The delayed impact of group therapists' interventions

The direct and delayed impact of therapist interventions on 21 clients in three outpatient therapy groups was examined. Sessions one and five of each group were taped with every therapist intervention analyzed according to the Group Therapist Interventions Scale and every client utterance rated on the Experiencing Scale and categorized by the Group Immediacy Scale. It was hypothesized that therapists would have a delayed rather than direct influence on group process measures. When pairs of therapist-patient statements were examined; little immediate impact was evident. However, a profound delayed impact of group leaders was inferred from the finding that astherapist interventions became more forceful over the first five sessions, patients' level and immediacy of experiencing became more intense.