Fantasy is a useful and safe way to explore members’ fears about involving themselves in the group.
For example, members can be asked to imagine the thing they most fear occurring in the group.
If, for example, some members are afraid of being rejected by the group, they can be directed to imagine that everyone is systematically rejecting them and then work with the feelings associated with this fantasy.
Once a fantasy has been tried in the group, it can be carried outside of it.
At times members can be invited to picture themselves as they wish they were in interpersonal situations.
They might share their fantasies aloud in the group as they experience themselves in powerful, alive, creative, and dynamic ways.
Then they can be asked to try acting in the group as if they were the person they imagined themselves to be.
If the experiment is successful, members may feel encouraged enough to try the new behavior in real-life situations.