Attachment in Group Therapy

In group therapy, individuals immediately rely on their prior attachment experiences to understand group processes and cope with the feelings the group elicits. Internal representations of self and others, as well as emotion-regulating strategies, are all automatically triggered in the group.

To help clients work effectively with these automatic thoughts and feelings the group leader tries to create a safe environment where individuals can explore these implicit attachment-based processes as they are activated. Regardless of the issues group members present with, the format of the group, or the theory supporting the group interventions, leading a group is often challenging because there are many internal and interpersonal dynamics influencing the process at any one point in time.

In this video, Dr. Cheri L. Marmarosh conducts a brief pre-session screening with an individual client, then shows how she applies attachment theory in the group's first interaction, demonstrating how individuals with different attachment histories may navigate their initial experience in a group.