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.
References
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
The authors of the A Pilot Study of Meaning-Based Group Counseling For Bereavement is Christopher MacKinnon, Nathan Grant Smith, Melissa Henry, Evgenia Milman, Mel Berish, Amanda Farrace, Annett Korner, Harvey M. Chochinov, and Robin S. Cohen.
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
Whenever my family has an argument or conflict, we discuss it appropriately with those involved. There was never any serious problems in our household like mental illness, alcoholism, or infidelity. Handling conflicts were typically systematic after discussing the issue with the people involved. Once the matter was discussed, appropriate actions would follow whether it was a loss of privileges, being grounded, or a new way of doing something.
When it comes to conflict we always allowed each other to finish there opinion, and if it becomes escalated them the groups therapist will step in and try to dissolve the conflict. Example of this is one time during a group session one of the women came in already angary at the why someone treated her on the bus, during the group for most of the session she was pointing out others wrongs and just not being nice at all so the therapist asked her why she was so upset she told her story and after the therapist asked her how it made her feel when the person treated her like that she
Safety for a group is an important factor as groups are something that is explored later on in the recovery process. Most survivors of trauma are usually overwhelmed and isolated; their focus is not in joining a group in the beginning as they are too vulnerable. “Crisis Intervention is the first step in mobilizing the supportive people in the survivor’s environment, for they usually preferred to be with familiar people rather than strangers. This is not a time for a group. Though in theory, the survivor may feel comfortable confronted by the notion that she is not alone in her experience, and practice you may feel overwhelmed by a group. Hearing the details of others experiences may trigger how own intrusive symptoms to such a degree that
I attended the group session on March 26, 2017. The counseling group session was conducted in office and it last about 45 minutes. The setting was counseling therapeutic activity group. Therapeutic activity group is to assist a client who need assistant with developing insight, coping or social skills etc. The group is a closed group and it is a homogenous group.
Irvin Yalom has eleven Therapeutic Factors that he believes create therapeutic change in group therapy. Yalom’s eleven Therapeutic Factors have had a great impact on group therapy facilitators. He believes that these eleven factors can greatly help in making it easy to change individuals within the group therapy setting. Yalom (2005) says, I suggest that therapeutic change is an enormously complex process that occurs through an intricate interplay of human experiences, which I will refer to as ‘therapeutic factors.’ There is considerable advantage in approaching the complex through the simple, the total phenomenon through its basic component processes. His Therapeutic Factors are useful for group therapists to gain a better understanding of
Ms. Crockett said that one of the most challenging issues in group therapy is the client who literally talks too much. The facilitator must be good at setting boundaries to redirect the focus politely to another group member.
One might say the best teachers are the ones who go over and beyond the call of duty to assist their children. This idea could especially be proven true given the factors that are affecting the social and academic capabilities of the students we teach on a daily basis. One emerging, yet commonly overlooked factor is mental health. Mental health is one of those issues seen to be taboo in schools but is becoming a widespread undiagnosed problem in children all around the world (Crespi,T. 2009). In fact, according to research done by the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development in 1996, “more than 8 million children are generally identified as needing psychiatric assistance but over half are still not receiving it.” This is why classes like the EPSY 6102 course are so important to those working in the school-district setting whether you are a counselor, educator or even the principal. The goal of the EPSY 6102 course was to give better understanding on how educators and psychologist can better assist the different learning needs of our children and adolescents whether they be social, academic, or emotional by using group counseling. Although it’s only a one-day, eight hour course; through my participation in it, I learned how to effectively establish and run a group using both the different types of group models, the importance of setting a topic of focus for groups, as well as got a chance to
This conflict coaching session was so excited for Jane. In this session, Jane and I performed the role play. She played Jane and I played Richard. The more questions Jane was asking “Richard”, the better picture of the conflict she was able to paint in her mind. Even though I raised Jane’s resistance, with this practice/exercise I helped Jane to recognize that not always her assumptions could be the right ones. As a result, she started to focus on a positive vision of the conflict as well as in what needs to happen to improve her conflict with her neighbor. In addition, this epiphany moment experienced by Jane is related to the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which consists “of all the approaches that alleviate psychological distress through
Thank you for your feebback. As we start doing group counseling, i beleive that acceptance is very important becuase client's are nervous or anxious that they will not be accpted because of the mistakes they have done. It is very important as counselor to disclosed this information with the group members becuase no one should be judgemental among each other. I also agree with you it is hard for the client to come to group cousneling becuase of their issues they are currently experiencing, so being acceptance will help them open up and particiapate.
While all therapy sessions can potential evoke a wide range of emotions which can be experienced a different levels of intensity, displays of emotions at a highly intense level amongst others in either group or family therapy can be provoking to other participants in a manner that may result in verbal to physical exchanges. Another challenge to group and family sessions versus individual sessions, would facilitating the conversation flow so that everyone has change to speak their concerns and receive a relatively equal amount of time and attention during the session; whereas in individual sessions the main focus of the session is centered on the person.
Being a student within the counseling program is a major push forward when expressing my feeling. With that fear, comes the idea(s) of being open with other individuals, which may or may not criticize my views, opinion, choices, lifestyle, and perspective of a situation.
After reflecting on group counseling therapy, this writer can say that group therapy is a gathering of clients with a common addiction in a program who come together und the supervison of a therapist to discuss relevant issues to their recovery. The share stories with one another and offer suggestions as to how the achieve recovery success for each member. These meetings allow reports of significant breakthroughs, just because the members have someone to talk to who has been through the same circumstances.