University of Iowa
Site Project:
Virtue-Based Pre-Group Preparation to Promote Humility and Flourishing in Group Therapy
Primary Investigator:
Dr. Martin Kivlighan
University of Iowa Site Overview
The University of Iowa site project, Virtue-Based Pre-Group Preparation to Promote Cultural Humility and Flourishing in Group Therapy, is led by Dr. Martin Kivlighan (PI) and Dr. Stacey McElroy-Heltzel (Co-PI). The project focuses on advancing culturally responsive group psychotherapy through rigorous group process research and applied intervention development. The team brings expertise in group psychotherapy processes, cultural humility, multicultural orientation, and virtue-based clinical training, with a strong emphasis on translating empirical findings into scalable, practice-ready tools for group leaders and members.
Site Project Overview
The University of Iowa site project develops and evaluates a virtue-based pre-group training program designed to promote cultural humility among group therapy leaders and members prior to treatment. Cultural humility is conceptualized as a dynamic, relational process operating at leader, member, and group levels, and is essential for fostering safety, inclusion, and engagement in diverse groups.
Building on research showing that both leader and member cultural humility independently and jointly predict stronger group cohesion, alliance, and engagement, this project addresses a critical gap in group psychotherapy practice. Despite growing evidence for the importance of cultural humility, most group models do not include structured preparation to cultivate these skills before group entry.
The intervention is a brief, self-guided online training grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), multicultural orientation, and positive psychology. Modules integrate psychoeducation, reflective exercises, mindfulness practices, and simulated performance tasks that allow participants to practice culturally humble responses in group contexts. Core components emphasize perspective-taking, openness to feedback, awareness of cultural identities and power dynamics, and compassionate responding to cultural ruptures.
The training will be piloted in collaboration with researchers at the University of Denver within the We Deserve Space (WDS) group program using a cluster-randomized design. Outcomes include cultural humility, group cohesion and climate, relational safety, and client flourishing, with the long-term goal of producing a scalable, empirically grounded pre-group training model for widespread dissemination.