Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life

Christie goes into her first women’s group meeting claiming to have score marks on her heart. She meets Emily, Mary, and Zenia and is nervous in this new, though familiar environment. Group begins with a discussion of Zenia’s sex life with her partner, who lives in Croatia. Mary and Regina share a moment about dealing with abusive family members. Christie feels she doesn’t fit in. Marnie is late and exhausted by her new baby. She doesn’t acknowledge Christie, who feels rejected and judged. Nan, to whom Christie is drawn, arrives and interrupts Marnie. Nan and Marnie bicker until Nan reaches out to Dr. Rosen for help. She and Marnie admit that they were raised to be confrontational and bond.

Watching these exchanges makes Christie feel like an outsider, and she turns to Dr. Rosen for help. Marnie insists she vocalize her discomfort and mentions her own about having Christie join “her group” (108). Dr. Rosen tells Christie that this is her opportunity to learn to endure the anger of others. He invites her to appreciate Marnie’s anger and tells her that embracing it instead of fearing it is her next step. As the meeting ends, Marnie and Christie hug.