How to lead a therapeutic group (basic concepts). Analyzing my last year’s experience of conducting a therapeutic group, I decided to make myself a reminder, which turned into this short article. I hope it will be useful to someone else! The main principle that we use in group work is to focus the attention of both the therapist and group members on the movement “to” and “from”, i.e. from whom remarks, actions, etc. are directed to whom. group members. Our task is to clarify this and make it visible to others, so that participants learn direct and clear transactions and are not afraid to do so. At the same time, we support the excitement of each individual participant and help develop it with such magical questions as: “what do you want to say,” “who do you want to say this to,” and “what do you want from him.” This is the holy trinity of the leader, based on which we can regulate the group process. At the same time, it is important to gradually accustom group members to speak on their own behalf and on their own behalf and to address a specific person, avoiding words like “he”, “some”, “someone”, etc., which depersonalize other participants. In the first phase of group formation, the participants have a natural anxiety, which is associated with the fear of acceptance and non-acceptance (matrix of mental disorders according to O. Rank). The therapist does his best to dispel these fears, demonstrating acceptance and helping participants come out of their “shell.” Reduces anger, calms, i.e. a feeling of stability and reliability of the group will come, and as an example he will pronounce his feelings. In the second phase, the therapist’s task is to support the self-presentation of group members and the search for commonality between the participants. Thus promoting unity and the development of both general group rules and a unique group language. At this stage, a certain group metaphor, born from one of the participants and well reflecting the group background, or a metaphor from the therapist himself, for example, “our sandbox,” “Gagarin is preparing us to go into space,” or “we are building a house,” can be very helpful. etc. It is good to use the dreams of the group members as metaphors, as they are relatively safe and cause less anxiety. In the third phase, the restructuring of undeniable truths and trust in newness occurs, and the therapist supports. Simply put, after going through the confluence stage, participants discover differences among themselves, which causes a new wave of group anxiety. Experiences such as mistrust, criticism and even, God forgive me, aggression can appear here! However, the therapist sees in the manifestation of such emotions not a destructive orientation, but a desire among the group members to learn more about each other, an attempt to accept the other with his difference, which in every possible way supports him. You can stimulate competition between group members. Emphasizing the uniqueness of each group member elevates that member's narcissistic experience, which may be painful for him or her and others, but is necessary for further progress. The fourth phase follows from the third and is expressed in the formation of group intimacy, which leads to the emergence of full contact between the participants. The fear of hearing or presenting criticism is much less here and the therapist maximally supports the disclosure by the participants of those parts that were not previously presented and were hidden. At this stage, group members risk showing warmth to each other. Here there is support and elaboration of such an important phenomenon as: “being together and doing a common cause, but at the same time remaining individual.” In the last, fifth phase, the participants develop a need for separation, but at the same time a desire to remain in a warm and comfortable group. The period of farewell begins. The therapist’s task here is to maintain unobtrusive separation, while maintaining warm emotional connections between the participants. Thus, ideally, participants in the therapeutic group, in a safe and comfortable environment, gain a full experience of interaction in society, with other people and can!