group therapy

group therapy 1 A type of psychiatric care in which several patients meet with one or more therapists at the same time. Patients form a support group for each other, and they receive expert care and advice. The group therapy model is particularly appropriate for psychiatric illnesses that are support intensive, such as anxiety disorders, but is not well suited for treatment of some other psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia. 2 A type of psychoanalysis in which patients analyze each other, with the assistance of one or more psychotherapists, as in an “encounter group.” See also gestalt therapy.