Final Phase In Group Therapy

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

I learned two significant things about group counseling in this course. The first thing that I learned is the importance of setting up a treatment plan. The intention is to follow the client from their entrance into the program until the client is discharged. In this process the clients’ problems are identified through various assessments and as each problem is addressed, it is checked off of the list. Once all of the problems are checked off of the list, the client is considered as having completed the plan. This plan is especially important because it evokes thoughtful conversation between the client and the counselor and is the best method to gain information from the client regarding the help they want to receive. The second most significant thing that I learned about group counseling is how to design a group from start to finish. From pre group design, planning the goals of the group and determining the members to setting up the environment and structuring the sessions, each step adds its own important components to designing group counseling.

The process of running a group therapy session is a unique time to tests a person’s skills abilities when it comes to facilitating that group. This paper will mainly look at ways when it comes to my learning's of this class that I took ways; I will also show examples and skills to run a good group therapy session. This whole paper is a reflection of the many things that I took was on being an active group counselor facilitator.

When leading the group therapy, leaders can often encounter various problems or challenges from some members. Some of the issues that might arise within the counseling process include issues of the dominator, the chronic talker, the negative members, the distracter, the resistant members and the member who strives to outsmart the leader (Corey et al., 1995).

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.

In the current literature 90% of individuals who were involved in-group therapy had a significant increase in their mental wellbeing after one week of treatment (Emond, 2012). However, it is important to identify the effectiveness of each group therapy, since group therapy incorporates a range of different types of therapies, which are aimed for diverse goals and outcomes. Therefore, this essay will discuss and compare the history, effectiveness and underlying issues of psycho-educational and interpersonal group therapies. Furthermore, from the evidenced based literature, it was shown that interpersonal group therapy and psycho-educational group therapy have great outcomes in stabilizing the mental status of in-patient’s in the mental health setting.

Clients seek group therapy that is potentially a positive and supportive environment that is strong enough to withstand the challenges that may be thrown at a group or member of the group. The group is led by a leader that has the ability to listen to what is said, to support the progress of the group and to model the behaviors the group has set to achieve (Stevens & Smith, 2013).There are a variety of counseling skills necessary to effectively

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.

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).

There were on average 10 consistent group members throughout the year. Some members ended group during the year because their primary clinician thought they were ready to graduate onto the next group, and others stopped group all together because of the progress they made. That meant new member’s joined the group along the way which helped the group member’s practice engaging and making new friends. The group members who transitions out of group was also helpful to the group to practice goodbyes and endings. The group member diversity did not have an impact on the group’s functioning at all, they were very comfortable and

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

Depression in late life is very common, particularly in older adults who are moving in to a different phase of their lives. They may experience a loss of a job, death of a spouse, empty nest, or a move that has taken them away from their social network. Geriatric depression is expensive for everyone involved, from the seniors who suffer not only mentally but physically from its effects to the increased use of health services such as emergency room visits. Suicide is also a consequence of depression in seniors. Sometimes depression is not diagnosed properly because its physical symptoms can mimic other illnesses. Many women, ages 55 and up, experience feelings of loneliness, isolation and do not know what to do now that they are in this new stage in their life; not working etc. Is the women’s group effective in helping members overcome feelings of depression and isolation?

Despite having experience running groups, I can safely say that I still feel ill-prepared and untrained in the modality. I have received no direct training or classroom instruction on group psychotherapy. My first goal is to gain knowledge about the nature of group work and the many different specializations that exist. Over the years, I have discovered that I am more comfortable working with adults than adolescents in a group setting. I also find it easier to run a psychoeducation group than an open-ended process group, which brings me to my second goal. I would like to become a more competent process group leader and develop skills to help keep a group focused and on task. I feel anxious and unsure of myself at times when