Final Exam Flashcards
Why do we lead groups?
2 main reasons: 1. groups are more efficient
2. groups offer more resources & viewpoints;
also experience of commonality, sense of belonging, skills practice, feedback, vicarious learning, real-life approximation, commitment
Kinds of groups:
- education
- discussion
- task
- growth & experience
- counseling & therapy
- support
- self-help
How does process & content play a role in the group experience?
- content: the task or purpose of the group
- process: the interaction between members, between members & the leader, & how members participate in the group
What are the ethical considerations for leading a group?
- read & understand the ethical codes of your professional organizations
- be well prepared & knowledgable of group topics
- have adequate supervision & opportunities for outside growth
- avoid harmful dual relationships
What makes an effective leader?
- experience w/ individual counseling & with groups
- planning & organizational skills
- knowledge of relevant topics
- understand basic human issues & conflicts
- understand thoroughly of counseling theory
What are the 3 stages of group?
beginning, working, & closing
(Therapeutic force) Group size:
- depends on type of group
- 5-8 members usually best
- educational groups can be bigger
(Therapeutic force) Length of sessions:
- depends on type of group
- varies w/ members
- discussion, education, 1-2 hrs.
- school groups-20-40 mins.
- support, counseling, therapy 1 1/2-2 hrs.
(Therapeutic force) Frequency of sessions:
- depends on setting & purpose
- daily: residential, counseling/therapy
- weekly: residential or community, counseling/therapy, support
- bi-weekly: community, support, psychoeducational
(Therapeutic force) time of day:
- convenient for members & leaders
- after lunch is difficult (sleepy)
(Therapeutic force) Open or closed:
-open groups=more difficult, new members come, members leave, members can’t get as close
(Therapeutic force) Voluntary:
It is usually an anti-therapeutic force at the beginning with nonvoluntary members
(Therapeutic force) Clarity of purpose:
- leader needs to be clear
- members need to be clear
(Therapeutic force) relevance of purpose:
Must fit the purpose of the group
(Therapeutic force) Adequacy of the Setting:
- Be prepared for inadequate places to conduct groups
- Ideally, a private space with the same size chairs
(Therapeutic force) Leader’s attitude:
Member’s definite pick up the positive or negative attitude of the leader
(Therapeutic force) Level of trust:
The leader is crucial in the development of trust in a group
What are Yalom’s curative factors?
- instillation of hope
- universality
- imparting of info.
- altruism
- corrective recapitulation of the primary family group
- development of socialization techniques
- imitative behavior
- interpersonal learning
- group cohesiveness
- catharsis
- existential
What are the 4 components of the Johari’s window reflection?
Open
Blind
Hidden
Unknown
In what part of Johari’s window would you expect to see the most collisions?
Blind
In what part of Johari’s window does it have implicit memories?
Unknown
What are the group dynamics of task groups?
- Members may need conflict-resolution
- Be aware of power plays
What are the group dynamics of education groups?
- Members have different abilities to learn
- Members at different comfort levels with the material
What are the group dynamics of discussion groups?
- Leader needs to be aware of member trying to dominate
- Leader should try to get everyone to participate
What are the group dynamics of growth & experiential groups?
- Most important is how members feel about each other since they will be sharing personally
- Wide variety of needs among members
What are the group dynamics of support groups?
- Level of trust, commitment, and caring is essential
- Need for commonality
What are the group dynamics of counseling & therapy groups?
- Members at different levels of mental health
- Members have wide variety of needs
What are the group dynamics of self-help groups?
- No identified leader
- Dynamics vary depending on membership
What is purpose?
why the group is meeting & what the goals & objectives are
Determining the purpose:
The leader must assess the potential members’ needs and then decide which kind of group will needs and then decide which kind of group will be most helpful.be most helpful.
Pre-group planning
- How many sessions will the group meet?
- When will the group meet?
- Who should the members be?
Session planning:
- consider the stage of the group
- plan the format of the session
- anticipate problems
19 things to consider in first session:
- how to begin the group
- helping members get acquainted
- setting a positive tone
- clarifying the purpose
- explaining the leader’s role
- explaining how the group will be conducted
- helping members verbalize expectations
- drawing out members
- using exercises
- checking the members comfort levels
- explain group roles
- explain special any terms
- assess members interactions styles
- sensitivity to multicultural issues
- cutting off members
- focusing on the content
- address questions
- get members to make eye contact while talking
- closing the first session
What are the specific leadership skills?
- active listening
- reflection
- clarifying & questioning
- summarizing
- linking
- mini-lecturing & info giving
- encouraging & supporting
- tone-setting
- modeling & self-disclosure
- use of eyes
- use of voice
- using the leaders energy
- identify allies (helpful members)
What are the advantages of co-leading?
- one can think while other is leading
- support & modeling for a beginning leader
- can offer varying viewpoints
- co-leader can bring specific info on topics
What are some disadvantages of co-leading?
- possible incompatibility
- different goals for members
- competition between leaders
What are models of co-leading?
- alternate leading
- shared leading
- apprentice model
What is the alternate leading co-leader model?
coleaders plan together, then alternate primary leadership role throughout then alternate primary leadership role throughout a session according to a topic or an a exercise…coleader in supportive role
What is the shared leading co-leader model?
coleaders plan together and lead jointly, careful to maintain a and lead jointly, careful to maintain a common focus and direction
What is the apprentice model of co-leading model?
more experienced leader models for a novice leader
Holding the focus:
- know when to hold the focus on a person or topic
- know how long to hold the focus
- know techniques to hold the focus
Shifting focus:
- when too long on one person, boredom, or when to cover other topics
- ways to shift: a topic to person, topic to another topic, topic to an exercise, one person to another, a person to a topic, a person to an exercise
What is one of the most important skills when leading a group?
being able to cut members off
What is another term for cutting off?
blocking or intervening
Important points regarding cutting off:
- Tell members you are going to be doing this
- Timing—do it early
- Use of Voice—should not be critical
What are other situations calling for cutting off skills?
- When the leader wants to shift the focus
- When it is near the end of the session
- When members are arguing
- When members are “rescuing” another member from dealing with his pain
Drawing out:
- Gets members more involvedHelps members who are shy
- Helps members who are shy
- Getting members to go deeper is a form of drawing out in support and therapy groups
Reasons for silent members:
- Fear/Anxiety
- Thinking or processing
- Quiet by nature
- Not mentally present
- Not prepared
- Confused
- Lack of trust
- Intimidated by dominant member or leader
Methods for drawing out:
- Directly (ask member questions)
- Delicately (use of voice is key)
What are techniques for drawing out?
use of dyads, of rounds, of written exercises
of eyes, & movement exercises
What is a round?
an activity where every member is asked to respond to some stimulus posed by the leader
Rounds are good to:
Build comfort and trust
- Get members focused
- Gather information and locate energy
- Shift the focus to involve all members
- Deepen the intensity
- Process exercises
- Summarize
What is a dyad?
A good group activity is to put members in dyads (twos) or triads (threes) to discuss a topic or issue.
What is exercise?
an activity that the group does for a specific purpose
Examples of exercises?
Getting members into dyads, written, movement, rounds, creative props, arts & crafts, reading, feedback, trust, experiential, moral dilemma, group decision-making, touching
