The patients in the therapy sessions in the new film GROUP: The Schopenhauer Effect are actors, but it’s not a scripted film. The actors were given characters and circumstances and then they improvised dialogue with each other and with the group leader, who is also acting. Kind of. Dr. Elliott Zeisel is one of the most important figures in group therapy in America since the 1970s. With all that knowledge and experience powering him along, he also improvised his dialogue, based on what he was being said. The result is a remarkably honest and moving portrayal of group therapy. We talk with Dr. Zeisel about the film and about how group therapy works, what to expect, who’s a good candidate for it, and which myths need to be dispelled.

Trailer: GROUP: The Schopenhauer Effect

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