A Brief History of Group Therapy as a Field and the Representation of Women in Its Development

ABSTRACT

This article explores the place of women in the specialization of group psychotherapy, particularly their representation in journal publications, both in topical coverage related to women as well as in editorial participation and leadership. We first present a brief history of group psychotherapy to provide overall context. Next, we present major cross-cutting themes related to women and group work that emerged from our review of nine peer-reviewed journals deemed most relevant to our investigation. We end with observations and a call for greater inclusion of women in the group psychotherapy literature.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to extend their appreciation and thanks to Chatham University Graduate Counseling Psychology students Rachel Coury, Schazz Lee, and Adrijana Vukelic for their hard work and diligent assistance with research-related tasks in the preparation of this article. They also thank Dr. Joe Miles for his keen editorial assistance with this article.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jill D. Paquin

Jill D. Paquin, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Graduate Programs in Counseling Psychology at Chatham University, Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, and Fellow of the American Psychological Association. Courtney Abegunde, M.A., is Program Coordinator for the Services for the Treatment of Early Psychosis (STEP) Clinic at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. Alexis Hahn, Psy.D., is a Staff Psychologist at the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Petersburg, Virginia. Ruth E. Fassinger, Ph.D. is Professor Emerita at the University of Maryland, College Park and Fellow of the American Psychological Association.