Group Counseling Basics

1. Group Counseling Basics G532, Introduction to Group Counseling

2. Topics Tonight • Types of Groups • The Interpersonal-Interactional group model • Group Dynamics • Content and dynamics in groups • Immediacy • Self-disclosure, behavioral feedback, confrontation • Group norms

3. Topics tonight • Stages of Group Development • Curative forces in group work

4. Part I: Types of Groups

5. Four Types of Groups • Task Groups • Developmental Groups • Counseling Groups • Therapy Groups

6. Task Groups • Intended to complete a specific task • Content oriented • Less, though some, attention to group dynamics • Includes committees, work groups, classes, organization boards

7. Developmental Groups • Intended to teach a developmental skill in “psychological” or educational context • Tends to be topic focus • Some attention to group dynamics • Examples are stress management workshops, anger management classes, and the like

8. Counseling Groups • Use group counseling techniques to help normal people with with normal problems of living • May help people live to full potential (e.g., growth groups) • Attention to discussion content and group dynamics

9. Therapy Groups • Uses group intervention techniques to help people with psychological problems and disturbances • Requires knowledge of counseling, problems, and their underlying psychological disturbances

10. ASGW Preparation Recommendations • Task groups -- course in group wk, 10 hours of experience • Developmental groups -- course in group work, 15 hours experience • Counseling groups --advanced course, 30 hours experience • Therapy groups -- advanced course, 60 hours and a group practicum

11. The Interpersonal-Interactional Group • A type of developmental, counseling, or therapy gorup • Emphasizes development of immediate (“here and now”) communications • Emphasizes self-disclosure, behavioral feedback, and confrontation • Emphasizes strong attention to group dynamics as well as group discussion content • Has both a group and individual focus by leader • Allows for a combination of cognitive-behavioral techniques with other types interventions

12. Part II: Group Content and Group Dynamics

13. Group Content • The verbal level of communication in groups • “What we are talking about” • Includes the various topic discussed • Tends to be superficial and cognitive

14. Group Dynamics (Group Process) • The unspoken communications in group discussions • Nonverbal (expressions, movements, tone of voice, selection of words) • Members may not be aware of these communications • Usually more genuine than verbal communications

15. Immediacy • Immediate communications reflect one’s thoughts, feelings • Right now • Here, in this group meeting

16. Four Immediacy Levels • Lowest: “There and Then” communications • Topics describe what speakers thought, felt, did at earlier time, somewhere else • Also called anectdotal communication (I.e., story-telling)

17. Four Levels • Next Level: “There and Now” and “Here and Then” communications • Highest Level: “Here and Now” Communication • Discussion is on what speakers feel, think, do right now, here in this group meeting

18. The I-I “Engines of Change:1. Self Disclosure • Information about oneself • Most therapeutically meaningful is • Not shared with others before • Meaningful to speaker • Speaker is emotionally invested in the information • Information is immediate (i.e., here and now)

19. The I-I “Engines of Change:2. Behavioral Feedback • Two types -- personal and behavioral • Behavioral feedback facilitates growth • Focuses on behavior, not person making the behavior • May be positive or corrective in valence • Message: • Identifies a specific behavior by recipient • Identifies speaker’s emotional reaction to behavior • May request change in behavior (corrective fdbk) • Does not attempt to explain reasons for reaction

20. The I-I “Engines of Change:3. Group Confrontation • Form of corrective feedback to individual or group • Confronts denial, resistence, or rejection • Higher personal risk compared to other corrective feedback messages

21. Norms in Groups • “Rules” that guide groups discussions and group dynamics • Two types of norms: • Implicit: Unspoken, not negotiated, emerge on their own, group not aware of them • Explicit: Articulated, negotiated, created by leader or members, group aware of them

22. Stage of Group Development

23. Stage 1: Initial or “Forming” • Group environment ambiguous • Low group cohesiveness • Members uncertain what to expect • Discussions “there and then” • Discussions topic-focused, anecdotal • Mostly positive feedback • Much “checking out” among members • Communications perceived as threatening

24. Leader Tasks • Leader tasks • Breaking the ice/building relationships • Establishing norms • Providing structure to group discussions • Introduce discussions of group dynamics • Introduce concpets of disclosure, feedback, confrontation • Encouraging movement to immediacy

25. Stage 2: Transition or “Storming” • Conflict emerges • Members uncertain about how much to risk • Leader’s skills and motives questioned • Low group cohesiveness • Leader tasks • Process conflicts • Review and modify norms • Introduce discussions of group dynamics • Continue movement to immediacy • Provide reduced structure

26. Stage 3: Working • Group has become cohesive • Group focusing on therapeutic work • Discussions are immediate when appropriate • Discussions involve topics with focus on dynamics when needed • Need for little or no structure from leader

27. Stage 4: Consolidation or Mourning • Group is nearing its conclusion • Members may be anxious, sad about ending the group • Some members may backslide • Need to review, organize what has been accomplished

28. Leader Tasks • Help members review the group’s activities, members’ accomplishments • Provide an “ending” to the group

29. Universality ** Instillation of hope ** Safety and support Vicarious learning Observation modeling Direct learning Feedback instruction Altruism Recreation of primary family Existential learning Socialization Curative Forces in Groups (from George and George, 1986)

30. Curative Forces in Groups • These forces produce positive outcomes when they are present • Not all forces need be present in a group • A force may not be present in every meeting • Different members ay perceive different curative forces