Elena Rechkina: ”Group therapy is marching across Russia today in search of its rightful place”

In this interview with transactional analyst Elena Rechkina, the challenges of conducting therapy groups in Russia are discussed. Why does individual therapy now prevail over group therapy in the transactional analysis community, originally developed as a modality for group work? Elena Rechkina reflects on the historical roots of group psychotherapy in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet space, recalling her training with Baltic teachers Rimantas Kočiūnas and Alexander Alekseychik. She explores how group dynamics in Russian psychotherapy differ from those in the West. Elena says that in the current historical moment, when so many changes are taking place in the world and in our country, it is group therapy that is capable of meeting deep human needs and hungers in the most holistic way. The interview covers different types of group work and how they differ from one another: what therapeutic, corrective, and personal growth groups are. What skills and competences are essential for psychologists and psychotherapists for conducting group work. Who should not conduct groups and why. What is the difference between online and offline group for the therapist. What qualities should a psychologist possess and develop to begin conducting groups. Elena shares her own experience of working with groups and offers recommendations to novice group psychotherapists and consultants.