by occupational group therapy which can be undertaken with groups of people from the young to the old, in different fields of health care.
There has been a remarkable growth and progression globally of occupational therapy into a scientific and meaningful profession with new models, techniques, equipment, research and evidence‐based practice. However one is left with a sense that group‐work in occupational therapy lags behind. There is some evidence‐based research available worldwide on the subject, which will be addressed, but certainly not enough! This book attempts to address this subject by providing a practical guide and teaching manual for both undergraduate and postgraduate occupational therapy students. In this way they may increase their use of group work as a therapeutic intervention and draw inferences from their work which can be researched and published.
It is intended that this book has been written specifically for occupational group therapy intervention and some of the theory may be helpful to other professionals trained in groups.
The uniqueness of occupational group therapy relies on the fact that it is built on the theories of Yalom (1975), Moreno (1987) and Homans (1968) yet is well entrenched in occupational therapy philosophy and models from Canada, the United States, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Australia, etc. From this theoretical background the expertise to use activities of many kinds, which are the backbone of the occupational therapy profession, are woven into the dynamics of the group in a very effective manner.
The undergraduate occupational therapy curriculum covers client handling extensively as well as structuring and communicative skills, together with the therapeutic use of self. These are the ingredients for an effective group leader who excels in the functional and performance aspects that people need to develop.
Often we hear the words ‘I don't feel confident and lack the experience to be a group leader’. Hopefully this is where this book comes in. Self‐confidence is a quality that needs nurturing and practice within the occupational group therapy field. Make sure the essential learning is in place, attend experiential workshops for self‐growth and use the guidelines and suggestions in this book to guide you.
The most effective group leaders are those who attend to the needs and feelings of group members in the present time and structure of the group, so that the stated goals are achieved (Health promotion Unit, NSW, Australia 1968). Choose your place and your clients, feed them and nurture them to the best of your ability and watch them grow.
You can walk down the passage of occupational group therapy, open the door, and admire your strongly growing, fragrant roses!
This book is being published in the midst of one of the most difficult times in the history of the world – the Covid 19 pandemic! However this does not change the fact that people still suffer from psychiatric, mental and psychological problems. In fact it exacerbates the problem. Occupation becomes paramount, especially during the lock‐down and the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT), and many countries and many countries have addressed this concept bringing occupational therapy to the forefront as an essential profession. As far as group work is concerned, it is clearly difficult to undertake group therapy whilst group members have to keep at a distance from one another and wear masks, but it is possible. Intervention is clearly compromised.
I wish to thank all occupational therapists who have persevered during this time and also my husband Michael who is a great support and experienced editor.
Foreword
Sharon Brintnell
Rosemary Crouch and I met when we worked on many World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) initiatives such as the Education Committee. We met frequently at WFOT conferences and council meetings all over the world. In Ottawa in 1998 she became a Vice President of WFOT and I was Vice President (finance). Through our shared interests in education, mental health and psychiatry, as well as the global development of the occupational therapy profession, we became very close friends and always travelled in the countries where our meetings took place for a week or two together afterwards. Many happy times were had also with our respective husbands in South Africa, touring the wonderful game parks.
Throughout the many years of my knowing Rosemary, her passion has never waned from promoting excellence in occupational therapy education particularly in Africa and interventions for persons with mental illness. She also is recognised as an expert clinician in mental health and psychiatry. I have marvelled at and admired her energy and work ethic in leadership positions across academic, practice and regulatory domains ultimately in service to the public. Rosemary's influence remains on the curricular development of occupational therapy academic programmes in Tanzania, Uganda, Mauritius and Pakistan. Her mentorship in practice and writing has expanded the opportunities of many South African and other occupational therapists in sub‐Saharan Africa to share their knowledge and expertise. By authoring a chapter in one of the two texts she edited solely or the four she co‐edited with Vivyan Alers, these writers informed the world of the practice and research advancement in mental health occupational therapy and an African perspective on practice. The Crouch Bursary Fund was set up by Rosemary with the assistance of Vivyan to support the advancement and research of occupational therapy in psychiatric and mental health fields. Its funding comes from the royalties of their texts. Rosemary's encouragement and participatory manner in teaching has had an indelible effect on practitioners, undergraduates and postgraduate students.
Writing a forward for a new text is not an opportunity frequently offered, let alone to me. Rosemary Crouch is an extraordinary individual whose concern, dedication and efforts to the further development of the occupational therapy profession in Africa and the world have been reflected throughout her entire career. It is particularly evident through her promotion of knowledge dissemination through writing and taking on the authorship of this new book.
Occupational Group Therapy (OGT) is dedicated to Rosemary's dear friend and past collaborator, Vivyan Alers. The text is an advancement on group work, taking its core from emotional intensity awareness and occupational science writing. Though the text is now authored by Rosemary, its genesis arose from many discussions between these close friends in the garden and through observations at professional meetings in Africa and internationally. Finally, it was obvious that there was need to readdress action methods in different group experiences. A joint submission to the publisher for this initiative was accepted, but sadly Vivyan passed away suddenly in 2018 before her thoughts could be captured in her own words.
Throughout the chapters, readers will gain grounding in new ways of addressing familiar concerns as well as be challenged to expand their own offerings in occupational therapy groups. The collective experience of these two well‐known and respected collators will be evident though expressed through a singular voice. There is no one more able to undertake the task than my dear friend Dr Rosemary Crouch.
It is my pleasure to invite you to explore this new exciting text with the view of first learning about and perhaps later experimenting with some of the techniques in your own work.
Professor Emerita Sharon Brintnell
Department of Occupational Therapy
Alberta University
Edmonton, Canada.
Introduction
Occupational therapists are experts in the use of occupation as both a means and an end to facilitating health, and promoting participation in meaningful life roles. Occupation thus forms an integral part of occupational therapy group work in all areas of occupational therapy practice. (OTASA 2014)
This book is specifically aimed at encouraging
