Cohesion in group psychotherapy

Insight into the therapeutic relationship in group psychotherapy requires an understanding of the treatment context, Cohesion is defined as the therapeutic relationship in group psychotherapy emerging from the aggregate of member-leader, member-member, and member-group relationships. Using this definition, evidence for the relationship between cohesion, patient outcome, and treatment processes is reviewed. Six empirically supported principles that undergird the development and maintenance of cohesion are presented, touching on pregroup preparation, early group structure, leader interaction, feedback, leader modeling, and member emotional expression. The limitations of the present research are discussed; leading to opportunities for future research.