The Ethics of Group Psychotherapy: Principles and Practical Strategies

T he Ethics of Group Psychotherapy is another star in the series of books published by the American Group Psychotherapy Association under the auspices and leadership of the Science to Service Task Force, part of the AGPA Group Therapy Training and Practice series. The purpose of this series is to produce group therapy related textbooks that are clinically applicable, relevant and acc essible. This book very much meets and exemplifies that standard. As a member of this Task Force, and a former AGPA President, I am deeply mindful of all these perspectives in my review. It is worth noting that one of the authors, Rebecca MacNairSemands serves double duty in both coauthoring this textbook with her colleague Virginia Brabender and cochairing the Science to Service Task Force. Both AGPA and the group therapists who will read this textbook are the beneficiaries of this leadership and coauthorship. Our work as group psychotherapists is bolstered by our capacity to reflect on our work and engage in the deliberate practice of our craft. Understanding the ethical dimensions of our work nourishes this reflective and deliberate approach. Since the first ethics-focused text was authored in 2005 by Rebecca MacNair-Semands, our field has changed dramatically in ways that are particularly salient to the ethical dimensions of group psychotherapy. This text does a very effective, clear and engaging job of illuminating the ethical dimensions of our new environment. Key issues include ethical dimensions related to race, identity, discrimination and social justice; new technological platforms in the way group therapy is delivered; the impact of measurement-based care; greater accountability regarding the delivery of group therapy; and, greater threats to the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 73: 166–173, 2023 © 2023 The American Group Psychotherapy Association, Inc. ISSN: 0020-7284 print/1943-2836 online DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00207284.2022.2155001