From the author: Based on materials from I. Yalom “Group psychotherapy” According to experts, over 15 years in the United States, more than 5,000,000 people have undergone group therapy. Unfortunately, such statistics are not kept in Ukraine, and there are not many opportunities to undergo group therapy. Most often, various trainings are offered, which are significantly inferior in effectiveness to group therapy. Who are these 5,000,000 people, what are they like? The presenters describe them as mentally healthy members of society, who have achieved significant success, are outwardly prosperous, but live in constant tension, uncertainty, experiencing internal conflicts, a conflict of values. A highly competitive culture promotes external visibility. A person who is considered prosperous in society strives to protect his image at any cost. If any doubts, disappointments, guilt or any other “ugly” feelings arise, he hides them and remains constantly vigilant. What did group therapy give these people? The group offers an oasis in which one should put aside the attributes of external significance, remove the shoulder straps, forget about restrictive norms, and give oneself freedom. In a group, people are valued not for their material well-being, social status, unbreakable aplomb and competence in the professional field. Instead, interpersonal sincerity, perception of one's weaknesses, and disclosure of self-doubt are rewarded. In the group, imaginary pseudo-values ​​are exposed. Over the years, we have been strengthened by the idea of ​​the high price that we will have to pay for the appearance of spots on our appearance; we are afraid of humiliation, rejection, and loss of status. In a group, people discover complete acceptance when the loss of external gloss does not lead to rejection, since acceptance is based on complete self-disclosure, and not on building a false image. How does this happen? The huge advantages of working in a group are the following factors: feedback, self-disclosure, interpersonal sincerity, unfreezing, etc. Quite often in society, we are deprived of the opportunity to receive accurate feedback from our environment, superiors, colleagues, spouses, friends, etc. In a group, it becomes a significant component and is most effective in the “here-and-now” space and follows as closely as possible the event that gave rise to it. The objectivity and appropriateness of feedback is monitored by other group members. Unfreezing is the process of debunking an individual’s previous system of statements; the group helps him to examine his opinion about himself and relationships with others. Participants can gain their experience using the Jogarry window Known to others Unknown to others Known to me A B Unknown to me C D A - public area of ​​the personality B - blind territory C - secret territory D - unconscious self. The goal of the group is to increase cell A by reducing cell B through feedback and cell C by self-disclosure. D – restricted zone. The goals of groups are unclear. Sometimes they provide a pleasant pastime, an expression of joy, pleasure, but most often they strive for changes - in behavior, attitudes, values, lifestyle, degree of self-realization, changes in relationships with other people, the world around them, with themselves or to a change in the way of being -in the world.