Group Dynamics : An Important And Therapeutic Aspect Of Counseling Settings For Any Populations

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.

Whether groups are formed for social or task oriented purposes, the ability to produce and maintain a sense of affiliation, peer support and collaboration is important for overall group functioning. The cohesion of a social group is produced through the establishment of a set of group norms, which are later defined as a guide for conduct accepted within a group of individuals. However, in order for a group to perform and produce results, the team leader should guide his/her team through the proper stages of group development, which includes the following steps: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. Although teams should follow all these stages of group development, the forming and the norming stages are the most important,

In this paper, I discuss my experience with observing a group counseling session with the purpose of evaluating it in terms of how it is set up, how it is run, interventions used, culturally sensitivity, and the contribution toward my professional development as a social worker. The group setting plays a critical role in social work outside of the individual session and can be largely beneficial for clients in the forms of therapy, counseling, self-help, and support. By attempting to better understand group interventions, I will learn how to apply this strategy in aiding clients for whom this method is appropriate by increasing their social supports.

When it comes to a group theory session, the counselor wants to give the individuals in that setting Instillation of hope, members of therapy groups often find hope as they discover and focus on how to face their problems. Installation of hope is vital because you want to have the individuals that are part of that

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

I feel that group therapy is one of the most effective tools for addressing issues among diverse groups. Group therapy can benefit almost everyone. Like individual counselling, group therapy can benefit almost anyone.  It can be especially useful for people who want to explore their style of relating to others and enhance their approach to relationships in areas such as trust, intimacy, anger, conflict, assertiveness, risk-taking, self esteem, issues of depression, anxiety, and alcohol

The Groups Dynamics of a team can be effected if the category of leadership is not in place. Leadership means “the activity of leading a group of people or an organization or the ability to do this.” In order to be a good leader you must have a strong value that you can give to your team. A good leader must have strong values to pass on to their team. At the top of the teams hierarchy is a leader, so that the leader can put input towards everything the team does, so that the team would be successful because the leader controls and guides the team.

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).

In the past few years, community agencies have increasingly used groups since various groups have become a common feature of today's society. Some of the most common groups in today's society include groups for women, men, parent education, children, HIV/AIDS support, and those for reducing substance abuse. Due to the increased use of groups by communities, there are various approaches that have emerged including group counseling and group psychotherapy. Group counseling is a designed preventive and remedial approach to meet the needs of specific population in the society like women, men, the elderly, adolescents, and children. On the contrary, group psychotherapy is a re-education process of the present and past through conscious and unconscious awareness.

When working with different age groups the therapist must regard developmental stages of not just the group as a whole but must also take into consideration the developmental and cognitive abilities of each individual in their small group. There are some forms of therapy which may either be more appropriate to use with younger students, or can be modified to suit the needs of younger students or students who have a reduced level of cognition.

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

The counseling session goes through various characteristics. At the very earliest stage, the participants test the new relationship with the leader and with each other, and the leader, in a way, experiments too with the new relationship with the participators assessing which techniques would be best to employ with them and whether or not there is a match. As with all acquaintances, some work and some do not, and the earliest stages of the group session are a prelude to the future of the success of the group. Exploration is tentative, members learn the rules of this new game and the leader, in turn, learns how to act with participators.

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