Where the wild things are: the power and challenge of adolescent group work.

Because groups are an intrinsic part of the adolescent's life, group therapy can be a powerful and effective treatment modality for them. However, it poses many challenges to group leaders and members alike. This paper, drawing on Maurice Sendak's well-known and beloved picture book Where the Wild Things Are, describes some of the issues involved in setting up groups for adolescents as well as how various developmental tasks of this age group appear in the group process. Clinical examples are utilized to illustrate the challenges and therapeutic efficacy of such groups.