Removing the Roadblocks

Marsha Vannicelli, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, also teaches in the Doctoral Program at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology. She has a private practice in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her writing, teaching, and clinical supervision focus primarily on group psychotherapy and the treatment of substance abusers, adult children of alcoholics, and other family members.

This book provides a wealth of practical material for therapists conducting long-term psychodynamic group therapy with substance abusers, adult children of alcoholics, and other family members....Regardless of theoretical orientation, readers will benefit from the author's considerable clinical experience in conducting group therapy with this client population. --G. Alan Marlatt, Ph.D., Director of The Addictive Behaviors Research Center, University of WashingtonIn this book Dr. Vannicelli has brought together all of the important information needed by a beginning or experienced therapist interested in treating substance abusers and their families. In addition to nuts and bolts information about patient selection, assessment, group organization and functioning, the author provides a rich array of clinical examples and guidance in handling the difficulties that regularly arise in ongoing groups. With a minimum of theory and a maximum of practical guidance, REMOVING THE ROADBLOCKS is a valuable resource to any clinician.--Sheila B. Blume, M.D.An important contribution to the field. Thoughtfully discusses the practice of group psychotherapy with substance abuse patients and describes a comprehensive and eminently practical approach to clinical work. I know of no practitioner in the field who would not benefit from this book. --Irvin Yalom, M.D. - Offers the reader a 'road map' for negotiating the challenging terrain of group work with substance-abusing individuals....A valuable addition to the clinical literature in this field. --American Journal on Addictions, 2/16/1992ƒƒ This is an excellent book....She brings together solid psychodynamic theory with group treatment and organizes it all in a very systematic way so that it can be readily applied to a specific population of patients who usually provide many treatment difficulties for most practitioners. --International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 2/16/1992ƒƒ ... a splendid book about a very complicated subject. Throughout the pages, the author demonstrates her competence, talent, breadth of knowledge and rich experience, sharing with the reader in a compelling and personal style that makes reading enjoyable as well as thought-provoking....Every professional, who cares about groups and worked with people in groups, whether in this particular kind of group among the many in the treatment of substance abuse or in any field of human service, can enjoy greatly the reading of this book and can learn much from it. --Social Work with Groups, 2/16/1992ƒƒ The book is invaluable for substance abuse therapists. Experienced and novice alike will find useful tools to add to their own clinical repertoire. Ms. Vannicelli presents dynamically oriented group psychotherapy with substance abusers and their families at its finest. --Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 2/16/1992

• Foreword, Preface, 1 Introduction 2 RATIONALE FOR DYNAMICALLY ORIENTED GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY 3 CONSIDERATIONS IN SETTING UP A GROUP: SELECTING AND PREPARING MEMBERS 4 BEGINNING THE GROUP 5 SPECIAL POPULATION ISSUES 6 DEFINING THE JOURNEY 7 REMOVING THE ROADBLOCKS IN THE GROUP 8. REMOVING THE ROADBLOCKS WITHIN THE PATIENT 9 REMOVING THE FINAL PATIENT ROADBLOCK: TERMINATION 10 REMOVING THE ROADBLOCKS IN THE THERAPIST 11 GROUP LEADER PREPARATION AND TRAINING 12 CONCLUSION