Cole's Seven Step Groups

Theoretical Base

Client Centered Approach

o   Acknowledges each member as an individual

o   Facilitates participation and self expression

o   Encourages collaboration and mutual feedback

1. Introduction

Greeting

-          Preparation and setting the mood

-          Verbal & non-verbal communication

-          Initial session: introduces yourself, state name of group, asks members to greet group individually

-          Subsequent sessions: acknowledge each member

Warm-Up

-          Focus attention, relax, prepare for main activity

-          Structured or casual/ impromptu

Purpose/ Outline

-          Purpose = PRIMARY TASK OF INTRO.

-          Therapeutic goals

-          Language member will understand

-          Clients need to know how activity can help them

-          Brief outline of session: time frame, media, and procedures

2. Activity

-          Challenging and complex enough to produce meaningful discussion and learning

-          Timing: simple and short (1/3 of session time)

-          Therapeutic Goal: potential to progress clients toward meeting goal

-          Physical & mental capacities of clients

-          Knowledge and skill of leader(s)

-          Adaptations

-          Confirm that clients understand

-          Materials/supplies presented after explanation, removed after activity

3. Sharing

-          Invite each member to share

o   End product

o   Experiences/ perceptions/ feelings

-          Acknowledge each members contributions

-          Model sharing, concern, and empathy

-          Encourage clients to share, but respect limits

4. Processing

-          Most important and challenging step

-          Members express how they feel about: experience, leader, other members

-          May make leader(s) & clients uncomfortable

-          Discussion of non-verbal aspects

-          Underlying issues:

o   Power struggles

o   Subgrouping

o   Scapegoating

o   Conflict

o   Attraction

o   Avoidance

-          Can have positive or negative effect

5. Generalizing

-          Cognitive learning of group session

-          Leader review group sessions

o   Summary of general principles

o   Ask open ended questions to generate learning issues

o   Should closely resemble original goal(s)

o   Reflect actual behaviors/ observations and compare to original goal(s)

6. Application

-          Assist group in applying learning to everyday life

o   Think of it as “generalization in action”

-          Verbalize the meaning/significance of group experience

-          Responses are unique to each member

-          Role model with limited self-disclosure

7. Summary

-          Verbally emphasize the most important aspects of groupsession

o   Confirm understanding

o   Repetition aides retention

-          Difficult to preplan since each session will evolve organically

-          Review goals, content, and process

-          Can encourage members to summarize

General Guidelines

-          End group on time – very important!

-          If all 7 steps are not completed, address during summary step

-          End group by acknowledging each members’  contributions

-          End on positive note

-          Brief statement regarding next session