encounter group

encounter group   n.  A typically unstructured psychotherapy group in which the participants seek to increase their sensitivity, responsiveness, and emotional expressiveness, as by freely verbalizing and responding to emotions.

encounter group

A method of psychotherapy developed in the 1960s, in which a small group of people engages in intensive interactions to increase self-awareness and improve interpersonal relations. Group members are encouraged to be completely honest and open, reacting to one another with their immediate feelings, while exploring the entire range of emotions.

Note: Often associated with the radical social upheaval of the 1960s, encounter groups have been criticized for their potentially damaging effects, because many groups are led by people not professionally trained in psychotherapy.

Main Entry: en·coun·ter group
Pronunciation: in-'kaunt-&r, en-
Function: noun
: a usually leaderless and unstructured group that seeks todevelop the capacity of the individual to express feelings and to form emotional ties by unrestrained confrontation of individuals (as by physical contact, uninhibited verbalization, or nudity)—compare T-GROUP

encounter group en·coun·ter group (ěn-koun'tər)
n.
A psychotherapy group in which the participants try to increase their sensitivity and gain insight into their emotions by expressing their own emotions and responding to the emotions of others in the group.