The "oprah" approach

Ask for a volunteer to be a “co-host�? along with the therapist. Give the group five minutes to reflect on the topic and write down feelings that arise, possible material they might wish to share, or questions they want to ask of other family or group members, or the “expert�? on the show. The therapist and the co-host can use this time to write down questions they want to ask guests and issues they feel will be important to raise in the show. (Use the therapist/host handout.) The therapist may want to make a note of possible difficulties likely to be encountered by individuals or the group regarding the topic. Areas that may be too sensitive to go into at this point should also be noted.