Group dynamics.

Group dynamics is a process in which social and psychological determinants (causes) interact, which can affect the behavior of the individuals making up the given collective. This term Kurt Levin introduced in 1934 in such branches of medicine as psychology and psychotherapy. The purpose and idea of group psychotherapy is not only to establish group interaction, but also in the dynamics of development of this group and each of its constituent members in the direction of positive development and recovery.

Group dynamics is conditionally divided into three main stages:

1) the stage of compliance;

2) identification stage;

3) the assignment phase.

At the stage of compliance the participants of the group begin to yield to the influence of each other individually, the whole group and the doctor. It would be more accurate to say that they begin to shift from the position of unconscious self-defense of their own inner world, to defend their attitude towards neurosis or to another problem of the psychological plan that led them into this group. However, they still do not accept outside influences and opinions, but only begin to remove their protection from external influences and accept the norms and rules of work in the group that were set out by the doctor. A voluntary, but for the time being only formal community among the members of the group begins to take shape. But since all people are different, the processes of psychological adaptation for everyone go with different speeds.

At the stage of identification, group dynamics finds further development in the appearance of readiness among the group members no longer formally, but with the participation and understanding listen to the opinions of others and discuss with them. At this stage, an informal community is born, a sense of some "we" of the group, despite even some disagreement and rejection of each other by individual members of the group.

At the stage of assignment, the process of acceptance by individual participants of those group values that have already developed in the previous stages as their own, even the readiness to operate them in their own private life on their own behalf, is passing through.

The notion of group dynamics includes such useful healing factors as suggestion of hope, team cohesion, generalization of oneself with the group, information provision to others, interpersonal training, multiple transfer, development of interpersonal communication skills that imitates the standard of behavior.

Consider some of these, of course, useful factors:

Cohesion. Practice has shown that most of the participants suffer the most from loneliness psychological or physical, which, in turn, causes people a sense of uselessness, insecurity, high anxiety. Group dynamics allows you to eliminate the root cause, namely the feeling of loneliness, because in those groups that have developed successfully, there is affiliation - a sense of belonging to the community. And as a consequence, there is a sense of security, and a sense of anxiety can disappear completely.

Suggesting hope. It happens that group dynamics unites not only those people who positively influence each other, but also those who influence negatively, reduce self-confidence, settle skepticism in the soul. Therefore, when selecting groups, the specialist should be very careful and take into account the individual preferences of each patient.

Generalization. This effect is very close to the effect of cohesion, because when selecting groups, doctors are guided by the commonality of the problems of participants in each particular group. When participants see people around themselves with similar problems, the feeling of loneliness disappears, hope appears, and along with them the chance for success of treatment will increase.