Importance Of Group Counseling

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.

One type of counseling group that would be one of my strengths, is psychoeducational group counseling. At the start of the session, the members are presented with an educational topic that portrays to drug and alcohol with the combination of counseling. An example would be an addiction facility exploring the information and research on relapse prevention. Usually, these types of meetings are conducted at inpatient drug and alcohol interventions and typically have an educational component to their meetings that help the clients learn more about their addiction and ways to stop (Brooks & McHenry, 2015). Why I believe this intervention is one of my strengths is due to enjoying teaching and talking amongst others about the education on abuse and

Berg, R. C., Landreth, G. L., & Fall, K. A. (2013). Group Counseling: Concepts and Procedures Fourth Edition. Routledge.

I have experienced both group counseling in a school setting and in the community. Counseling in a school setting have set of rules and confidentiality that is set by the school district that the group has to follow. Also the counselor has a way of selecting those who would be in the group and those are the same people every session unless it is an open group. There are both open and closed groups in the school and community setting. In the community setting some groups are mixed age. Also most groups are older adults and the counselor has to know how work with older adults. I also find the community groups with older people are much more unfiltered. Community groups also have rules and confidentiality that they abide by it just depends on

I was questioning my abilities as a group leader, and even more so, as a counselor.

This paper explores the different ways in which group counseling can be used for the purpose of Vocational Rehabilitation. It also gives detailed information of how technology can be used in group counseling during Vocational Rehabilitation. The technique of group counseling especially in the area of Vocational Rehabilitation can bring up a number of ethical issues for the counselor and client to resolve. Those ethical issues can also cross over into the area of technology.

Group Therapy: Identifying and working with barriers to healing from sexual abuse was hosted by the Girls Action Foundation. The Girls Action Foundation is a non- profit organization dedicated to supporting girls and young women to overcome barriers and reach their true potential. The group counseling session was held for young women from ages sixteen to twenty four who experienced intimate partner violence. This one hour session was one of six sessions the participants attend for their short term counseling. Not all of the young women in the counseling session have been to court or pressed charges on their abusers but they were all welcomed into to the group.

Are group counseling sessions used in a school environment the best strategies to help children and adolescents with special needs learn the social skills they will need in life? An article in the peer-reviewed journal Education suggests that indeed, group counseling is an effective way to teach social skills. This paper reviews the article and comments on the learning that was accomplished and discusses in the article.

There is a need for many types of group counseling in this civilization that we live in ranging from task/ work groups, psychoeducational groups, counseling groups and psychotherapy groups. Groups can defined by the collection of two or more individuals who meet face- to- face or virtually in an interactive, interdependent way, with the awareness that each belongs to the group and for the purpose of achieving mutually agreed- upon goals (Gladding, 2012). As a High School counselor, the development of our children and their self concepts of themselves and their attitudes towards school and life are detrimental in ensuring a great future for our country.

Group counseling can be appealing, but it involves solving a problem common in the group. The goals should be listed to ensure that the counselors achieve their goals, proper research and evaluation should be done before choosing a group. Observation is also critical because it helps the counselor aware of the group process. Group process is a sub- conscious process that takes place within a group as a whole; it involves personal and interpersonal process. Groups involve integration process, which involves emphasis, on a structured delivery of certain content. Group counseling is effective because it enhances self awareness and exploration as they aid one to be congruent.

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

According to the American Counseling Association (ACA, 2014) Code of Ethics, ethical principles are based on a set of values that include autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, fidelity, and veracity. These ethics apply to all types of counseling, including both group and individual therapy; however, different aspects of these ethical guidelines must be considered based on the therapeutic approach. This paper will identify several of these ethical issues as they relate specifically to group counseling, while also evaluating how these differences compare to ethical guidelines within an individual approach. Based on this information, a final analysis will be provided on when therapists should choose group versus individual for a client.

According to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), “Today's school counselors are vital members of the education team. They help all students in the areas of academic achievement, personal/social development and career development, ensuring today's students become the productive, well-adjusted adults of tomorrow” (2017). The definition of a school counselor has changed throughout the years. There has been a shift from guidance/vocational counseling to a more well-rounded approach. Moving from guidance to counseling, means different job duties and educational obstacles. Not only do the job responsibilities include career development, social/emotional development, and academic achievement; included in this change is focus on student’s mental health. With the advancement of this career to the mental health field, comes with educating stakeholders on the difference. One way to do this is by producing evidence that counseling techniques work in a language that most stakeholders understand: academics.

My leadership experience was nerve wrecking. It was my first experience of leading a group therapy, though I facilitated in the past. However, facilitation in group therapy was a new experience for me and I was not sure of how the group therapy will go, though I learnt the steps in class. My anxiety took away my confidence and the best of me that I wrote my points on a piece of paper, hoping to follow the points instead of me to follow the tread of discussion set by the group members. I felt the group noticed how nervouse I was that I got feedback from one of the members who advised me not to come to the session with a piece of paper.

While diversity is a wonderful addition to any classroom, it may pose some challenges to the classroom. I think learning diversity is especially apparent in the special education classroom. These students have unique learning needs. Working with students with such varying needs is a challenging aspect of teaching a diverse classroom. However, this challenge is something that I thoroughly enjoy. I love differentiating instruction to meet the needs of the students in my current student teaching placement. I often work with three to four students at a time. Often times, these students are working on different topics. I have enjoyed this experience because I have really learned to multi-task throughout a lesson. Some differentiation I have put