Coming soon · For facilitators, trainees and supervisors
When Group Gets Stuck
A practical response guide for adult IOP and PHP skills groups. 39 moments that derail a group, and for each one: the first sentence to say, what to do next depending on what happens, how to get back to the planned skill, and what to write afterward.
Written for the facilitator who can't leave the room
Most group-therapy books explain group dynamics. This one is for the minute after something goes wrong, when you are alone with eight members and a lesson plan.
- Three ways to say it
- Every scenario opens with three alternative first responses in plain spoken language, so you can pick the one that sounds like you.
- Branches, not a script
- What to do if the member responds, stays quiet, escalates, or something else is going on, including when to stop teaching altogether.
- A way back to the skill
- Each scenario returns to a named DBT skill, so the session still delivers what it was planned to deliver.
- Solo and co-facilitator routes
- What changes when you have a second staff member, and what you must never do when you don't, such as leaving the group unattended.
- Documentation excerpts
- Alternative note excerpts for different outcomes, recording observed behavior, interventions and stated responses, without other members' details.
- One-page quick-reference cards
- 39 cards that condense each scenario, plus a Safety first page. Purchasers can download a printable card pack.
The 39 situations
Grouped the way the book's index is grouped, so you can find the decision in front of you in seconds.
Participation and access
- Nobody answers the opening question
- A member cannot use the written worksheet
- The room goes quiet after a painful disclosure
- The available language support does not meet the task
Time and speaking turns
- One member needs more time than the group can offer
- A member repeatedly interrupts other speakers
- Advice takes over another member's turn
- Check-in leaves too little time for practice
Conflict and impact
- A disagreement becomes personal
- A comment targets a member's identity
- Laughter interrupts a member's contribution
- Several members question whether a boundary is fair
Task boundaries
- A member declines the activity
- Members ask for graphic details of a painful event
- A member asks for diagnosis or medication advice
- A member asks for a guarantee that the skill will work
Membership changes
- A new member joins midway through the cycle
- Returning members say they have done this skill already
- Arrivals and departures interrupt the session
- A familiar member is unexpectedly absent
Energy and practical fit
- A tired member struggles to stay with the lesson
- A practice exercise increases distress
- The room becomes difficult to tolerate
- A suggested skill does not fit a real constraint
The facilitator relationship
- The facilitator makes a harmful assumption
- A member raises a legitimate concern about the intervention
- A member points out an inconsistent boundary
- Co-facilitators give conflicting directions
Follow through and transitions
- A member leaves the room during tension
- A member returns after individual support
- The same disruption recurs across sessions
- The session must end while tension remains
When safety is at risk
- A member says they plan to end their life
- A member appears intoxicated
- A member threatens another member
Virtual groups
- A virtual member hints at danger, then disconnects
- Someone else is in a virtual member's room
- A member joins while driving
- A private chat message asks you to keep a secret
Acute moments and video groups
Scenarios 33 to 35 cover a member who says they plan to end their life, a member who appears intoxicated, and a threat toward another member. Scenarios 36 to 39 cover groups held by video, including a member who hints at danger and then disconnects. These scenarios show a facilitator's first response: what to say, how to stay with the group, and how to hand off. They are not a suicide risk assessment, crisis protocol or security procedure, and they point you to your program's emergency procedures every time.
Who it is for
Group facilitators in adult intensive outpatient (IOP) and partial hospitalization (PHP) programs, clinical trainees and interns who lead or co-lead skills groups, and supervisors who want a shared language for reviewing hard sessions. It works alongside any skills curriculum, including our Open-Enrollment Program Series.
What it is not
The cases are fictional illustrations. The worked skills come from dialectical behavior therapy, but the book is not a DBT curriculum or DBT training. It does not replace supervision, individual assessment or your program's procedures, and the documentation excerpts are not complete notes or guarantees of reimbursement. Read our editorial standards.
Try it with your next group
Download the free sample: the Safety first page and three cards (Nobody answers the opening question; A member repeatedly interrupts; "We've done this already"). No email needed.
Download the free sample (PDF)
Want to know when the book is out? Email hello@thoughtkindpress.com with the subject "Notify me".