Cohesion In Counseling And Psychotherapy Groups

Group cohesion is one of the most studied and theorized factors in group counseling. Despite the literature that describes cohesion, how it relates to group process, its mediating potential, and how it directly predicts change, we are still unsure exactly how cohesion operates in different groups and the best way to measure it. This chapter will review the history of group-therapy cohesion and the many challenges to both measuring and studying this illusive group factor. Research that has focused on how group cohesion relates to group process and outcome is summarized. The chapter concludes with recommendations for future research and the implications for clinicians who do group work