Corey, G. (1999). Theory and practice of group counseling. (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing. This text was written for graduate or undergraduate students in any field involving human services but is especially suitable for students enrolled in any course of Theory and Practice of Group Counseling, practitioners who are involved in group work, and students who are interested in leading various types of groups. This text presents an overview of various theoretical models and describes how they apply to group counseling. The text outlines the basic elements of group process, deals with ethical and professional issues special to group work and presents an overview of the key concepts and techniques of ten theoretical models of group counseling. The text also attempts an integration of the ten theoretical models and emphasizes the practical application of the approaches with a focus on helping the reader develop his/her own synthesis of various aspects of the models. Part I; Basic Elements of Group Process: An Overview is comprised of chapters 1-5. This section is obviously an overview of the various types of groups and discusses some general principles that can be applied in working with culturally diverse groups. Part I also covers some basic group leadership issues, ethical issues in group work, and the stages in the evolution of a group, from formation to termination and follow up. Part 2; Theoretical Approaches to Group Counseling examines 10 theoretical approaches dealing with theory and practice of group work. The 10 chapters are as follows: The Psychoanalytic Approach to Groups, Adlerian Group Counseling, Psychodrama, The Existential Approach to Groups, The Person Centered Approach to Groups, Gestalt Therapy in Groups, Transactional Analysis, Behavioral Group Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy in Groups, and finally Reality Therapy in Groups. The aforementioned chapters follow an organizational pattern, this organization makes comparing the 10 theoretical approaches easier for the reader. Each chapter introduces the rationale for the theoretical approach and its unique characteristics, discusses the model’s key concepts and their implications for group process, discusses the approach’s basic procedures and techniques, defines the role and function of the group leader, and when applicable describes the stages of development of that particular group process. Finally near the end of each of the 10 theoretical chapters is an evaluation section. This section is devoted to Corey’s personal assessment of the approach. Part 3; Integration and Application contains chapters 16 and 17.
As a student, practice is crucial to learn group therapy techniques. In order to achieve these practices, I attended 2 support groups of the same topic. Observation and attendance constructs an idea of how group therapy works. Attending this group was important because of the profoundness of its meaning and experiences I have witnessed.
Similarly, inferiority feelings may be challenged to offset the negative concepts and values that form the roots of social and emotional issues. Group therapy can facilitate the social context in which the participants may develop the sense of belonging and community. Some of the beneficial dynamics of the group are the identification between group members’ behavior, participants can benefit from others group members’ feedback, ability to help other and receive support from others members. The group enables the possibility of trying new behaviors and encourages the other students to take action over their lives. There are four stages in group therapy that correspond to four goals in counseling: first establishing and maintaining interconnected relationships with another student of the group; the therapy is based on the idea of equality between members, mutual respect, and identical involvement. The introduction of self-rule bases from the counselor, who is the mediator, is important. Both, students and counselor work together in the process to explore and look for positive change during the sessions (Corey,
...s well which can assist in boosting self-esteem. The context of the group should be one goal attainment and positivity. This encourages members to commit to taking action in their lives. It is important that the group be focused on the here and now with members staying present. Although the group is concerned with a members past experiences and lifestyle of members, that is for the purpose of gaining insight into current maladaptive thoughts and behaviors. In addition, it is important to maintain an empathetic relationship which is based on mutual respect and trust so that members feel understood and accepted by the facilitator. The group leader challenges group member’s goals and beliefs about themselves and the world around them to help them to translate what was learned during the process of group and turn what was learned into new ideas and new beliefs.
As McDonagh says in her article “Shared Benefits,” The benefit of group therapy is “ ..discovering the group as a safe environment where you can say whet you think without fear.” McDonagh presents and discusses descriptions of group therapy clearly and in a way that you do not have to be a therapist or researcher to understand her findings. This article explains how to find a group by giving tips on what you should look for when looking for a support group and suggests you do not nix a group you do not like until you give it 3 months.
Generally speaking, group therapy is a process by which therapists treat an assembly of participants concurrently. The clients interact with other group members using problem solving techniques, feedback, and role play in an attempt to learn more about themselves as well as to learn how to interact properly with others. The group process itself is the tool or intervention that the therapist employs to examine interpersonal relationships. The utilities of group psychotherapy are seemingly endless, as the group structure can be applied to support groups, skills training, and expressive therapy, among others. The focus of this paper will be to define psychodrama, one approach for group therapy. Within this
Jacobs, E. E., Masson, R. L., Harvill, R. L. & Schimmel, C. J. (2012). Group counseling: Strategies and skills (7th ed.), Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole
Ethics is important for both group and individual counseling, especially group counseling. Both are beneficial; however, group counseling allows a counselor to work with a small-to-medium size group of people who share similar struggles. Members have the ability to learn from one another. Ethics in group counseling is crucial because the counselor or group leader is not only responsible for one person’s personal struggles, but the struggles of multiple people within the group. Counselors and group leaders must emphasize confidentiality in group counseling sessions, unless what a person is sharing is a danger to themselves or others, or against the law. Group counseling has many positives; however, it is important
283). Therefore; any counseling program wanting to make a real change should be held to the highest standards and be evaluated for current and future progress (Houser, 2015). As applied to this paper the population and the goals of the group counseling program should be clearly laid out. The definition of progress should be defined and if a specific timeline for progress is desired it should be made clear. Ultimately; conducting a program evaluation of the proposed program in this paper will demonstrate if the existence of such a program is working and if so then the evaluation can serve as a platform to ensure its
During discussion board nine students were asked to post on the process of group or family therapy. Including in the post were the following topics; plans for starting group or family session, techniques for leading the group or family session, ways to appropriately end groups or family sessions, ideas for gathering client satisfaction, and possible group or family therapy “pitfalls”. This assignment coincide with the current practicum setting as the population being served often involves the family. Providing services to improve family stability whilst developing treatment and aftercare plans are some of the main goal at DCBS.
Johnson, D. (2011) A solution-focused approach to group dynamics in counselling: or, Sister Hazel explains it all for you [Web log post]. Retrieved April 7, 2014, from http://daviddeanjohnson.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/a-solution-focused-approach-to-group.html - See more at: http://reffor.us/index.php#sthash.btbwnyEP.dpuf. J. Spangaro, Personal Communication, April 10, 2014. Mojab, C. (2013).
After completing the group task of preparing a presentation on, transferring individual facilitation skills into a group work setting, I will critically reflect upon my own participation. I will evaluate my self-awareness while working in the group, as well as those around me. The way that I personally dealt with any issues that arose within the group and how that affected the group dynamics. I will also briefly discuss the roles in which each member of the group took part and how role allocation affected, the group dynamics and the working relationships. Finally, I will evaluate my work having discussed it with my fellow group members.
Toseland, R & Rivas, R 2012, An Introduction to group work practice, 7th edn, Allyn & Bacon, Massachusetts.
Group therapy has become a popular form of therapy lately; it used to be used more as a last option, but now group therapy is often the first or better choice for some clients. Group therapy can be helpful in an assortment of ways. Group counseling has provided constructive results, Corey, Corey, & Callanan (2011) explain some factors that have helped “such as skilled leaders, appropriately referred group members, and defined goals” (p.480). There are many different types of group therapy. I think practitioners should know not only how to effectively handle group therapy if they are doing group work, but if group therapy is the right choice for everyone involved.
Forming a counseling group may seem simple, but it’s not. A “major issue in putting a group together is screening it for potential members” (Gladding, pg. 212). The reason it can be a complicated task to complete is because members are not always volunteers. Screening members for a “group counseling session, is a three step process” (Gladding, pg. 212). We’ll discuss how these steps are an important component of having a successful group.
The group leader will want to be aware of the dynamics of the group and redirect and positively influence the group as problems may arise. According to Toseland & Rivas (2012), “Group workers should be familiar with four dimensions of group dynamics: (1) communication and interaction patters; (2) the cohesion of the group and its attraction for its members; (3) social controls such as norms, roles, and status; and (4) the group’s culture” (p.94). The common thread among members will be addiction issues but the leader needs to be aware that each group will include people that vary in sex, socioeconomic status, race, religious ties, age, and mental & physical abilities. The worker should help the group have cohesiveness and encourage openness within the group. Leaders should promote group unity and acceptance of diversity among the group. If conflict develops because of differences among the group, the leader should help resolve it with sensitivity and promote acceptance for member differences. According to Fujishin (2013), “The primary advantage of diversity is in group decision-making, problem-solving, and productivity. Heterogeneous groups provide far greater perspectives, experiences, information, and skills than homogenous groups” (p. 13). The group leader should also avoid personal judgment or discrimination of certain members of the group. Commonalities as well as differences should be discussed within the group. Communication styles and means of participation can be influenced by cultural backgrounds. Group leaders should alter group practice principles to use varying techniques that will work for all cultures represented in the group. Strength based perspectives as well as evidence based practices should be utilized by the social