Form Of Conflict While Conducting Group Counseling

My group process observation on the two group sessions I observed. My first experience was the first group session we had in the class. All the members were new to group counselling including the student leaders, the group members and the reflecting team. It was nerve wrecking that I didn’t know what to expect and what to do. However, I improved on my reflecting after observing few more sessions.

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

Jacobs, E. E., Masson, R. L., Harvill, R. L., & Schimmel, C. J. (2012). Group counseling: Strategies and skills (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

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 picking who will be part of the group is vital as well, in class discussions we talked about picking certain people that will be able, to be honest, and share during that time. A group facilitator would never choose someone for a group that will not talk and is it, the central theme of group therapy is having others share about their past and presents experiences. During the facilitating period, there will be times where there are arguments between people in the group during class hours; we had great discussions on how to deal with the situation where multiple people are arguing during this period. Some of my suggestions were getting the two people to talk after class and resolve issues that they might have with the other person.

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

Dealing with these types of individuals can be very challenging to the leader and if not dealt with effectively, they can undermine the success of the group session. Although they can also happen in individual counseling sessions, the aforementioned challenges are more pronounced in the group therapy sessions because of the higher number of participants who have different personalities and perspectives. Dealing with the issues ethically requires the counselor to set clear expectations and relevant group norms that can help in guiding the behavior of the members (Crespi,

Group therapy for me was a very new concept. My understanding towards group therapy was that every one share their concern issues and goup members discuss about that issue and get different perspectives about how to deal with that issue by building cohession and trust among the members. According to zander (1968) a group is a collection of individuals who have relation to one another that make them interdependent to some significant degree. , Group therapy is a type of psychotherapy that involves one or more therapists working with several people at the same time.Generally, the counselling group has a speific focus, which may be educational, vocational, social or

n references to Jaclyn's post, I concur with her based on her assertion that Conflict in group counseling settings is almost always inevitable. However, it is important to take note of the proficiency and the aptitudes of the counselor involved in the cause both at personal and professional levels. Despite the diverse disparities and the extent of antagonism between or among the conflicting parties, it is very important for the counselor never to take sides, but rather give both/all parties neutral treatment or attention; this will help bringing the conflicting parties at par as far as emotions are concerned thus, ready for the counselor's intercession, and subsequently discourse and mutual consensus (Jacobs, et al. 2016 ). Based on an encounter I once had as a conflict mediator between couples, who also happened to be my relatives, I realized that conflicting persons when undergoing counseling, more often that not, harbor and exhibit wide-ranging emotional and even physical behaviors, this is to expose the opponents' course of action(s) while veiling theirs. They want to show that they are the victims of the situation, and therefore they should be granted justice, or ruling should be done to their favor. This process, that is, conflict resolution/counseling within a group setting, calls for utmost sobriety and vigilance by the counselor so that he/she is not carried away by the different and confusing behaviors and sentiments of the conflicting parties.

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 counseling may be adverted to as a course of counseling, which takes a group of people coming together under one or more trained therapists, who simultaneously facilitate them and promote them to help one another to overcome their challenges. The group members are usually peers who may not necessarily face the same problem, but their problems may be linked. According to Jacobs, Masson, Harvill and Schimmel (2012), all members in a counseling group wish and desire personal growth. This kind of therapy has been employed over the years and it has produced excellent results in the lives of the group members.

First of all, there has to be leader before these counseling sessions can be properly done. The leader has to be someone that been correctly trained and has the skills needed in order to be an effective leader. This person will be the one that will lead the discussions on the different

First you have to let group members know that whatever is said should be kept confidential and not shared outside the room. One of the main things, is that you should also try to have a level of respect for each other, no should ever call another stupid or dumb. Another way to set common ground in order to create diversity is to establish that anyone who cannot for some reason see people beyond their background also have the option to leave the group at any time. No should feel forced to come to group sessions, since the group is voluntary. Ways to have and maintain a multicultural group varies based on the focus and target of the group. It is very important also to have clients develop a rapport amongst themselves in order for no one to feel targeted when certain topics of discussion are raised. I am sure at some point in our lives we have all been a part of a group that we feel is not able to meet our needs and we eventually ended up leaving. Though people may have similar problems and issues, individually people internalize and deal with their problems differently. Across the lifespan we change mentally and cognitively, while others remain constant. In closing it can be sometimes a challenge to maintain a diverse group as counselor, due to clients’ views and cognitive

The group therapy leader is one of the most essential variables that will influence the group’s success or breakdown. Group therapy leaders need to have very important group leadership skills before they can go into helping individuals deal with their own problems. Group leaders must have knowledge of how groups best function and that they individual posses the skills to intervene in timely and effective ways. When a group leader creates a group climate that fosters interpersonal norms such as directness, openness, respect and concern for one another, these norms will create therapeutic interactions among the members. Essential leader behavior is to cultivate a group climate that is secure, constructive, and encouraging, yet strong enough to at times withstand highly charged emotions, challenges, and interactions between members. In addition to personal characteristics, group leaders need to acquire a body of knowledge and a set of skills specific to group work. Counseling skills can be taught, but there is also an element of art involved in using these skills. The objective of this paper is to compile a list of the important factors and traits that allow therapists to be successful group therapy leaders.

This article closely examines different ethical, legal, and treatment issues that arise in school group counseling. The author starts by looking at some of the psychological issues that effect school aged children. He also suggest some appropriate topics to offer group counseling on such as a divorce group, a drug and alcohol abuse group, or a physical abuse group. The article goes on to explain several different types of group intervention such as educational guidance groups, counseling groups, and therapy groups. Five different stages of groups; forming stage, storming stage, norming