact on the commentary author.