Group therapy has a very long history, even though its use as a psychological technique has a history of only about a century.
Professional Counselors often prescribe a regime of group therapy sessions for a variety of ills and there are already a large number of internet sites, where group therapy is available for a 'slight' fee.
Many members have found participation in the Forum to be therapeutic, Others have left after finding little of use.
So how does the INTPian version of 'group therapy" compare to other such therapies?
How can we improve on it?
Do we actually want the Forum to be therapeutic, that is Be Helpful?
The Human Relations Forum should be therapeutic because the members of this forum, no matter how well actualized and integrated, have, do, and will suffer at the hands of the world and their loved ones. Therefore, that subforum should certainly Be Helpful.
Regarding the other subforums, a fine line divides aggressively criticizing someone's idea and negligently injuring their feelings. If the forum's members criticize too harshly, then those with original ideas will, after being burned and bitten, be afraid to post; conversely, if the forum-goers don't criticize harshly enough, then illogic will roam freely and Ti-users will feel like they have no place here.
Of course, we must also contend with those who utilize the ego defense mechanism of reaction formation in response to their Fe. Such people, much like insecure bullies,
loathe feelings and will take pleasure in destroying them in themselves and others because they can't deal with them in any other way. If any member exposes Fe-- even outside the context of a debate-- then these people will, in a bizarre act of logic, attempt to disprove or nullify his or her feelings.
Conversely, we must also contend with those who love Fe. INFJ's and INFP's, for example, can get carried away in a rush of Ni-Fe and leave illogical posts for the Thinkers among us to parse-- to no avail and often to much annoyance and pain. On the one hand, we must not become like the anti-Fe bullies, but on the other hand, letting someone go into a world of deluded fantasy smacks of, for lack of a better word, civic irresponsibility. So, in order to engage in therapy regarding such subjects, INTP's must walk the razor's edge that divides setting another poster straight and ramming a knife straight in their heart.
In conclusion, the INTP forum's members should strive to deliver their logic with grace when faced with an emotionally charged-up poster; moreover, offering some sympathy to the distraught is helpful for cases of existential despair, depression, deaths of loved ones, and other such acute pains. Too many times I've seen perfectly good logic go to waste in attempting to "reason" with a depressed or traumatized person; there are no words that can undo their emotions. All that happens is more reaction formation and the exchange of hateful comments.
-Duxwing
Fine work!
