Group Therapy Ethical Dilemmas

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

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 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.

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

Ethics and making ethical decisions is a vital piece in a counselor’s career. Whether it is individual therapy or group therapy, a counselor must always present themselves as knowledgeable, professional and in control. When a counselor is making an ethical decision, they should as much as possible

The overarching goal as an effective and competent counselor is the ability and knowledge to integrate ethical codes into ones professional practice (Kocet, 2006). Therefore, this ethics paper will explore the topics of ethics as it is within groups as compared to ethics regarding individual counseling. Ethical decisions are those pertaining to the overarching moral principles, such as doing good for others which is termed beneficence and to do no harm which is no maleficence in ethical terms (Rapin, 2004). Furthermore, it is imperative to know the two central components of ethics for counselors, which is first to outline the prescribed or mandatory professional behaviors by which counselors are expected to govern their conduct and secondly to know that a code contains aspirational components, which encourages active ethical beliefs of the profession (Kocet, 2006). However, no code of ethics can encompass every potential ethical dilemma faced by a professional but a code of ethics does serve as a blueprint for laying down the foundation that is necessary to promote the competency and efficacy of counselors (Kocet, 2006).

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.

In conclusion, I think I have achieved my learning goal for this experiential portion. I have developed a deeper understanding about the effective leadership in group therapy. I also gained a deeper insight on how my personal characteristics affect my leadership. As a leader, I am flexible and open to others’ opinions. I always take a positive attitude toward the group process. If some members showed discomfort, I will try my best to encourage him/her without pushing him/her too much. I am also sensitive about my members’ status and needs. These are my advantages in facilitating a group, which enable me to refine 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 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.

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.

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.

Theory and Practice of Group Counseling provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the process, issues and interventions for working with, in and studying groups. It outlines the basic elements of the group process, addresses ethical and professional issues specific to group work and looks at different concepts and techniques governing eleven approaches to group counseling. The approaches addressed are; Psychoanalytical, Adlerian, Psychodrama, Existential. Person- Centered, Gestalt therapy, Transactional, Rational Emotive behavior, Cognitive behavioral, Reality therapy and Solution-focused brief therapy each of which is covered in a different chapter. Each chapter is supplemented with an Author lectures section at the end which provides information on DVD and online resources available from the author. The book is concluded with integration and application section as the author aims to assist readers in understanding the connection between theory and practice within group counseling.