A Sense of sisterhood: A qualitative case study of a flexibly structured, long-term therapy group for divorced women

This study incorporated ethnographic and phenomenological components to understand the individual and group experience of women who participated in a long-term, flexibly structured group for divorced women. Data included focus groups with both the participants (n = 3) and therapists (n = 4); individual interviews with the woman (n = 6) and therapists (n = 7); and transcripts from 22 different sessions that spanned the life of the group (12 that specifically focused on transitions within the group and 10 that were randomly chosen). Emerging themes centered on the positive experience of the group, the group as a safe place, the collaborative process of the group, and the gender-split of the therapists. Attachment theory, feminist ideology, and collaborative language systems are used to further explore the findings. Based on these results specific clinical implications are addressed that may help clinicians who work with women dealing with divorce.