Group Dynamics in Occupational Therapy: The Theoretical Basis and Practice Application of Group Intervention

In occupational therapy practice, well designed groups represent social and cultural contexts for occupational performance in everyday life.  Group Dynamics in Occupational Therapy: The Theoretical Basis and Practice Application of Group Intervention, the best-selling text for over 25 years by Marilyn B.

Marilyn B. (Marli) Cole, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, is a Professor Emeritus of Occupational Therapy at Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Connecticut, and an occupational therapy consultant. After 25 years of teaching she has now become a full-time writer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Connecticut, a graduate certificate in occupational therapy from the University of Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from the University of Bridgeport. Also, she is licensed by the state of Connecticut to practice occupational therapy and is certified by the Center for Study of Sensory Integrative Dysfunction to administer the Southern California Sensory Integration Tests. The author has more than 24 years of practice experience in mental health, pediatrics, and geriatrics. Places of work include Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Middlesex Memorial Hospital in Middletown, Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London, and Newington Children’s Hospital, all in Connecticut. While teaching, courses included psychiatric clinical media, group leadership, group dynamics, frames of reference, fieldwork I and II, psychopathology, sensorimotor integration, computer technology lab, evaluation, intervention, problem-based learning, research, and geriatrics. She has also served as consultant for the West Haven VA Medical Center, the Portland Public Schools, Fairfield Hills Hospital, the Institute of Living, St. Joseph’s Manor, and Baldwin Senior Center, all in Connecticut. In conjunction with Quinnipiac University, she escorted groups of fieldwork students to clinical and community practice sites in England, Costa Rica, and Australia. In addition to four prior editions of Group Dynamics in Occupational Therapy: The Theoretical Basis and Practice Application of Group Intervention (1993, 1998, 2005, 2012), Marli has coauthored three books within the past 10 years: Applied Theories in Occupational Therapy: A Practical Approach (2008), with coauthor Roseanna Tufano of Quinnipiac University; Social Participation in Occupational Contexts: In Schools, Clinics and Communities (2011), with coauthor Mary Donohue, retired professor from New York University; and Productive Aging: An Occupational Perspective (2015), with coauthor Karen Macdonald. A coedited book with Jennifer Creek, an occupational therapy researcher and writer from York, England, entitled Global Perspectives in Professional Reasoning, was published by SLACK Incorporated in 2016. Her chapters for other texts include “A Preference for Activity” in Gibson’s Group Process and Structure (1988); “Client-Centered Groups” in Creek and Lougher’s Occupational Therapy in Mental Health (2008, 2015); “Retirement, Volunteering, and End of Life Issues” in Meriano and Latella’s Occupational Therapy Interventions (2007, 2016); “Theories of Aging” in Coppola, Elliott, and Toto’s Strategies to Advance Gerontology Excellence (2008); and “Theory Development” in Jacobs and MacRae’s Occupational Therapy Essentials for Clinical Competence, Third Edition (2017). Marli is currently working on a grant to study self-management for lower back pain, and has enjoyed presenting results of her productive aging study with coauthor Karen Macdonald. She and her husband, Marty, love sailing, snorkeling, and traveling, especially cruises. They are at home in Stratford, Connecticut, and Freeport, Bahamas.