Introduction to the Counseling Profession

Chapter 9

Group Counseling

Chapter Topics

The History of Group Work“The first half of the twentieth century was characterized by lively interest, experimentation, and research in the promising new field of group dynamics. Behavior in small groups, leadership styles, membership roles, communication variables, and so on were all examined and studied for their application to groups in a variety of settings.”

T-Groups

Encounter Groups

In 1973, the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) was formed.

The 1980s witnessed increasing interest in group work and in working with special populations.

The History of Group Work 1980s inclusion in the standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

The 1983 ASGW standards for training of group counselors was revised and a new set of standards was adopted in 1991.

CACREP, in its 1994, 2001, and 2009 revisions of accreditation standards, reemphasized the importance of group work by identifying principles of group dynamics, group leadership styles, theories of group counseling, group counseling methods, approaches used for other types of group work, and ethical considerations as essential curricular elements for all counselor education programs.

21st Century: Advent of technology in groups.

Types of Groups Group therapy is described as being longer term, more remedially and therapeutically focused, and more likely to be facilitated by a facilitator with doctoral-level preparation and a more “clinical” orientation.

Group counseling may be differentiated from group therapy by its more developmental focus on conscious problems, by the fact that it is not aimed at major personality changes, by an orientation toward short-term issues, and by the fact that it is not as concerned with the treatment of the more severe psychological and behavioral disorders.

Group guidance usually is descriptive of a classroom group in a K through 12 setting in which the leader presents information or conducts mental health education.

Types of Groups Task Work Groups: Task and work group specialists employ principles of group dynamics, organizational development, and team building to enhance group members’ skills in group task accomplishment and group maintenance.

Guidance/Psycho-educational Groups: The psycho-educational group specialist educates group participants. Such participants may be informationally deficient in some area (e.g., coping with bullying, developmental transitions, or stress management).

Types of Groups Counseling Groups: The group worker who specializes in group counseling focuses on assisting group participants to resolve the usual, yet often difficult, problems of living by stimulating interpersonal support and group problem solving.

Psychotherapy Groups: The specialist in group psychotherapy helps individual group members remediate in-depth psychological problems or reconstruct major personality dimensions. The scope of practice is focused on people with acute or chronic mental or emotional disorders characterized by marked distress, impairment in functioning, or both.

Developmental Stages in Groups Definitive Stage: Individuals define, demonstrate, and experiment with their own role definitions; they “test” the temperament, personality, and behaviors of other group members; and they arrive at conclusions about how personally involved they are willing to become.

Personal Involvement Stage: This stage is best described in terms of member-to-member interactions---the sharing of personal information, confrontation with other group members, power struggles, and the individual’s growing identity as a group member.

Developmental Stages in Groups Group Involvement Stage: Degrees of cooperation and cohesiveness replace conflict and confrontation as members, now more confident in their role in the group direct more of their attention to what is best for the group and all its members. This stage reveals increasing role clarification, intimacy, problem exploration, group solidarity, compromise, conflict resolution, and risk taking.

Enhancement and Closure Stage: Members are encouraged to review the process of the group and to measure changes that have taken place since their first entering the group to this period just before closure. A major concern seems to be whether the individual will ever be able to replace what he or she found in the group and be able to take what was learned in the group and apply it elsewhere.

Characteristics of Group Facilitators

Presence

Personal Power

Courage

Willingness to Confront Self

Sincerity and Authenticity

Sense of Identity

Belief in the Group Process

Enthusiasm

Inventiveness and Creativity

Group Facilitation: Responsibilities and Interventions

Responsibilities

Group work specialists have a responsibility to:

Understand what elements or factors are important in making groups effective in helping those who participate.

Understand the research that has been done on therapeutic elements of groups so they can develop the skills to create a group climate that enhances personal growth.

Understand which clients can be helped through participation in a group.

Be able to describe a potential group experience to a client.

Group Facilitation: Responsibilities and Interventions

Responsibilities

Understand how to conduct an intake or pre-group screening interview.

Teach group members how to be good clients and good helpers.

Master skills for structuring, norm setting, and feedback.

Recognize when to terminate a group and assist members to continue their growth after the group terminates.

Interventions

Active Listening Restating Clarifying Summarizing Questioning Interpreting Confronting Reflecting Feelings Disclosing Linking Blocking

Supporting Empathizing Facilitating Initiating Setting goals Evaluating Giving Feedback Suggesting Protecting Modeling Terminating

Group Facilitation: Responsibilities and Interventions

Myths Connected with Group Work

Everyone Benefits from Group Experience

Groups Can Be Composed to Ensure Effective Outcomes

The Group Revolves around the Charisma of the Leader

Leaders Can Direct through the Use of Structured Exercises or Experiences

Therapeutic Change in Groups Comes about through a Focus on Here-and-Now Experiences

Major Member Learning in Groups Is Derived from Self-Disclosure and Feedback

Myths Connected with Group Work

The Group Facilitator Can Work Effectively with a Group without Understanding Group Process and Group Dynamics

Change Experienced by Group Participation Is Not Maintained over Time

A Group Is a Place to Get Emotionally High

A Group’s Purpose Is to Make Members Close to Every Other Member

Group Participation Results in Brainwashing

To Benefit from a Group, a Member Has to Be Dysfunctional

Issues and Ethics

Knowledge Competencies

Understanding principles of group dynamics Understanding the roles of members in groups Understanding the contributions of research in group work

Skill Competencies

Diagnosing self-defeating behavior in groups Intervening at critical times in group process Using assessment procedures to evaluate the outcomes of a group

Issues and Ethics

Supervised Clinical Experience

Observing group counseling Co-leading groups with supervision Participating as a member in a group

Continuing Education

Ethical Practice