Group Counseling Can Cause An Issue When It Comes To Confidentiality

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.

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

“In group psychotherapies, the therapist may fail to obtain fully informed consent, or may inadequately explain that confidentiality cannot be guaranteed in a group setting. The group therapist may not have the skills to differentiate between helpful and harmful feedback from the group, may lack the knowledge to understand when premature disclosures can be harmful to a group member, or might misunderstand how groups form norms that can be either healthy or unhealthy. Family therapists are faced with problems of agency,

* I believe it is unethical for the counselor to reveal anything said in individual counseling with the husband. She didn’t address a “no secrets” policy in the informed consent. Sharing this information with the wife without his permission is unethical. In marriage counseling the “no secrets” policy needs to be addressed and explained in the informed consent. Since she did not have a policy concerning this, she is bound by confidentiality which should have been in her informed consent.

It is important for substance use disorders counselor to know what happens in support group because a member from the group might need additional support and the counselor can referral the member to individual therapy. According to SAMHSA “Counseling can be provided at the individual or group level. Individual counseling often focuses on reducing or stopping substance use, skill building, adherence to a recovery plan, and social, family, and professional/educational outcomes. Group counseling is often used in addition to individual counseling to provide social reinforcement for pursuit of recovery.” Therefore it is important to know what happens in support group to see if the client fits well in group or individual therapy. It is also important

1. What measures would you take to ensure confidentiality in your group? How would you deal with a member who broke confidentiality?

As stated earlier, addiction counseling differs from other specializations and with dealing with addiction many unique ethical issues can occur, Confidentiality is the major ethical issue. In counseling many dark secrets are exposed during the recovery process, and this information is not shared with anyone except the patient and the client. There has to be trust between both sides, and honesty as well. Only if the person is dangerous to themselves or to another can confidentiality be shared with the authorities. Patient records must be kept confidential unless otherwise stated by patient to release information.

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

Healing from substance use disorder is found in connecting and sharing empathetically with others who share the problem. For this reason, group therapy (GT) has emerged as a standard method of treatment as those who suffer from this disorder find solace in the company of peers and, under the guidance of a competent facilitator, become inspired to seek a solution in common with them. Substance use counselors can expect to participate in GT as a matter of course, so must understand the nuances involved in facilitating both open and closed groups. This paper will define open and closed therapy groups, explain the major differences between them, and compare their respective advantages and disadvantages in certain treatment environments.

Feltham and Horton 2006 recognise that many self-help groups work on the principle of group self-disclosure to encourage and challenge clients. They state that these self-help groups may work as it is a peer experience. In one-to-one counselling, it is important to acknowledge that the counsellor is not a peer. And self-disclosure must be used skilfully.

As counselor, we are expected to keep all clients information confidential. The client’s confidentiality is being violated. According to the ACA, because of negative conditions, counselor should notify their employers of inappropriate policies and practices. Therefore, I would alert my supervisor about the same issue occurring. Furthermore, I would probably explain to the supervisor that anyone who enters the room would be able to access client’s personal information. In addition, I would explain to my supervisor that we as counselor took an oath to protect the client confidential information.

Disclosure vs Anonymity can be a real struggle for some people. Disclosing something deep down inside of them that they never told a soul can be hard. It is also a struggle for the counselor to get that person to disclose that part of them. There may also fear rejection, judgment, or breach of confidentiality from the others in the group. It will be a tough job for the counselor, however if the counselor takes the time to sit down with that person and ask them what are their fears? What is holding them back from disclosing that part of them? Etc. I believe the counselor will be able to get a better understanding of what is going on with that person and he/she may feel comfortable talking about it. Authenticity vs Guardedness is my favorite

Besides the behavioral approach, the most common approach I have performed is group counseling. Group counseling is when one counselor is working with multiple client’s with similar or different issues (Meier & Davis, 2011, p. 68). During group counseling, the clients are approached with how they are doing in their recovery process and what is helping. After the floor has been open to discussion, the clients talk amongst themselves about the changes they are making to assist with recovery or where they need improvement. When I see an opportunity to step in, I step in and ask a questions, however, during this time, I usually use my attentive listening skills and paraphrase. More importantly, throughout the group, the professionals and clients

There are many ethical issues that can arise during counseling. One issue that is fairly common is sexual attraction from patient to counselor, counselor to patient, or even in both directions. Even though an attraction may exist, this does not necessarily mean that these instincts will be followed in any inappropriate way. In fact attraction is a natural part of life and is impossible to avoid. However, any fulfillment of these desires is an unethical act that could not only be in violation of the code of ethics that a counselor is bound by, but it could also subject the counselor and their organization to litigation and legal action.

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