Group Radical Openness: An Intervention for Overcontrol

✍ Scribed by Richard Booth, Rachel Egan

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2023
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 221
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This innovative book introduces Group Radical Openness (GRO), a group treatment for individuals who struggle with costly and harmful overcontrol.

The book opens with the background and evolution of GRO, followed by a thorough description of how to assess overcontrol. This novel group approach draws on both Group Therapy and Polyvagal Theory and encourages an entirely different way of working with this client group. It explores the concept of overcontrol, describing a pattern of distance in relationships, rigidity, and emotional inhibition. The 27-session group treatment leads the participants on a journey where they develop trust and safety with each other, show flexibility, and become more emotionally aware and expressive. Chapters feature engaging clinical examples and strikingly original exercises.

This book is aimed at clinicians looking for ways to effectively treat disorders characterised by excessive self-control, such as mood disorders, eating disorders, and certain personality disorders. This will be an important resource in a wide range of mental health and forensic settings.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Endorsement
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Foreword by Christine Dunkley
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1 The Journey to Group Radical Openness (GRO)
Living Through Distress
The Construct of Overcontrol
A Skills Group for Overcontrol
Our First Study – An Investigation Into a Group-Only Approach to Radical Openness
Our Second Study – A Comparison of Undercontrolled and Overcontrolled Group-Only Approaches
The Evolution of Our Group Approach
Adapting From Lynch’s Original Model
Enhancing the Group Therapy Approach
The Specific Areas of Development
Theoretical Input
Therapeutic Style
Themes
The Components of GRO
Training Therapists to Deliver GRO: Feedback From Trainees
Our Third Study – A Feasibility Study
This Manual
Chapter 2 Setting Up a GRO Programme
Take a Walk On the Mountain
Selecting a Guidebook
Neuroception
The Autonomic Hierarchy
Co-regulation
A Group On the Mountain
Irvin Yalom
Initial Therapeutic Factors
Group Cohesion
The Here and Now
J.L. Moreno
Know the GRO Mountain
Overcontrolled Mountain Climbers
Distance in Relationships
Rigidity
Inhibited Emotion
The Fundamental Principles of GRO
The Group Is the Agent of Change
Safety Is the Target
The Group Is Where Change Is First Demonstrated
The Framework of GRO
What Is Required of the Facilitator
Facilitator Kit Bag
Ready to Set Off
Chapter 3 Assessing for GRO
Overcontrol: Two Streams of History
Ego Functioning and Overcontrol
Self-Control, DBT, and Overcontrol
Overcontrol Assessment: Two Studies
The First Study
The Second Study
GRO Training in Assessment
Assessment for GRO
Assessment Procedure for GRO
Orientation
Interview Style
Category 1: Connection
Category 2: Control
Category 3: Emotion
Group Suitability
Chapter 4 Cues of Safety, Cues of Danger
Sessions 1–3: Introduction to GRO and Polyvagal Theory
Session 1: Introduction to GRO
Aims of Session 1
Session Plan: Session 1
Self-Enquiry 1: How Overcontrol Develops
Session 2: Introduction to Polyvagal Theory
Aims of Session 2
Session Plan: Session 2
Self-Enquiry 2: A Glimpse Into My Life Using Polyvagal
Sympathetic
Dorsal
Ventral
Session 3: Triggers and Glimmers
Aims of Session 3
Session Plan: Session 3
Self-Enquiry 3: Triggers and Glimmers
Chapter 5 Distance in Relationships
Sessions 4–7: Distance in Relationships
Session 4: Introduction to Distance in Relationships and “Swords and Shields”
Aims of Session 4
Session Plan: Session 4
Self-Enquiry 4: Swords and Shields
Session 5: Connect + 1
Aims of Session 5
Session Plan: Session 5
Self-Enquiry 5: Connect + 1
Session 6: Signalling and Listening
Aims of Session 6
Session Plan: Session 6
Self-Enquiry 6: Signalling and Listening
Session 7: Styles of Relating to Self
Aims of Session 7
Session Plan: Session 7
Interview Questions
Self-Enquiry 7: Unacceptable Outsider/Secret Pride
Chapter 6 Rigidity
Sessions 8–11: Rigidity
Session 8: Becoming Aware of Rigidity
Aims of Session 8
Self-Enquiry 8: Mapping Rigidity Onto My Polyvagal Ladder
Session 9: Protectors
Aims of Session 9
Self-Enquiry 9: Protectors
Session 10: Seeking
Aims of Session 10
Self-Enquiry 10: Novel Seeking
Session 11: Play
Aims of Session 11
Self-Enquiry 11: Reflections On the Theme of Rigidity
Chapter 7 Inhibited Emotion
Sessions 12–15: Inhibited Emotion
Session 12: Introduction to Emotion
Aims of Session 12
Session Plan: Session 12
Self-Enquiry 12: Mapping My Emotions On the Polyvagal Ladder
Anger (Sympathetic – Dorsal – Ventral)
Fear (Sympathetic – Dorsal – Ventral)
Sadness (Sympathetic – Dorsal – Ventral)
Sessions 13 and 14: Drawing the Relative Size
Aims of Sessions 13 and 14
Session Plan: Session 13
Self-Enquiry 13 and 14: Reflections On Drawing the Relative Size
Session 15: Taking the Role of an Emotion
Aims of Session 15
Session Plan: Session 15
Chapter 8 The GROhari Exercise
Individual Reflection Session
Aims of Individual Reflection Session
Session Plan
Feedback On the First 15 Groups
The Four Parts
Reflecting
Sharing
Accompanying
Moving Forward
Sessions 16–18: The GROhari Exercise
Aims of Sessions 16–18
Session Plan: Session 16–18
Check In
Explaining the GROhari Exercise
The GROhari Exercise
Getting a Sense of a GROhari Exercise
Check Out
Chapter 9 The Tracker
Sessions 19–25 The Tracker
Aims of Session 19: Introducing the Tracker
Session Plan: Session 19
Introduce the Tracker
Tracker Questions
Self-Enquiry
Clinician Note
Session Plan: Sessions 20 and 21
Aims of Sessions 20 and 21: The Early Trackers
The First Tracker
Accompanying
Clinician Note
Session Plan: Sessions 22–25
“Unsuccessful” Trackers
“Rare” Trackers
Live Trackers
Walking the Tracker
Longer Trackers
Crossing the Bridge
Obstacles On the Bridge
“I Don’t Know How to Cross the Bridge”
“I Am Terrified of Crossing the Bridge”
“I Am Not Sure I Want to Cross the Bridge”
Chapter 10 Ending
Session 26: Penultimate Session: Moving Forward and Endings
Aims of Session 26
Session Plan: Session 26
Brief Check In
My Journey and Moving Forward
How We Typically Engage With Endings
Check Out
Session 27: Final Session
Aims of Session 27
Session Plan: Session 27
Check In
Janus Gate Exercise
Final Check Out: Wishes for the Group
References
Appendix A The GROhari Exercise Handout
Reflecting
Sharing
Accompanying
Moving Forward
A Few Suggestions
Appendix B The Tracker Handout
How Do I Grasp the Tracker?
Tips and Tricks for Doing Trackers
Tips and Tricks for Questioning Trackers
One Event – Three Themes
Tracker On Distance in Relationships
Tracker On Rigidity
Tracker On Inhibited Emotion
Appendix C Frequently Asked Questions
Index