encounter group

noun

, Psychology.

1. a group of people who meet, usually with a trained leader, to increase self-awareness and social sensitivity, and to change behavior through interpersonal confrontation, self-disclosure, and strong emotional expression.

encounter group

noun

1. a group of people who meet in order to develop self-awareness and mutual understanding by openly expressing their feelings, by confrontation, physical contact, etc

encounter group

1. A method of psychotherapy developed in the 1960s, in which a small group of people engages in intensive interactions to increase self-awareness and improve interpersonal relations. Group members are encouraged to be completely honest and open, reacting to one another with their immediate feelings, while exploring the entire range of emotions.

Notes

Often associated with the radical social upheaval of the 1960s, encounter groups have been criticized for their potentially damaging effects, because many groups are led by people not professionally trained in psychotherapy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of encounter group¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

As part of the rapid social change of the late 1960s, idealists in rebellion against rat-race materialism joined communes and encounter groups.

From New York Times

Bell: I wear one in public whenever possible, in stores, office settings, if I encounter groups of people that I can’t distance myself from and during press conferences when I’m not speaking.

From Seattle Times

And when a scene requires more people than the cast can summon by itself — say, an encounter group — the performers enlist front-row audience members to fill in.

From New York Times

Back in the day, we used to do “encounter groups,” where people get together, share their experiences and reveal themselves.

From Washington Post

They treat their community like an encounter group or Esalen workshop; often, they correspond with individual Hacker News readers over e-mail, coaching and encouraging them in long, heartfelt exchanges.

From The New Yorker