title: Silence in group psychotherapy: a powerful communication.
abstract: Silence in a psychotherapy group, including leader, member, subgroup, and whole-group silence, is a common phenomenon with many possible forms, uses, and meanings. Five common sources of silence in group psychotherapy are described: situational factors, individual dynamics, member-to-member interactions, group dynamics, and leader-related dynamics. Silence can reflect defenses or indicate conditions favorable to intensified group work. Silence, sometimes mistaken for psychological inactivity, should be viewed as significant communication.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gans
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Counselman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D009633:Nonverbal Communication; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group