Midterm Groups Process & Practice

task facilitation groups, psycho-educational groups, group counseling, group psychotherapy

4 basic types of groups

group process

all the elements that are basic to the unfolding of a group from beginning to end (group norms, generating trust, how conflict emerges in a group, patterns of resistance, inter-member feedback)

group techniques

leader interventions aimed at facilitating movement within a group (conducting initial interviews, asking a member to role-play a conflict, challenging a member's belief system, suggesting "homework")

association for specialists in group work (flagship journal: the journal for specialists in group work)

A.S.G.W. stands for...

provide members with adequate information that will allow them to decide if they want to join a group (the nature of the group, the goals of the group, the general structure of the sessions, what is expected of them if they join, what they can expect from you as a leader, psychological risks of group participation

the aspects of informed consent are...

it is good practice to constantly remind participants of expectations regarding confidentiality, and that it is acceptable to talk about their own feelings in their group with persons outside of the group, but they cannot talk about another person's story or feelings. it is important to explain to them that confidentiality cannot always be guaranteed.

what is the importance of confidentiality?

- group composition - include models within the group

- group size

- open vs closed group

- length of the group

- frequency and duration of meetings - weekly is common, 20-45 minutes

- place for group sessions

key considerations for forming a group:

- instillation of hope - include a model in the group

- universality - "I'm not alone"

- imparting information - teaching (guidance lessons)

- altruism -- opportunity to do good, just for the sake of doing good, it makes them feel better

- corrective recapitulation of the primary family - a group can oftentimes feel like a family

- development of socializing techniques - similar to interpersonal learning. We learn how to socialize, what to say, what not to say, how to express feelings.

- imitative behavior - modeling

- interpersonal learning

- group cohesiveness - how connected & bonded is the group? Intentionally set up activities to enable kids to grow close

- catharsis - "I feel better when I can express my emotions" validation, letting students vent

- existential factors - talk about things with more depth than we do in the superficial world

list and describe yolum's therapeutic factors/benefits of group work

groups are suited for everyone

the main goal of a group is for everyone to achieve closeness

groups tell people how they should be

group pressure forces members to lose their sense of identity

groups are artificial and unreal

what are some misconceptions about group work?

promotes cultural awareness

broadens perspectives

what are the benefits of diversity in a group?

- consider the culture of participants

- do not ignore the diversity in the group

- have awareness, knowledge, and skills to effectively deal with diverse membership

- cultural similarities and differences need to be addressed

- respect others' values and beliefs

how to be a multi-culturally competent group counselor:

initial, transition, working, termination

what are the group stages?

- participants test the atmosphere & get acquainted

- risk taking is relatively low - exploration is tentative

- members are concerned with whether they are included or excluded

- central issue is trust vs mistrust

- periods of silence & awkwardness

- members are deciding how much they will disclose and how safe the group is

characteristics initial group stage

- marked by feelings of anxiety and defenses

- testing the leader and other members to determine how safe the environment is

- struggling between wanting to play it safe and wanting to risk getting involved

- observing the leader to determine if he or she is trustworthy

- learning how to express themselves so that others will listen

characteristics of transition stage

- no arbitrary dividing lines between each stage

- group dev. ebbs and flows - does not stay static

- work can occur at every stage

- not all groups reach a working stage

- not all members are functioning at the same level in a working stage

characteristics of working stage

- offer private consultations if any member needs it

- provide for a follow up group session or follow up interviews

- identify referral sources for members who may need further assistance

- evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the group

- discuss what it would be like to see others outside of the group

characteristics of termination stage

dealing with the here-and-now energizes the group

members are best known by disclosing here-and-now experiencing

being in the here-and-now serves as a springboard for exploring everyday life concerns

what is meant by "here-and-now" focus?

the shared beliefs about expected behaviors aimed at making groups function effectively

what are group norms?

- expectation of promptness and regular attendance

- norm of sharing oneself in personal ways

- expectation of giving meaningful feedback

- members encouraged to offer both support & challenge to others

- members functioning within the here-and-now context of the group

examples of group norms

behavior that keeps us from exploring personal conflicts or painful feelings. it can be considered as a way we attempt to protect ourselves from anxiety.

what is meant by resistance?

- show members the value of recognizing and dealing fully with conflict situations

- help members to recognize their own patterns of defensiveness

- teach members to respect resistance and to work constructively with the many forms it takes

- provide a model for members by dealing directly and tactfully with any challenge

- encourage members to express reactions that pertain to here-and-now happenings in the sessions

ways to handle resistance

- silence

- monopolistic behavior

- storytelling

- giving advice

- questioning

- dependency

- intellectualizing

the problematic behaviors that group members exhibit:

describe to members what they are observing and let members know how they are affected by what they see and hear

show a willingness to understand the context of the behavior

respond with honesty, firmness and caring confrontation

ways a group counselor should manage problematic behaviors from group members

if you confront, know why you are confronting

confront if you care about the other

in confronting another - talk more about yourself than the other person

avoid dogmatic statements and judgements about the other

give others the space to reflect on what you say to them

guidelines for effective confrontation

focus on here and now

goals are clear and specific

cohesion is high - sense of emotional bonding

conflict is recognized and explored

members are willing to make themselves known

trust is increased and there is sense of safety

characteristics of a productive group

mistrust is manifested by an undercurrent of unexpressed feelings

participants focus more on others than themselves

they hold back - disclosure minimal

they feel distant from each other

conflicts ignored and avoided

communication is unclear and indirect

characteristics of a non-productive group

providing the space and time

dealing with feelings of separation and loss

reviewing the experience, noting growth/change

looking to the future

giving and receiving feedback (opportunity to express appreciation)

termination is discussed prior to the last session

elements of an effective group termination/closure

authoritarian, democratic, laissez-faire

group leadership styles

leader sees self as expert; very directive

liked least by group members

members exhibit aggressive behavior; thirty percent higher hostility rate than other styles

characteristics of authoritarian leadership style

leadership is shared

members behave appropriately

liked by members

characteristics of democratic leadership style

no leadership in place

members exhibit aggressive behavior

often new counselor leaders who have a strong need to be liked

characteristics of laissez-faire leadership style

structuring

active listening

modeling

clarifying - (ask them what you just asked them to do)

linking - overtly, intentionally linking group members with similar statements - point it out, out loud! (universality & cohesiveness)

paraphrasing/summarizing

interpreting/assessing/*diagnosing

suggesting/initiating/prompting/facilitating

questioning - using open-ended questions when you want a story, use a closed question when you want to find something out

confronting

blocking

terminating (what did we do today that you think is helpful? What do we want to do next time?) looking ahead

list and describe the group leadership skills

courage

goodwill and caring

becoming aware of your own culture

stamina

authenticity

presence

openness

personal power

willingness to seek new experiences

list and describe group leader characteristics

essential to acquire and refine skills applied to group work

group leadership skills cannot be separated from the leader's personality

it is an art to learn how to use group skills

compare/contrast group leadership skills with group leadership characteristics

supervised experience, practice, feedback, and experience in a group as a member

ways to learn leadership skills

- creates open sharing and self-disclosure as norms for the group

- models self-disclosure/participation in a context in which self-disclosure and participation are seen as advantageous

- provides an opportunity for group leader to present a concrete example of a key issue or concept (personalizes theoretical concepts and/or models)

- provides an opportunity to establish rapport and connection with group participants

- equalizes power differential between group leader and group participants

- can be utilized to entertain in a storytelling format, sometimes with humor, which has the potential to create a comfort and a positive atmosphere for learning and/or personal growth

- can be utilized to reinforce real power-differential and appropriate boundaries

advantages of using self-disclosure as a group leader

1. lack of power differential has the potential to create inappropriate boundaries and an environmental conducive to a host of potentially harmful ethical concerns

2. potential for inappropriate and/or unhelpful focus regarding group goals and expectations

3. potential for unintentional blocking of group participants' participation (when participants' contributions are blocked, the opportunity to benefit from diverse thinking and experiences are lessened)

4. potential to unintentionally heighten group's awareness and significance of power differential - which can serve to separate leader from group.

5. potential exists for group leader to intentionally or unintentionally and inappropriately pursue his/her own political/philosophical/dogmatic agenda.

6. confidentiality is a one-way deal!

disadvantages of using self-disclosure as a group leader

feeling, thinking, behaving -- they can be congruent, but sometimes they are not. it is important to assess these factors when listening to a group member share.

3 dimensions of the group experience and why they are important

task facilitation group

aims to foster accomplishing identified work goals (sports groups) (co-workers) -- content

psycho-educational group

aims to educate well-functioning group member who want to acquire information and skills in an area of living - preventative in nature (guidance in the classroom) (SC) (Sunday School) (sports teams) 20-30 students -- content

group counseling

aims at preventive and education purposes - utilizes methods of interactive feedback within here-and-now framework (school counseling) (church small group) 6-8 kids - adjust based on the challenges of the kids that are coming in -- process

group psychotherapy

aims at remediation of in-depth psychological problems - often focuses on past influences of present difficulties - Responsive in nature - 4 students & under -- process