Comparison of therapeutic factors in group and individual treatment processes

Group and individual treatments have equivalent outcomes, but little is und erstood about the therapeutic processes in these treatment modalities; ther efore, similarities and differences in the therapeutic process were explore d. Critical incident obtained from 20 individual and 20 group clients were rated on 4 dimensions of session impact: emotional awareness-insight, relat ionship-climate other- versus self-focus, and problem definition-change) us ing the Group Counseling Helpful Impacts Scale (D. M. Kivlighan, Jr., K. D. Multon, & D. F. Brossart, 1996). The findings of this study indicate diffe rent therapeutic processes in group and individual treatments. Ratings of r elationship-climate and other-versus self-focus impacts were higher in the group participants' critical incident forms, whereas emotional awareness-in sight and problem definition-change ratings were higher in the critical inc ident reports of individual treatment participants.