Group and family psychotherapies are emerging as highly effective treatment approaches in

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Group and family psychotherapies are emerging as highly effective treatment approaches in this era of managed healthcare delivery systems, where the advanced practice psychiatric-mental nurses are able to expand access to care for their clients. According to Wheeler (2014), group and family therapy allows mental health nurses to diversify their practice while enabling clients to benefit from a cost-effective and evidence-based care meant to address their mental health issues. Both group and family therapies are guided by legal and ethical considerations, which ensure that members are not coerced to do things that are against the law or expose their vulnerabilities. Legal and ethical considerations made by group and family therapy tend to differ from those expressed through individual therapy, as the former is concerned with enhancing relationships while the latter concentrates on offering therapy tailored to fit specific clients. However, the state statutes may necessitate the group therapists and psychologists to ensure the confidentiality of the information discussed by members (McClanahan, 2014). The law also demands group psychologists to ensure that group members do not engage in talks that could create conflict and breach of peace within the community, such as how to enforce rules to punish children in the community. The differences between group therapy and individual therapy can have an impact on therapeutic approaches, as group therapist can help patients to understand universality, or the feeling that the problems they encounter are also encountered by other patients in the community. Group therapy encourages silent inpatients to speak up, thus, enhancing their recovery through psychotherapy (Koukourikos & Pasmatzi, 2014). According to Khawaja, Pollock, and Westermeyer (2011), gaining group therapy skills benefits psychiatrists as it benefits patients, as the former has to listen more than talking when members are discussing issues related to their health. Group and family therapy enables the psychologist to choose the most appropriate approach that fits the group.