Peer Led Groups Research Paper

Setting boundaries is a way of caring for myself. It doesn’t make me mean, selfish, or uncaring (just) because I don’t do things your way. I care about me, too. ~ Christine Morgan

Setting boundaries. This can be applied to relationships or interactions that you have with the people around you. You need to be consistent with the boundaries that you have

groups are where women like to confess their difficulty whereas offending one another is what

Setting boundaries is when someone marks their limits, determining how much their friends, neighbors, family, and strangers can have access to in their life. I strongly believe that creating boundaries is a crucial to do to be respected, protected, and stay healthy. Since I can remember, my family has always instilled in me that having my own boundaries are essential because they are part of self-care. Thus, forming boundaries are fundamental for one’s life because without them, anyone can interfere and manipulate your life.

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.

Ethical Issues in Group Counseling Through the last several years, groups have been increasing in popularity, and in many agencies and institutions they are becoming the primary form of treatment (Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2011). In order for group therapy to be done effectively and ethically, many things have to be taken into account. No matter the type of therapy or theory that is used, ethics always stay the same (Ponton & Duba, 2009).

It serves as the foundation that fosters other therapeutic factors that lead to positive outcomes. Group cohesiveness gives members a sense of belonging while working through their personal life crisis. Once members of a group feel they fit in with others group members and have a sense of trust and acceptance, they are most likely to disclose their concerns within the group. Yalom (2005) also found that when group members feel the connection within the group, they are more likely to listen to others’ concerns, relate other's’ life experience to their own, stay and support others throughout the course of group therapy. Group cohesiveness becomes a positive instrument in therapeutic

“Boundaries help define people in general. They express what I am and what I am not. After reading “boundaries” it showed me where I close and someone else starts. It leads me to an intelligence of possession. Distinguishing what I am and to take ownership and responsibility in order to give me freedom. Seizing accountability for my existence unties up numerous diverse opportunities. Boundaries benefit us and keep the trustworthy in and the evil outside. Establishing boundaries as you might expect consist of gaining responsibility for choices. The initial person is the one who makes them. You are the one who essentially lives with their concerns. And you are also the one who may be preventing yourself

In regards to normalization; on attending a group session, patients felt a great sense of relief that others had similar problems. This helped them feel normal, reducing anxiety(Newbold, Hardy & Byng, 2013). In regards of feeling connected; Patients enjoyed having people to talk to who understood how they felt and somewhere to go to meet others with the same problem (Newbold, Hardy & Byng, 2013). In regards to group support; as the group sessions progressed, patients were able to give and receive support from each other as well as the therapist (Newbold, Hardy & Byng, 2013). In regards to the role of hope; being part of a group where people with the same problem got better brought hope for patients’ own recovery(Newbold, Hardy & Byng, 2013). Group interaction was not always positive, with some patients taking more opportunity to talk than others (Newbold, Hardy & Byng, 2013). And lastly, some suggestions were made on improving group-based work, including keeping the number of patients small enough for all to have the chance to contribute (Newbold, Hardy & Byng,

The group which I have observed is a treatment group in a substance abuse center for clients who are between the ages of eighteen to twenty-five years old. This is an open and process group, for which there is no topic for discussion because it is for the clients to process emotions. In Corey (2008, p. 70) in open groups a new member can stimulate other members and spark interest in what the new client brings to the group. For additional benefits to a process group, The Colorado State University Health Network says that “The power of process groups lies in the unique opportunity to receive multiple perspectives, support, encouragement and feedback from other individuals in safe and confidential environment” ("About Process Groups," 2016).

Boundaries in a person’s life are very crucial. Many people live their life day to day with no boundaries. Individuals might see others and think that nothing is wrong with that individual, but deep down inside, those people are beyond broken. This is a quote by Edgar Allan Poe, “The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins?” This quote means that individuals can set boundaries all they want, but people are soon to forget about those boundaries that they set. People go back into their old habits of not having boundaries and do whatever they feel like. Individuals should start standing up for what they believe in, not care about the world, and the judgment that others will receive. Boundaries that I need to set in my life are anxiety problems, spiritual, and friendship boundaries.

I learned that it is highly important to be able to place yourself in the shoes of those who are on the receiving end of the group sessions, those we refer to as clients. I believe it is vitally important as the group leader to share and be aware of the variety of emotions clients who enter the group sessions may experience. I now understand that in order to be an effective group leader, one should know themselves and how to cope with and compartmentalize personal experiences that may arise from things that may come out of group sessions mentioned by group members. An effective group leader should also be knowledgeable of countertransference as well as transference, and focus on not allowing our feelings as the leader to be transferred onto our clients, and have the ability to recognize when clients are transferring their negative feelings for someone else onto us as leaders of the

Each year 200,000 children are charged as adults in court according to the Open Society Foundations. Children held in adult prisons have very high recidivism rates, but only if they are not in there life! Children charged as adults do not get the help they need or are not taught what to do better. A couple solutions for this problem could be community based groups, focusing on their mental and physical needs, and lastly, having people to work with and tutor the children. These things could turn the children into productive members of society instead of repeat offenders and criminals.

Finding boundaries that are strong enough to protect us but flexible enough to allow healthy connections to others is key to psychological and emotional health. And to me, trying to find healthy boundaries is an important part of the work.

When a person is about to engage in some form of communication they think of a list of behaviors the other individual normally adheres to. This list of anticipated behaviors can be referred to as expectancy (Griffin et al. 86). In established relationships the individuals may base their expectancy on previous encounters with the person, so the expectancy is also dependent on the individual's prior relationship (Miller-Ott and Lynne 254). One of the behaviors that could be included on that list is personal space. Personal space is dependent on the setting the person is currently in. A violation would occur if the person comes up closer than the expected distance and starts talking. Once that initial violation occurs the individual’s expectancy starts to look at how extreme the violation was. The expectancy aspect of the expectancy violation theory is crucial in one’s understanding of a violation.