Point: "bring those 'outside' observers in"

A teaching hospital is frequently overwhelmed by the number of people who want to observe a working therapeutic group; therefore the need to provide and enhance this experience for group members and leaders led us to try a new approach. After some initial experimentation, the technique of an observer participating through feedback sessions within the group made a major impact on members, leaders, and observers. Observers were held accountable for the privilege of joining the group experience, and the passiveness, which usually accompanies non-participation, decreased notably. And last, but certainly not least in our experience, patients felt less exploited when the unseen people shared their observations with them. Bringing these outside observers in helped the group's potential to develop more fully.