dumb

Over the course of this semester I’ve learned more than I ever thought possible about group therapy. Our class started out like a small child, not knowing much about the life of group work even though groups are what shaped us into the people we are today. The article written by Aronson (2004), points out how much we grow into the people we are because of group interaction. At a young age we shape our self-image, self-esteem, the separation of family, and many more by participating in groups. This article left the biggest impact on me throughout the semester, ideas reviled by the author made a great deal of sense and related to our class work. Since most of our current mannerisms and personalities were once molded by group interaction, it makes sense to use group therapy as a treatment option. This article has stuck with me throughout the course and will probably do so throughout my life.
One of the most important stages we looked at was the storming stage and this point of transition was intimidating to me because managing conflict effectively is a personal challenge. Confrontation has always been anxiety producing for me but in this class I learned how productive it can be. In class we said that storming can happen during a transitional time, maybe when the facilitator is providing less structure or there is a power struggle against two group members. Whatever the presenting problem may be it is causing a great environment, for people like me, to work on their conflict resolution in a safe atmosphere. Overall, there are numerous benefits and opportunities related to this phase of group work.
For me the thought of conflict being useful was preposterous because I was raised to avoid conflict at most costs. Although, we have learn...

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...group members can feel so attached by the end of a series of sessions. Letting other know about my personal thoughts made me feel closer to them. Overall, the small group was a great experience that had some positive outcomes for the group and I.
To conclude I’d like to say that something I’ll remember from this class years from now would be the great class experience. Everyone was very accepting and non-judgmental during the course of our class. Even when having to present in front of the class (one of my least favorite things to do) I didn’t feel that nervous, which is rare. I’ll forever be changed by the knowledge I’ve gain from this class because before I would have never imagined so many therapeutic accomplishments could become of group work. I plan to use this course quite a bit in my future career and hopefully help many people by the means of group work.