The Pros And Cons Of Group Therapy

As I observed the N.A. group, I compared Hepworth 's, Direct Social Work Practice, five stages of group development. The Preaffiliation stage involves observation and feeling out the environment of the group; members may be hesitant to speak or test out certain behaviors to see reactions from other members of the group or the facilitator (Hepworth, Rooney, Rooney, & Strom-Gottfried, 2017, 2013). Returning group members greeted each other with hugs, handshakes, pat on the back, while newcomers sat quietly observing others. The facilitator provided an introduction and instructions for participation. Each member was instructed to introduce the first name, state "I am an addict" and take turns reading from the

The purpose of this research paper is to create a group therapy model for adolescents who engage in substance abuse. By using literature and already tested models of group therapy, the goal is create a hybrid of those models while taking out what does not work. The need for this type of group therapy model is evident in the facts about adolescents and substance abuse. This paper will take the reader through all of the steps that are necessary to have an effective group therapy as well as how to run aspect of that group.

Group therapy has been used for many years as a therapeutic method in which members can offer support and understanding for each other. It can be defined as two or more people, who share common issues, meeting and interacting face-to-face to help one another reach an identifiable goal. There are several types of group therapy, one that I will be discussing in this paper is the self-help group. In recent years, self-help groups have increased in number and credibility. Members can speak freely about their experiences, while receiving advice and support from others, which in turn, can help them realize that they are not alone in their struggles. In this paper, I will analyze my observational experience of two self-help groups, Alcoholics Anonymous,

Treatment is based on the patient’s individual and realistic goals, concerns, and meaningful activities. A lot of the time group therapy can be useful for patients with substance abuse to regain their social skills and be associated with people going through the same situation. Also, treatment could be broken up into several stages to meet the needs of each individual and inpatient or outpatient treatments can occur. “Therapists need to educate the patients about the addictions they have. They need to learn that their moods will be exacerbated and to learn that they can deal with their feelings through certain techniques for anger and stress management

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.

It can also be difficult to adjust to new members that are added after the group has bonded. Within the group setting there is a greater possibility of personality clashes, especially within a larger group than with a one on one interaction between the therapist and patient. This can adversely affect the group. Within the group setting it is also possible that confidentiality may be broken, as they are not bound by a professional obligation to keep what is said during the session

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).

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.

Incorporating CBT models into group intervention, there are a lot of advantages that can benefit group members in different ways. First of all, a therapeutic alliance is seen as one of the preconditions of the CBT work, and within a group, members can identify and develop therapeutic relationships with not only the leader but also with other group members (DeLucia-Waack, Kalodner, &Riva 2013). This will in turn provide a safe and supportive network for the members in the group to share their experiences and allow them to feel secure. Secondly, CBT approach emphasizes the importance of learning in therapeutic work.

Next, closed groups typically come with limitations such as membership, limited time frames, or both. Also, closed groups are short in length, however, members are expected to maintain the guidelines and procedures, within the group and remain the group up until their completion date. Equally important, new members are seldom interjected into a closed group due to the dynamics of the group setting. The guidelines of a closed group and the responsibility of the client is associate themselves with cohesion, attendance, self -disclosure, role preparation, skill building, most importantly, follow the rules and regulations of a closed group setting. However, the responsibility of the group facilitator is to maintain cohesion in a closed group setting and bring people together with the same common issues, however with different outcomes for treatment, based upon the individual diagnosis. In any case, closed groups offer short term treatment and it’s the responsibility of the facilitator to admit or deny group members once a group sessions have

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 not only allows for members to learn from their therapist, it also allows for them to learn from personal experiences of other members and to gain insights and ideas on the issues they are confronting. Group counseling also helps in improving social skills among the members as they are able to interact freely in and out of the group. This way members can be more confident and open to interactions during the sessions. Group therapy influences growth and change to those involved. Also, it increases their self-awareness and enables them to gain sustenance from each other. Group counseling is also favorable to the therapist as they are able to gain faster and more efficient results for their members by counseling them simultaneously rather than one at a time. Jacobs, Mason, Harvill and Schimmel (2012) describe group counseling

Final phase in group therapy can create apprehension for some members. The establishment of basic trust, acquaintances of other group members, and the social interaction after establishing a group may be over whelming and crucial for some, therefore it is vital that group leaders can educate members how to process termination and closure in group relations (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2010).

The purpose of the psycho-educational group is to educate and empower clients and their families to become better equipped to manage client’s psychiatric symptoms, mental illnesses, and behavioral health problems. The group was created to address the practice issue, trauma, and seeks to explore how trauma impacts clients who struggle with substance abuse addiction and their families and identify alternative coping strategies. The group approach was selected to address the problem, as opposed to an individual or community response, because of the advantages of group treatment. According to Zastrow (2015), group therapy is an effective approach to treating people with substance use disorders because groups reduce feelings of

You made a violent point of the benefits of group therapy, while also talking about the negative consequences of group therapy. I never thought about the shortcomings of having people with the same type of or different addiction together in one place at the same time. The unintended are unforeseen consequences is truly astonishing, instead of helping one each other overcome addiction, instead some cases the opposite could occur were about group members increase the addictions of the other members in reality becoming a detriment to their