Group Flashcards
Dyadic Relationships
Prior 1960 most counseling took place in a dyadic relationship (unit of 2 functioning as a pair, counselor and the counselee)
Group
has a member which can be defined, some degree of unity and interaction, and a shared purpose.
Jacob Moreno
Father of psychodrama.
Coined the term Group Therapy in 1931
ASGP
AGPA
In the 1940s the two organizations for group therapy were created. 1. the American Society for Group Psychotherapy 2. the American Group Psychotherapy Association
Adler
his work has been classified as a preface to the group
3 classification of Groups:
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Primary Groups
- preventing and attempt to ward off problems
- Stress a healthy lifestyle or coping strategies which can reduce the occurrence of a given difficulty
- Example: group which teaches birth control to prevent teen pregnancy
Secondary Groups
A problem or disturbance is present but not usually severe, works to reduce the severity and length of a problem includes aspects of prevention
Example: grief or shyness
Tertiary
Deals with more individual difficulties that are more serious and longlasting
Geral Caplan
- a pioneer in the crisis intervention movement
- father of mental health consultation
Immediacy
relates to the counselor’s ability to convey what is happening between the counselor and the client
Group Norms
govern acceptable behaviors and rules
A shortage of individual therapist during WWII
group therapy flourished in the U.S due to shortage of individual therapist during WWII. Many individuals were plagued with problems, impossible for each person to be treated individually
Group process
the manner in which discussions and transactions occur
Group content
material discussed in a group setting
Group cohesiveness
- refers to the forces which bind group members together
high cohesiveness leads to high group productivity and commitment - when a group displays little or no cohesiveness the group will be viewed as “fragmented”
George Gazda: 4 types of groups
- Psychoeducational: preventive and provide instructions about a potential problem
- Counseling: focuses primarily on conscious concerns - work through interpersonal problems, explore behavioral changes
- Psychotherapy: focus on individual concerns, deal with remediation and more serious pathology, longer duration
- Task groups: accomplishing a specific goal. complete in efficient, effective manner
Structured Exercises
Most experts would agree that structured exercises are less effective than unstructured exercises
Structured
can create a situation where group stages are passed over, can cause the group to lean on the leader for support
Risky Shift Phenomenon
be less conservative than the average group member’s decision, prior to the group discussion, dispels the popular notion that groups are very conservative
T-groups
“Training” focuses on human relation process between personnel in a business setting
Behavioral Groups
highly structured
Trust
Most important trait for group members is the ability to trust
Open groups
- the number of people is more stable
- do not have a predetermined number of session and end date
- disadvantage - new members who begin after the first meeting miss information and experiences
Closed groups
- allows no new members after the group begins
- promotes cohesiveness since the membership is more stable
- promote trust among members
- disadvantage - you will be left with no group members if everyone quits
Marathon groups (stoller/bach)
- lasts a minimum of 24 hours and may be conducted over a weekend or several days under the notion that after an extended period of time, defenses and facades will drop.
- more authentic, engage in true self-disclosure
Universality
not the only ones in the world with a given problem also referred to as mutuality
3 Basic leadership styles
x. Authoritarian: leader gives orders to the group, takes control, discussion through leader
y. Democratic: is the most desirable leadership style, facilitates member interactions
z. Laissez-Faire: leader has a hands off policy and participated very little, assumes little to no responsibility
Co-leadership Advantages
- the group can go on even if one leader is absent
- two leaders can focus on the group dynamics better than one
- leaders can process their feelings between sessions
- reduces burnout and helps ensure safety
- helpful when one leader is experiencing countertransference
- co-leaders work best when each leader has a similar philosophy and work style
- it is best for co-leaders to physically sit on opposite sides of the group rather than next to each other
- male and female co-leader is a distinct advantage
Speculative leaders
leaders that focus primarily on the here and now
Countertransference
helper has issues that are interfering with the treatment process
Effective counseling groups
- adults 5/6 to 8 members
- 3-4 children
Length of group
1.5 to 2 hrs
Group dynamics
- study of group operations
- they are always changing
Inform consent
occurs when the counselor provides potential group members with information regarding the group including the purpose, risks, and the leader’s qualifications, preferably during screening sessions prior to the first group meeting to allow the client to make informed decisions about whether or not the group is appropriate for him or her.
Confidentiality
ACA ethics stipulates that leaders should inform participants that they cannot guarantee confidentiality
Mandatory treatment
when a client is required by law to attend counseling or treatment
Reluctant client
when a client is referred for treatment and is unenthusiastic about their intervention
Participation
group leaders must inform participation is voluntary and they may exit the group at any time
Lack of goal setting
common weakness in a group is a lack of goal setting often goals are defined but too vague
Group cohesiveness
- “we-ness” is known as group unity
- when group cohesiveness is strong, it can also be negative as it can stunt creativity and it can abet conformity
Cohesion
- feelings of belongingness and inclusion. Important determinant of group effectiveness, attendance, and self-disclosure
Group Roles:
- energizer
- scapegoat
- gatekeeper
- interrogator (peeping tom)
- follower
- harmonizer
- storyteller
isolate (silent one)
Energizer
stimulated enthusiasm
Scapegoat
person everybody blames, group members gang up on a single member
Gatekeeper
tries to make certain everyone is doing their task and is participating, often does not work on his/her personal issues, attempt to establish norms
Interrogator (peeping tom)
insists on asking other members inappropriate questions
Follower
goes along with the rest of the group, tend to be nonassertive
Harmonizer
person in a group who tries to make sure that everything is going smoothly
Storyteller
monopolizes group time telling endless, often irrelevant tales
Isolate (silent one)
ignore by other members and generally feels afraid to reach out or does reach out and is genuinely rejected
Task role
- an information giver or classifier
- helps the group to carry out a task
Maintenance role
- follower or encourager
- helps maintain or strengthen group process
Self-serving role
- it’s seen as negative because this role seeks to meet his or her individual needs at the expense of the group (selfish- for myself)
Healthy group
- in a healthy group, members are flexible and can change roles
Faction
describes a clique or a group of people within a group
Role conflict
- a situation in which there is a discrepancy between the way a member is expected to behave and the way he or she actually behave
- should be dealt with directly or beginning stage of task educational
- Observed in transition stage psychotherapy and counseling
Conflict of interest
- occurs when a group member maximizes his or her needs and interests at the expenses of someone else
Group stages
- initial stage
- transitional stage
- working stage
- termination stage
Initial stage
orientation and exploration, preaffiliation, forming, anxiety, comfort work toward inclusion
Transition stage
- power and control, storming - testing for self-disclosure, attrition, attempt pairs
- group leaders handle conflict in this stage as well as modeling responsible, assertive confrontation with open and truthful expression
Working stage
- norming stage, cohesion, stage, negotiation, intimacy, frame of reference
- accomplish personal and group goals
Termination stage
- separation stage, closure stage, adjourning
- leaders help members plan for the future; eval of total experience
Yalom
O-C-C-T
suggested the following 4 group strategies:
- Orientation
- Conflict
- Cohesion
- Termination
Leader goals
provide caring attitude, provide mean attrubution, model appropriate self disclosure, provide limits, rules and structures
Charting a pictorial sociogram
a diagram to better understand the dynamic between subgroups and members
Blocking
when a leader uses an intervention to stop a negative or counterproductive behavior that could hurt another member of the group (cutting off)
Summarization
a group leader who asks each group member to recapitulate what he/she has learned during a given session
Linking
illuminates areas of mutual concern and enhances group interaction
Clarification
used by group leaders when the important point in a client’s message must be ferreted out in order to lessen confusion
Horizontal interventions
strategies that approach the group as a whole; interpersonal method
Vertical interventions
work with individuals within the group, intrapersonal method (individual)
Interpersonal leaders
favor here and now interventions
* an effective counselor should rely on both types of interventions
Intrapersonal
more likely to work on the past
* an effective counselor should rely on both types of interventions
Group leaders
experts predict that in the future group leaders will be more like life skills trainer
Group Intervention
intended to prevent, correct, or enhance behavior
Group therapy
It’s not appropriate when the client is in crisis, needs interpretation of psychological tests, needs confidentiality for protection, or has a phobia of public speaking
Group therapy disadvantages
- a group can lose control and members could experience emotional harm
- a client may need individual therapy before benefitting from group work
- the client may not be able to trust others enough to reveal key material
- clients receive less time working with the counselor
- lack of schedule flexibility
- lack of trust related to confidentiality can sway clients to opt for individual treatment
Group therapy advantages
- members learn to give help in addition to receive it
- sessions generally cost less than individual sessions
- allows for in vivo interpersonal work with a sense of belonging
- allows counselors to help a greater number of people
- promotes universality
- effective support system
- members get multiple feedback
- members can model successful communication and coping skills
- the group setting is somewhat analogous to the communication and interaction of everyday life
Yalom - 11 reasons that group work so well
- Altruism: giving help to others gives members a sense of well-being, innate goodness
- Universality: not the only one in the world with a particular problem
- Instillation of hope: members expect the group to work
- Catharsis: talking about your difficulties is beneficial
- Group cohesiveness: sense of we-ness, belonging and inclusion
- Imitative behavior: Bandura’s social learning theory suggests we learn by watching others, members copy or model the leader and other members
- Family reenactment: the group helps abet family of origin issues and feelings and the group allows you to work through them
- Imparting information: advice or psychological insights
- Interpersonal learning: members receive feedback regarding how their behavior affects other
- Socialization techniques: feedback and instruction are helpful
- Existential factors: discovering that life can be meaningful even if it seemingly unjust and unfair at times
- Altruism:
giving help to others gives members a sense of well-being, innate goodness
- Universality:
not the only one in the world with a particular problem
- Instillation of hope:
members expect the group to work
- Catharsis:
talking about your difficulties is beneficial
- Group cohesiveness:
sense of we-ness, belonging and inclusion
- Imitative behavior:
Bandura’s social learning theory suggests we learn by watching others, members copy or model the leader and other members
- Family reenactment:
the group helps abet family of origin issues and feelings and the group allows you to work through them
- Imparting information:
advice or psychological insights
- Interpersonal learning:
members receive feedback regarding how their behavior affects other
- Socialization techniques:
feedback and instruction are helpful
- Existential factors:
discovering that life can be meaningful even if it seemingly unjust and unfair at times
Jung
- theorist that has been classified as a preface to the group movement
Group therapy
- it’s implied when the people is more severe and more individual work is needed for a long duration
Group counseling
- has less structure than guidance groups
- it focuses on conscious concerns
Assertive training
- behavioral
- highly structured
Process
- focuses on the manner in which the communication transpires
Content
- focuses on client’s material/emotions
Effective Leaders
- have discovered that modeling appropriate behaviors improves group participation
Ideal number of adults participating in a group
- about 8
Ideal number of adolescents participating in a group
- 5-6
Ideal number of children participating in a group
- 3 - 4
how many hrs per session do experts agreed on
- 2
- for children less and meet more frequent
Ground rules
- standards of expected behavior = norms
group operations
- group dynamics = group is always changing
weakness in group
- lack of goal settings
Structured group
- group exercises
- beneficial at the beginning bc it allows to build communication
Task roles
- helps the group to carry out a task
Maintenance roles
- helps to maintain or even strengthen the group
Self-serving roles
- negative
- meet his or her own individual needs
role conflict
- discre[ancy between the way a member is expected to behave and the way he or her actually behaves
1st Stage
- initial stage
- orientation, exploration, forming
2nd Stage
- transitional stage
- power and control
- storming
3rs Stage
- working stage
- norming, cohesion, negotiation, intimacy and frame
4th Stage
- adjourning stage
- separation, termination, closure
Irvin Yalom
- orientation
- conflict
- cohesion
- termination
Tuckman and Jensen
- forming
- storming
- norming
- performing
- adjourning
during the 1st stage
- members avoid behaviors
- members are suspicious
during the 2nd stage
- power control
Moreno and Jennings
- created the sociogram to graphically display group members
Horizontal/interpersonal intervention
- approach the group as a whole
- focuses in the here and now
Intrapersonal/vertical
- most likely focus on the past
- and focuses on the individual
Journals in the field
- researcher/practitioners split exists in group work
in the future group leaders
- will become life-skills trainers
Yalom
- existential therapy
Limitations
- leaders lose control
- members experience emotional harm
- trusting
- pressured
Advantages
- sense of belonging
- promotes universality
- mutual feedback
- communication and coping skills
Conyne
- suggested that groups are intended to prevent, correct, or enhance behavior
- “group work grid” = includes 4 intervention levels: individual, interpersonal, organization, and community population (IIOC)
When counseling children under 10 years of age
- involve parents and ask them for input to reduce resistance and improve coordination
