A planning group for psychiatric outpatients.

Planning leisure time successfully can contribute to a patient's ability to function in the spheres of work and family as well. A leisure-time planning group for psychiatric out-patients is described in this article and includes the treatment principles upon which the group is based, the format of the sessions, and the goal-setting techniques employed. A concrete, highly structured, and self-actualizing approach was used to help patients discover and develop their interests. Members often encountered similar problems in their attempts to plan leisure time despite their varied backgrounds and skills in planning, which led to the use of specific approaches in dealing with these common problems, and also suggested a wider application for the Planning Group.