Group Interaction Patterns

Beth, the mother, is very seemingly stressed. She almost shuns her son Conrad, he tries to be good to her but she never responds the way he was expecting. Even near the end of the movie he hugs his mom and she just doesn’t seem to know how to respond, she just sat there awkwardly and didn’t say anything. She avoids the conversations that she has to talk about anything of her son Buck or Conrad she doesn’t go to violence unless she is forced to talk about the subjects. A.M.P.P. would work well with her because unless you get her on the subject and keep her on the subject then she creates safety just by stepping out of the subject.

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.

Lea (2007) pointed out that group cohesiveness is associated with self-identity where group members can visualize themselves as being a part of a group. Gender is an example where identity is apparent cues. Men and women is expected to have different perspective and expected to disagree on a particular topic (Lea, 2007). Therefore, gender differences can weaken group cohesiveness. A study found that when group member feels accepted to the group, they have a tendency to do the thing that allows others to continue to accept them because other’s evaluation is more important than their own (Wongpakran, et al, 2013). In addition, Yalom (2005) stated that the more group members attract to the group the longer they will stay in group therapy; they will be less likely to drop out prematurely. It is evident that group cohesiveness is extremely important in group therapy as it is a core therapeutic factor that promotes a sense of belonging and allows the group members to continue to participate and benefit from therapy

Also, the group could allow Sue to identify with fellow “sufferers” and feel as though she is being understood. This intervention also allows for a sense of gender cohesiveness since all of the adults in the group are women, who identify as mothers. Additionally, all of the mothers come from varying backgrounds in relation to culture, race, religion, etc., yet the women are able to relate to one another based on the “sameness” felt through the common mental health component. One major aspect of this intervention is that it does not include partners, which may or may not be beneficial since it could either disrupt the openness due to same-gender likeness or it could be an additional support for some of the mothers with partners.

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

Group work has been a cornerstone of the social work profession and requires a variety of facilitator skills and awareness of group processes. The SSLDTM Group Program for People with Difficulties in Social Situations (Socialwork1914, 2017) provides an excellent example of a psycho-educational group co-facilitated by two female social workers, Jane and Karen. After viewing the 6th session of this 8-week program, I began to understand how the concepts of group formation/development, interpersonal dynamics, and leadership styles contribute to successful group work outcomes.

Groupwork can be defined as a method of social work that is utilised in order to help individuals to enhance their social functioning through purposeful group experiences and to help cope with their personal group or community problems (Konopka, 1972). The role of groupwork places emphasis on sharing thoughts, ideas, problems and activities, allowing social action groups for instance, to “empower members to engage in collective action and planned change efforts to modify particular aspects of their social or physical environment” (Toseland & Rivas, 2014, p. 38; Pyles, 2009; Staples, 2004). Therefore, reflecting on the processes of groupwork is an essential mechanism for all professionals in order to develop better communication skills, conflict resolution and enhance future performance. This essay will reflect upon the task group processes that were conducted this semester, while evaluating my own role within the group and what was learnt working within a small group.

On the other hand, the group does not offer inclusive and emotional support. This is evident where;

Group Conflict (2016) claims that struggles in communication are important, impactful and healthy. Team members find themselves in conflict for several reasons. There is disagreement that arises from miscommunication. In the case of 12 Angry Men, there are jury members who ultimately have the same views. However, issues with communication lead to miscommunication that results in a complete breakdown. When members of a team or jury are not effectively communicating their message, it is impossible for the message to be clearly relayed.

Communication is essential in our society today. There are many different types and methods of communication that people use. Throughout life, people learn to use communication in order to interact in the everyday world. People form groups to place themselves where they think they belong in society. Whether people know they are doing it or not, they consciously or subconsciously place themselves into certain groups. There are many different reasons for people to join different groups, these being for learning, activity, personal growth, and problem solving. Members of groups must all contribute in order to complete a task. People can have both positive and negative effects on groups. There are many concepts that

In the support group, there were a wide variety of members present during all four sessions. They all came with their diverse characteristics and experiences. The only element of homogeneity in our group was all social work students at Loyola University Chicago. Elements of heterogeneity included gender, as there was only one male in the group. Race was also an element of heterogeneity, since there was a mix of members Caucasian and African-American ethnicities in our group. In terms of educational level, Amy was a master’s level student, and the rest of us were still in our undergraduate careers. It appeared motivation also varied, since several members of the group openly wanted support, while others took a step back and were quieter. I

At the beginning of the group, the facilitator asked the clients to identify group norms. The clients identified these group norms and wrote them on the white board; raise your hand, no crosstalk or side conversations, stay awake, be respectful of peers/facilitator and property, keep things discussed in group confidential and be willing to participate and offer support when needed. The group facilitator followed the Seeking Safety session format which is explained in the Seeking Safety: A treatment manual for PTSD and Substance Abuse written by Lisa M. Najavits. The session format includes four steps; 1) check-in, 2) quotation, 3) relate the topic to patients’ lives and 4) check-out (Najavits, n.d., p. 147-169).

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.

According to Cartwright & Zander (1968), a group may be defined as a “collection of individuals who have relations to one another that make them interdependent to some significant degree”. Other definitions state that a group is “two or more persons who are interacting with one another in such a manner that each person influences and is influenced by each other person (Shaw, 1981). Turner (1987) goes further to say that “a psychological group is one that is psychologically significant for the members, to which they relate themselves subjectively for social comparison and the acquisitions of norms and values…that they privately accept membership in and which influence their attitudes and behaviour”. Clark & Pataki reserve the term “group”

The concept of ‘a group’ was difficult for the pupils, but we worked hard to facilitate them. In the beginning, they were separately seeking attention from adults. Andie focused on personal support, Julia reacted more than reflected, Helen wanted a personal space, and Calvin may have been thinking about a leader. Their movement qualities were similar to those witnessed during the observation period. During week three to six, Julia and Helen evolved unfriendly but close relationship. Julia’s strong offense evoked Helen’s stronger and indirect movement responses, because of the anger, upset or fear caused. It was hard for Julia for think about what she was doing in the session, and she expressed like a ‘ Retreatist role’ (Schmais, 1998:25), whose over self-protection became the target of the anger. This seemed to create Calvin’s rivalry with Julia over managing the group in session eight. His movement qualities became stronger to accommodate his experience. It seemed lots of anxiety came up in the group in a way of fight or flight. (Schmais, 1998:28) In building up their relationships, I needed to help them develop a more positive experience by setting more