The fourth edition of this highly readable text examines all of the essential skills required to be an effective leader of a variety of groups in a variety of settings. It explores the history of group therapy work, and the development of groups—how they grow, how they change, and how various groups differ. It addresses the specifics of working with children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. And, it discusses ten prominent theoretical perspectives from which groups can be approached, covering how each theory evolved, how it is practiced, and the results it most commonly achieves. Coverage is bolstered throughout by numerous case examples and exercises that are particularly helpful in translating theory into application.