Assessment : The Second Stage Of The Group Process

Group therapy is a highly effective process that is at least as therapeutic as individualized therapy (Yalom, 2005). It is a powerful tool in psychotherapy, however the implementation of group therapy can determine how effective this process can be for the individuals participating. Some elements that are key in the implementation of a new group are the establishment of rules, norms and ethical guidelines. Included in these guidelines are the group leader’s proper training, knowledge of the subject matter, responsible duel relationships, the therapist own personal growth, confidentiality of the therapist, informing participants of the potential emotional outcome of the group, ethical use of exercises, and making appropriate referrals when needed (Jacobs, 2016).

At one point in a person life, they will participated in a group whether it is part of a specific committee, therapy, or social group. In recent years, there has been a rise in counseling within a group forum veering from the tradition individual counseling. Therapists, physiologist, and counselors believe that form of counseling is beneficial to both counselor and client. This allows the counselor to help several clients at once rather than one at a time decreasing their strenuous workload and demanding work hours. This form of counseling integrate individual that share similar issues, struggles, and experiences into one forum. This not only allows the clients to learn from the therapist but from their fellow group members. The group experience

Purpose of the group counseling varies from group to group. It can be therapeutic, educational, or helping people to make fundamental changes in their way of thinking, feeling and behaving (Corey, 2004, p. 7). Group counseling/therapy has the advantage of being more effective than individual therapy because, it more closely stimulates social interactions and interpersonal communication patterns than does individual counseling (Kottler, 2004, p. 260). The techniques and strategies use in group counseling are to help resolve members’ interpersonal conflict, promote greater self-awareness and insight, and help them work to eliminate their self-defeating

The first time I personally experienced attending a group therapy was part of my course. Through this experience i can say that group therapy can be very powerful in healing a person emotionally and since the members were from the same class, where we all have similar goals. Group therapy helped all of us to establish meaningful and intimate relationship and we also recognised commanality of members needs and problems and to develop a sense of bonding and we became very close and we could also be there for each other during emotionally trying times.It also helped me to increase self-growth, self acceptance and self –confidence among oneself and group members. Group therapy is a powerful venue for growth and change. It also helped me in expressing my emotions in a healthy way.

The group the facilitator will be observing is an anger management group that is held Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at Assurance of Hope Institute, Inc. The group consist of twelve men between the ages of twenty-five to forty-five. The group contains ten African American men and two Caucasian men. The group has been meeting three times a week for four months. The group is an open group that is available to all young adult men particularly those suffering from mental health illness. The clients whom attend the group have been either court mandated because of a violent encounter. The group discusses triggers that make one anger, ways to manage your anger, decrease overall intensity and frequency of angry feelings, increase ability to recognize and appropriately express feelings as they occur, identify situations, thoughts, feelings, that trigger anger, angry verbal and/ or behavioral actions and the targets of those actions. The facilitators of the group have explored family background and history to

The role of a group leader using Adlerian theory or reality theory have several commonalities between them. It is suggested that group leaders use humor and model appropriate behavior for their group members as well as encouraging confrontation as a means for personal growth (Gladding, 2016, pp. 333-334, 338). Additionally, both theories recommend group leaders having a high level of differentiation of self (pp. 334, 338). In Adlerian theory “the insight phase involves helping individuals understand why they made the choices they did in the past” (p. 338); whereas, in reality theory leaders “must assist group members in understanding the scope of the group process and the need to apply what they have learned in the group to their own daily lives” (p. 334). Furthermore, “effective [Adlerian] leaders use group dynamics to help groups help themselves” (p. 338) while reality theory stresses “fostering the process of self-evaluation in their group members” (p. 334).

Group therapy has been used for many years as a therapeutic method in which members can offer support and understanding for each other. It can be defined as two or more people, who share common issues, meeting and interacting face-to-face to help one another reach an identifiable goal. There are several types of group therapy, one that I will be discussing in this paper is the self-help group. In recent years, self-help groups have increased in number and credibility. Members can speak freely about their experiences, while receiving advice and support from others, which in turn, can help them realize that they are not alone in their struggles. In this paper, I will analyze my observational experience of two self-help groups, Alcoholics Anonymous,

As I began the Group Process and Dynamics course, I was excited to become educated and experienced with group counseling. Group counseling is a topic I have enjoyed in the past and have continued to be fascinated by. I have learned the elements of a group process through observation and research. The group process consists of several elements that come together when the group begins and ends when the group is terminated. I have observed group norms, group cohesion, the generation of trust, the manifestation of resistance, the emergence of conflict and resolution, healing forces, the reactions of group members, and the various stages a group develops through (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2010). Throughout this course, I was able to derive a conceptualization of groups. From this course I will take with me the understanding of how effective group counseling can be for individuals. Groups have been known to be as effective as individual therapy and a great source of treatment. Group counseling is designed as a part of a treatment plan that helps individuals and guide them through change. Group counseling is a versatile practice, which can be used in several settings and with different populations (Corey et al., 2010). This course has given me the opportunity to reflect on my own personal leadership style, the challenges that may arise, and an action plan to continue my group leadership knowledge and skills.

A unique aspect of the cognitive behavioral approach in group therapy is the focus on specific target areas of change. The members are responsible for formulating specific statements of the personal goals they want to achieve. The group leader is responsible for helping the members break down their goals into specific, concrete, and measureable goals. An agenda is set at the beginning of each session in a collaborative fashion with the members and group leader in order to prioritize

Group therapy is an important method that is commonly used by psychiatric professionals in the treatment of many types of mental illnesses. They consist of three or more people and are targeted at promoting psychological development and change. There are three different types of groups. The task group works by using tasks, such as activities and techniques, designed to help clients work toward desired goals. In addition, midrange groups work by allowing clients to share their thoughts and feelings with others who have learned to cope with similar problems over a longer period of time. Lastly, process groups work by allowing clients to work on their communicating patterns, skills and methods (Fortinash & Holoday Worrett, 2008).

Looking for new and more effective ways to treat the issues of their clients, counselors and therapists may often begin to consider leading a group therapy session. Group therapy is a form of therapy in which a therapist either treats or provides psychoeducational skills to a small, carefully planned target group of individuals in an effort to ameliorate the issues and dysfunctions of each individual in that particular group of patients together (Scheidlinger, 2004). In this group, therapists often utilize some of the psychotherapy theories such as Gestalt, transactional analysis, psychotherapy or psychodrama which they often use to treat clients individually.

Group counseling not only allows for members to learn from their therapist, it also allows for them to learn from personal experiences of other members and to gain insights and ideas on the issues they are confronting. Group counseling also helps in improving social skills among the members as they are able to interact freely in and out of the group. This way members can be more confident and open to interactions during the sessions. Group therapy influences growth and change to those involved. Also, it increases their self-awareness and enables them to gain sustenance from each other. Group counseling is also favorable to the therapist as they are able to gain faster and more efficient results for their members by counseling them simultaneously rather than one at a time. Jacobs, Mason, Harvill and Schimmel (2012) describe group counseling

Understand, interpret, direct. This statement is an oversimplification of sorts, but defines the essence of Adlerian psychotherapy. From this minimal overview of Adlerian theory, we can begin to elaborate and explore the intricacies of individual psychology. Adlerians are concerned with understanding the unique and private beliefs and strategies of the individual (private logic and mistaken notions) that we create in childhood, and which serve as a reference for attitudes, private views of self, others and the world, and behavior (lifestyle). Therapeutic work with clients involves short-term and intensive work to increase social interest, to encourage a greater sense of responsibility for behavior, and to support behavioral change.

These are possible expectation for certain behaviors or symptoms (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2014, p. 39). Therapists will question the group members about their feelings, and they might question the client to reduce intensity (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2014, p. 39). A therapist would use supportive behavior so that when clients face a crisis, the client can begin to get rid of old patterns that might be limiting them from making positive changes in their life (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2014, p. 40). The therapist would need to work with each person and how they would work together. Group members may not participate in counseling and may refrain from sharing their thoughts because they may feel that they are being judged by others in the group. They prefer to keep themselves

Adler’s group approach is utilized in “both prison and child guidance populations” (Gladding, 2016, p. 382), the workplace (Ferguson, 2006a, p. 80), schools, and with families. The effectiveness from Adlerian group therapy derives from the social identifiable conflicts that all people endure. Moreover, in a group setting the individual is faced with multiple interactions among other group members concerning their behavior and thought process via feedback and by being challenged publicly to identify and adjust any illogical or irrational thoughts and beliefs. Naturally, Adlerian group therapy operates from the