This book is designed to help practitioners plan and conduct diverse therapeutic groups. It presents the framework to assist practitioners in understanding and judging how to respond to situations that arise during group sessions. This second edition works towards building stronger connections between theory and practice and considers short-term groups and efficacy in an era of managed care. The chapters in Part 1 deal with the therapeutic purposes in conducting groups; making use of the potential of a group; deciding who may benefit from a group; and presents theories pertinent to psychotherapeutic groups. Part 2 discusses decisions that need to be made in planning a group; provides examples of kinds of groups for different populations of people; and discusses responses to the pressure to be time-efficient. Part 3 is about thinking and taking action during the life of a group. It considers the internal thinking a therapist engages in during practice; the problems and opportunities that arise during sessions; the gains and errors made in groups; and theory's connection to practice. Throughout these chapters, case studies are used to enhance explanations. Part 4 concentrates on how therapists may continue to learn through examination of their own experience from experiences of others, and by conducting research. (Contains 6 figures and over 350 references.) (Author/JDM)