Treating children in residential group psychotherapy

The underlying principle in this approach to group treatment is provision of protective limits. In such a model, the therapist is required to operate as a benevolent authority. These children are offered a new view of authority that is firm, consistent, and nonpunitive. As a result, group members come to rely on the safety present in the group experience to develop greater awareness of their feelings and needs. In essence, their emotional needs are recognized and addressed directly, which supports emotional and social development and adaptation. By learning to control their behavior and by understanding their needs, these children can also come to learn how to get along with each other. For these children such achievements represent significant changes in the way they view themselves, as well as the world around them.