Who coined the term group therapy in 1931?

• A. E. G. Williamson, associated with the Minnesota Viewpoint.
• B. Jacob Moreno, the father of psychodrama.
• C. Frank Parsons, the father of guidance.
• D. Fritz Perls, the father of gestalt therapy.

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is who first introduced the term group therapy and connected ideas about therapy that occur within a group setting. Jacob Moreno is the person who coined the term group therapy in 1931. He was a pioneer in group work and psychodrama, emphasizing how people influence one another in a group and how acting out roles can bring therapeutic insight. His work laid the groundwork for treating the group as a legitimate therapeutic milieu, not just a collection of individuals.

Moreno’s contributions go beyond the label; he developed psychodrama and sociometry to explore interpersonal dynamics and the effects of group interaction on change. The other figures listed are influential in related areas—each contributed to counseling, guidance, or therapy in different ways—but they did not coin the term group therapy. For example, one is best known for career guidance, another for gestalt therapy, and another for a prominent approach to guidance within a specific viewpoint.