Transitional Group Therapy to Promote Resiliency in First-Time Foster Children: A Pilot Study

Foster care places children at high risk for immediate and long-term psycho-social-educational problems. A therapeutic “cocktail”—transitional group therapy (TGT)—has been developed as an inoculation for first-time foster children in order to inhibit these undesirable effects. TGT combines best practices culled from diverse therapeutic approaches to foster children. Psychoeducational and play therapeutic interventions are included in a group therapy context. This combination focuses on the immediate experiences of these children while cultivating the bases of personal resiliency. In this pilot study, 11 first-placement foster children, ages 6 to 11 years, demonstrated desirable changes in prosocial behavior and orientation toward peers, family, and schools. TGT is worth further exploration as a “shot in the arm” to boost resiliency in first-placement foster children.