Group Counseling

1
Group Counseling

• Session 1 (of 3)

2
Group Screening

• Focus on screening questions from syllabus
• TAP-In checklist (Appendix B, p. 283, Smead)
• Informed consent (6 on TAP-In, p. 45, Smead)
• Brigman Goodman
• Introductionemphasize voluntary participation
• What the student can gain
• Goalsselect a general one, can change
• Expectationsattend, participate, confidentiality
• Advantages of individual interviews for screening
• Heterogeneity vs. homogeneity (s and s)see
  pp. 44-49. Issue of role balance

3
Types of Groups

• Task/Workcontent oriented
• Guidance/Psychoeducationalcontent oriented
• Counselingprocess oriented
• Therapyused in clinical settings
• See pp. 6-9 in text

4
Pre-group Issues

• See slide 11, pre-group responsibilities, plus
• Group size (5 or 6 to 8). Discuss balance
• Scheduling
• Typically 8-12 sessions (dont expect to see deep
  or long-term change)
• 1-2 sessions weekly
• 30 minutes for ages 6-8
• 40-45 minutes for ages 9-13
• 45-60 minutes for ages 13, if time available
• Avoid pulling out of classes if in school

5
Pre-group Issues (2)

• The meeting area
• Confidentiality/privacy relate to trust-building
• Room should close completely
• Shouldnt feel too visually exposed
• Sign on door for non-entry except for emergencies
• Seating (comfortable as possible) for
  circledont get around a table
• Writing surface available board or flip chart
  box for puppets, drawing materials box of tissues

6
Pre-group Issues (3)

• Expectations
• Dont expect child group members to understand
  group norms and expectations without modeling and
  practice (taking turns, self-disclosing,
  reinforcing each other, practicing new behaviors,
  etc.)
• Dont expect children (and some adults) to
  understand the differences between thoughts,
  feelings and behaviors without being taught
• Dont expect children to do talk therapyall
  benefit from structure/fun of activities and
  exercises

7
Initial (Group-Building) Stage Dealing with
confusion/anxiety re group

• Key issue is beginning development of trust
• Have carefully designed ice-breaker
• Dos and donts of initial stage (pp. 59-60 of
  text)

8
Initial (Group-Building) Stage(2)

• Start session with designed icebreaker
• Use linking skills from beginning (who connected
  with who during icebreaker)
• Remind group members of confidentiality rule and
  limits
• Discuss how group will deal with
  confidentiality violations
• Discuss ground rules (yours and help with theirs)
• Begin teaching desired group norms (talking
  directly to each other rather than to leader,
  self-disclosing, etc.)
• Use drawing-out skills to help each child/member
  participate at least once
• Clearly reinforce attempts at self-disclosure and
  sharing feelings

9
Initial (Group-Building) Stage(3)

1. Ask group directly how they feeling about the
   development of trust what they need to have more
2. Encourage trying out of new behaviors outside
   group
3. Save time for processing at end ask for
   commitments to do self-improvement homework
4. Be patient with insecure children/members
5. Dont overdo dyadsespecially after first two
   sessions
6. End session with praise (and snack if appropriate)

10
Initial (Group-Building) Stage(4)

• Work on avoiding
• Poor time management
• Monopolizing or off-subject time by member(s)
• Negative/hurtful behaviors toward each other
• Pushing any member(s) too hard or fast
• Too long an icebreaker (especially in first
  session)
• Letting activities take the place of group
  process
• Using teacher voicemodel relaxed, genuine
  approach
• Ending session without thanking group members and
  reminding of next meeting, time, place,
  assignments, etc

11
Initial Stage (Group-Building)

• Role play of first group session
• Name tag activity (p. 299 of large text)share in
  dyads, intro of partner to full group
• Cover confidentiality, option of passing if not
  comfortable sharing, brainstorm about other
  ground rules write down and then share the best
  group experience youve ever hadand what made
  it so memorable
• Summarize (or have members summarize) session,
  give what I most want to learn about leading
  groups as assignment for next session remind of
  next meeting time, place

12
Show group work video

• Out of order (Subsequent sessions)

13
Ethical Guidelines and Professional Issues (1)

• Orientation and providing info
• Assent vs. consent for younger students
• TAP-In selection checklist (text, App. B)
• Screening of members
• Role balancemix of heterogeneity and
  homogeneity, with a positive behavioral role
  model for each child
• Confidentialityand its limits
• Harm to self or others, abuse, courts

14
Ethical Guidelines and Professional Issues (2)

1. Voluntary/Involuntary participation
2. Leaving a groupemphasize right, responsibility
3. Coercion and pressureavoid undue pressure
4. Imposing counseling valuessensitivity a key
5. Equitable treatment
6. Dual relationshipsa problem
7. Use of techniquesrationale, have training
8. Goal developmentfor individuals and group

15
Ethical Guidelines and Professional Issues (3)

1. Consultation between sessionslimit this for sake
   of group processing benefit
2. Termination from groupsome difference for
   time-limited vs. open-ended groups. Opportunity
   to teach healthy letting go.
3. Evaluation and follow-uppost-group evaluation
   within 2 weeks, follow-up within 3-4 weeks
4. Referralssome group members will need this
5. Professional development

16
Professional Issues (4)

• Psychological risk to children
• Commitment to value of freedom
• Willingness to modelbeing authentic, honest,
  caring, supportive, competent, genuine, and
  willing to practice along with group members
• Developing tolerance for ambiguity and
  frustration
• Pursuing your own counselingavoid having our
  professional judgement/functioning impaired

17
Organizing the Group Experience (1)

• Pregroup Responsibilities
• Conducting needs assessment
• Developing written proposal
• Advertising the group
• Developing accountability strategystandardized
  vs. counselor-constructed, use of pretest and
  posttest, individual vs. group change data
• Selection process
• Preparing resources

18
Organizing the Group Experience (2)

• Active Group Events
• Conducting the sessionssession agenda
• Ice-breaker or review1/4 of session
• Working time1/2 of session
• Process time1/4 of session
• Postgroup Responsibilities
• Posttest
• Completing evaluation procedure
• Conducting postgroup follow-up session(s)

19
Role Play Subsequent Group

• Begin
• Ice-breaker (name chain)
• Review previous group content/processparticularly
  re confidentiality / rules
• Share results with assignment (what I most need
  to learn about leading groups)

20
Role Play Subsequent Group (2)

• Work content vs. process
• Contentraw material to stimulate attitudinal and
  behavioral change, but there and then-focused
• Process is about relationships, what thinking,
  feeling and doing right now
• Learn to listen, express, give feedback, give
  support, confront appropriately
• Leader needs to be able to let go of content
  sometimes to deal with immediacy of relationships
  
• Requires more advanced skillslevel of awareness

21
Role Play Subsequent Group (3)

• End/summarize
• Content vs. process and feelings about each other
  and the topic
• Complements to group members
• Assignment write down examples of content vs.
  process interactions over the next week
• Next session, plans