Week 2: Group Therapies

What is a group?

Two or more people pursuing common goals and/or interests

What are group characteristics?

Size, purpose, degree of similarity among members, rules, boundaries, content, etc.

What are groups that RN’s can lead?

Activity, educational, task, and support groups

What is the one group that an RN cannot lead?

Psychotherapy

What is a psychoeducational group for?

Increasing knowledge or skills about specific psychological or somatic subjects (meds, dual diagnosis’, symptom management, etc.)

What are the advantages of group therapy?

Benefit from feedback, knowledge, and experiences of others, promotes a feeling of belonging, safe setting to try new behaviors and communication skills

What are the disadvantages of group therapy?

Time constraints, concern of confidentiality, disruptive members, etc.

What is an autocratic leader?

Exerts control over the group and does not encourage much interaction

What is a democratic leader?

Supports extensive group interaction in the process of problem solving (Keeps people on track)

What is a Laissez-Faire leader?

Allows members to behave any way they choose and does not attempt to control direction

What is the Initiator-contributor task role?

Suggests or proposes new ideas/ different ways of regarding the problem or goal

What is the information seeker task role?

Tries to clarify group’s roles

What is the information giver task role?

Provides facts/shares experiences as an authority figure

What is the coordinator task role?

Shows/ clarifies how ideas can work

What is the recorder task role?

Keeps notes

What is the encourager role?

Praises and seeks input

What is the harmonizer role?

Reconciles differences among members

What is the gatekeeper role?

Facilitates contributions of others, to keep communication open

What is the group observer role?

Notes/ reports what is occurring to group process

What is the follower role?

Goes along with others, an audience role

What are examples of individual roles?

Aggressor, blocker-oppositional, recognition seeker, play person, dominator

What role makes leading a group challenging?

Any of the individual roles