Even during orientation, cohesion is fostered.
Some means of building group cohesion are using introductory exercises in which members interview each other, keeping the tone and interaction of the group positive, providing and encouraging others to provide frequent mutual reinforcement, noting similarities as well as differences among members in terms of background and presenting concerns, keeping the group small, providing occasions for the patients to help each other, permitting and encouraging physical movement during the session, using humor, using role-playing, and providing variation in program and program media.