My Experience Of Group Therapy At First Hospital

The Effects of Psychoeducational Group Therapy on Symptoms of PTSD, Anxiety and Depression Among Incarcerated Women

Group therapy is a way for patients

Research has shown that while the group therapy topic is helpful, the overall group dynamics of how the group runs and the bonding between the members is important (Morgan, Winterowd, & Ferrell, 1999). Another strength of this study is that recruiting the participants will be relatively easy. Inmates at MCI-Norfolk have been asking for group therapy for a long time and I anticipate that they will be excited to finally have the chance to join in on group therapy.

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 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).

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

(Corey et al., 1995). In addition, it increases the risk for harm and exploitation. If the counselor finds that a potentially harmful multiple relationship has arisen due to unforeseen factors, he or she must take reasonable steps for resolving it with due regard to the affected person’s best interest.

By being in a group, we can be exposed to other perspectives on our problems that we may have never considered. Group therapy is very effective to bring about changes in the member’s.

The process of picking who will be part of the group is vital as well, in class discussions we talked about picking certain people that will be able, to be honest, and share during that time. A group facilitator would never choose someone for a group that will not talk and is it, the central theme of group therapy is having others share about their past and presents experiences. During the facilitating period, there will be times where there are arguments between people in the group during class hours; we had great discussions on how to deal with the situation where multiple people are arguing during this period. Some of my suggestions were getting the two people to talk after class and resolve issues that they might have with the other person.

In regards to my thoughts about the termination phase of group therapy. I believe it is probably one of the most delicate phases in therapy. The termination phase, is a phase in which the therapist is to summarize everything that has happened in therapy. Where members were when it began and where they are now at the end. It is also used to summarize all that was learned, practiced, done, etc. in the group process. And to remind the members that although the process has concluded. That does not mean the knowledge and techniques they had learned should stopped. Everything learned in the group should be applied even after the group has ended. Another great importance for the termination phase would have to be feedback from

I am a firm believer that there is strength in numbers especially when it involves people who come together because they share similar issues/problem and basically have something in common to work towards. Group counseling offers a great opportunity for people to come together and try and solve their issues. According to Austin (1999), per Cameron (2013 p 27) the group experience in general provides numerous benefits for participants and facilitators which includes providing: fellowship, listening skills, a sense of belonging, parallel of real-life situation, opportunities for peer confrontation, conforming participants to positive group norms, encouragement and praise from other group members, a safe place to experiment with new behaviors, facilitate group interaction and other social skills, positive and negative feedback from other group members, decreasing prejudice by learning of similarities with others, and relieving feelings of personal isolation. I was excited about this course and was very optimistic about what I would learn. I must say I was not disappointed

Depression in late life is very common, particularly in older adults who are moving in to a different phase of their lives. They may experience a loss of a job, death of a spouse, empty nest, or a move that has taken them away from their social network. Geriatric depression is expensive for everyone involved, from the seniors who suffer not only mentally but physically from its effects to the increased use of health services such as emergency room visits. Suicide is also a consequence of depression in seniors. Sometimes depression is not diagnosed properly because its physical symptoms can mimic other illnesses. Many women, ages 55 and up, experience feelings of loneliness, isolation and do not know what to do now that they are in this new stage in their life; not working etc. Is the women’s group effective in helping members overcome feelings of depression and isolation?

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.

Describe a group Setting or Scenario in which you have worked or of which you are currently a part

I found a place but it was group therapy, as I read more into it, the program was perfect. It was free so my dad wouldn’t find out, and it was for troubled teens going through depression, abuse etc. I told my mom about it so she would not worry about why I was out so late after school and asked if she could make up a lie to tell Dad. As always she did, and I was really grateful. It was at a school gym, from there I heard a group of people chatting. I was nervous, my heart was racing, and my palms were sweating.