This guide is written for beginning and advanced social work students, as well as battle-weary social workers. It instructs practitioners in how to do social work with groups and how to integrate small-group theory and therapeutic principles in such a way that is therapeutic and life enhancing. The wide-ranging concepts and skills presented here can also help students in psychology, nursing, counseling, and education. The book begins with the "what" of groups in social work and evolves to the "how" of leading groups. It shows how the practitioner's personality influences therapy. Chapter One provides an introduction to the use of groups, while Chapter Two offers a historical overview of the use of treatment-oriented groups in social work. The third chapter examines the therapeutic factors unique to small groups and Chapter Four provides a novel way of looking at group development. In Chapter Five the group member as a biological/psychological/social entity is discussed and in Chapter Six, reciprocity is examined. The remaining chapters identify and explore the interpersonal skills a worker needs, interventions that promote interaction, how to plan an effective group, and phases of the helping process. Contains an index and about 350 references. (RJM)