Individual and group sessions with the same patients?

I feel sad about the discussion between Jessica and Vic. It seems to me it has reached a "dead-end" situation.

Let me raise a new question: In our Center of Psychotherapy (for German speeking people - visit the ZEPT in the internet: www.zept.ch) in Zurich, Switzerland, we are planning to establish a group for social competence training. There are therapists from different orientations working together, e.g. control mastery, psychoanalysis, cognitive-behavioral.

We had a big argument about this: Would you take the same patient which comes to you for individual sessions in a group that you are leading at the same time? Would you take an individual session patient at the same time in couple or family therapy? In our discussion the cognitiv-behavioral therapist sees no problems at all in doing this. While the psa-therapist seems to be quite shocked about this possibility.

My thoughts about this: If I follow a case specific approach as CMT, I will change my attitude and behavior to a certain degree in each case. It seems to me impossible to do this in a group. What will be the result - will the patient not be very irritated to experience me differently? And what about the thoughts and fantasies of other group members? They may assume that I treet my individual patients differently - and they may be right, because I know my individual patients much better. Does it depend on the therapeutic orientation? Maybe it's possible with very problem oriented technics?

What are your experiences with this problem? What are your thoughts about it? I deeply appreciate your comments!

• It is Case Specific for me by Jessica, 2/28/99
  • Problems with untold fantasies by Reto Volkart, 3/3/99
• Hard to know in advance by Jessica, 3/23/99