Communication Patterns

Group communication is getting a small group of people together who share the same problem to talk about it. These work better when the group is small as the leader can interact better than working with a large group. In health care, group communication can range from AA meetings (Alcohol anonymous) to drug abuse to various phobias which people want to overcome. There are a number of factors we need to consider when working with a group, things such as group atmosphere, group leaders, thinking about what you are going to say, taking turns and the use of space.

Throughout the module I was part of group including eight other health professions including student midwives, mental health nurses, physiotherapist’s, radiologists and paediatric nurses. According to Tuckman and Jensen (1977) there are five stages of group development; forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. I was a little anxious about meeting the group and during the forming stage was apprehensive about trusting individuals within the group; maybe because of the lack of a clear

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.

During the video, Group Work: Leading in the Here and Now (Association for Specialists in Group Work, 2008), Dr. Peg Carroll led a group through the initial stage of group counseling. As Yalom and Leszcz (2005) stated, “in the beginning, the group needs direction and structure,” (p. 313). Dr. Carroll demonstrated an active approach with the clients in the group, often redirecting their comments internally towards one another. For example, at 11:20 in the video (Association for Specialists in Group Work, 2008), Dr. Carroll directed one of the clients, Art, to direct his comments to a specific individual. This occurred multiple times during the course of the session, and demonstrated Dr. Carroll’s ability to actively facilitate group communication towards one another.

This article was very applicable to group practice because it described a positive mutual support group experience and explained why the group was successful. I found it interesting that the members said that the most valuable things the group leader did was help all the members feel included and supported. If I become a group leader as a social worker, this is an important aspect to remember, because the success of the group depends largely on how I encourage participation, help members offer and receive support from each other, and help each member to feel included and a valued member of the

Due to a lack of overall experience as a group facilitator within the counseling field, one of the author’s primary personal goals is development a clearer understanding of the group process. Corey, Corey, and Corey (2010) summarized group process as “how things are happening in the group,” (p. 5). Having had experience as a client in several drug and alcohol groups and group counseling sessions, the author has observed, from a client’s point-of-view, how fluid and ever-changing groups are in a real world setting.

Group counseling is facilitated by a therapist or counselor, accommodating 5 to 15 clients, each attempting to achieve specific goals. Corey (et al., 2010) tells us that counselors facilitate group movement through the use of different technique to engage group participants. Counselors create a safe, judgement free place for participants to interact with each other and the counselor. Members and the counselor provide others in the group support and guidance during discussions. Though opening up in front of strangers may feel intimidating at first, it allows the creation of the support network as well as a sounding board for members to express their thought and feelings (Johnson, 2016).

To begin with, understanding the terminology of group therapy an influential factor when forming any group setting. Next, the professional should understand the concept of an open or closed group setting, in a therapeutic setting. It’s important to assure and educate each client on how to reach and maintain recovery, prevent future relapse or instill tranquility into one's life.

Group therapy requires an assembly of individuals and a trained professional functioning through corresponding dilemmas. There are copious amount of groups that work toward a variety of areas (Wieman, Raypole, & Telloian, 2013). Some individuals seek group treatment for (a)addiction, (b)depression, (c) anxiety, (d) post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and (e) domestic violence. Groups can be open or closed. An open group allows anyone to attend, while a closed group is allotted to a certain number of people and no one else for a duration of time (Wieman et al., 2013). When an individual attends a group he or she will participate in activities to create a communicative environment, develop trust with other group members, and evolve as a person (Wieman et al., 2013).

Dominick Petitto Dr. Kevin Wilkerson The University of Scranton Group Consultation Activity January 20, 2016 Abstract There are many themes that surface throughout the group process. These themes hold important steps in the group process. These steps allow the group to grow together in trust, and better cohesion. Some themes that surface in the group session are anxieties/fears that occur with disclosing, conflicts that occur between members of the group, how choices affect us now, leadership of the group and how to deal with issues that arise in the group. Key Words: trust, cohesion, anxieties/fears, disclosing, conflict, choices, leadership Self-Disclosure in Groups There also seems to be a few people in group who are still having trouble sharing with the group. We see

Whether group members chose to be vulnerable or take the challenges that were given to them, all members were courageous to share what was on their minds during sessions. Although our group session had this occurring theme of fluctuating about certain topics that were discussed, which resulted in some members, myself included not verbally participating or contributing to the discussion, I felt that the group was still very interactive with each other. What I’ve taken away from the group process is that even though members who are not speaking or sharing their thoughts in the group, they are all processing something within themselves as other members disclosed. What I enjoyed most about this group was how we functioned together by being active listeners, wanting to connect with other members, and generating ideas and different perspectives. Being able to be both the patient and leader in group counseling, when I do implement group counseling in the school system, I’ll be able to self-disclosed with the group regarding their fears about group counseling because I’ve experienced it. I’m also more aware of my strength and weakness as a co-leader now, so when looking for other individuals to co-lead group counseling, I’ll have a better understand of how to pick and choose who’ll work best with me as a

In small group communication, all kinds of group members are both senders and receivers who at the same time send and receive verbal and nonverbal messages. For instances, in the work environment when a project has to be done the manager will give the working group the instructions on what does he want, if anyone in the group does not understand the instructions or need clarification this employee will ask the manager to clarify them in a simple way.

There are several form of conflict while conducting group counseling. Conflict can be among individual members or with the group. Conflict can occur while the group members are having a discussion and individuals do not agree with the same values or beliefs. Conflict can bring a lot of mistrust and judgmental to the group members. According to Cory states “Conflict may be created by not attending to the diversity issues that exist within a group. Some of the areas of diversity in a group that are potential sources of conflict and distrust include differences in age, gender, language, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, disability, race, ethnicity, and educational attainment”. Therefore, there will be several forms of conflict as we start

The main dynamic that I saw emerge from the group was a sense of discomfort with one another. Throughout a majority of the sessions, group members participated in minimal self-disclosure and there was a great deal of staring at the floor. Not only was there an overall lack of discussion, group members disclosed during the first and second sessions feeling unsafe to work on their personal intentions. One particular member discussed feeling unsafe all the way through session six. Also, several group members commented in the third session that it was difficult for them to separate outside relationships with one another during group. This is something that I personally relate to since it was difficult for me to forget the positive and

Effective communications is defined as the successful exchange of information between individuals. An effective communicator is successful in establishing an active two-way link with another individual or group. When people work in groups, there are two quite separate issues involved. The first is the task and the problems involved in getting the job done. The second is the process of the group work itself: the mechanisms by which the group acts as a unit. Without due attention to this process the value of the group can be diminished or even destroyed; yet with a little explicit management of the process, it can enhance the worth of the group to be many times the sum of the worth of its individuals. It is this synergy which makes group