Group Treatment in Social Work: An Integration of Theory and Practice

Claude A. Guldner is a professor of family studies at the University of
Guelph.

This book is an introduction to group treatment for trainee social
workers and other helping professionals. Its three
sections—Preparation for Group Treatment, Stages of Group Development,
and Evaluation in Social Group Treatment—cover all the critical areas
and important elements. (The last section, however, is given only one
chapter despite its importance in group practice.) Unfortunately, the
bibliography, though extensive, is disappointing, with few references to
works published in the 1990s. This limitation tends to produce several
gaps in theory; for example, the systems theory approach, one of the
more recent developments in group treatment, is omitted. And further,
all clinicians learn through practice under supervision, but the author
devotes only one page to this important subject.

Nevertheless, Wickham’s discussion of power and control in group work
is very significant, and he includes an important chapter on issues of
concern during termination of treatment, often a neglected topic in the
literature. He also highlights the value of co-leadership for group
treatment, and includes questions for consideration at the end of each
chapter.