This last finding is the quintessential reason that subgrouping impedes therapy. Keep in mind that the primary goal of group therapy is to facilitate each member's exploration of his or her interpersonal relationships. Here were two people who knew each other well, had the potential of being deeply helpful to each other, and yet barely spoke to each other in the group.
The couple resolved the problem by deciding that one of them would drop out of the group (not an uncommon form of resolution). Geraldine dropped out, and in the following meeting, Bruce discussed the entire incident with relief and great candor. (The ratings by both the group members and the observers indicated this meeting to be valuable, with active interaction, strong affect expression, and much disclosure from others as well as Bruce.)
The positive, affiliative effects of subgrouping within the therapy group may, as Agazarian has shown, be turned to therapeutic advantage. From the perspective of a systems approach to the group,subgrouping occurs (and is encouraged by the therapist) as a necessary component of elucidating,containing, and ultimately integrating areas of conflict or distress. This is achieved by the subgroups within the group articulating and experiencing both sides of the polarized aspects of the disturbance. Patients who have difficulty disclosing themselves may do better if they sense they are not alone. Hence
the therapist may actively point out functional, but shifting, subgroups of members who share some basic intra- or interpersonal concern and urge that the subgroup work together in the group and share the risks of disclosure as well as the relief of universality.