Group Counseling Flashcards
generally has specified focus, educational, vocational, social, or personal
groups are goal oriented & ideally members themselves decided their goals for the group experience
counseling groups
therapy v. counseling
major diff lie in the goals
counseling - growth, development, enhancement, self-awareness, & prevention
therapy - treatment & remediation
group psychotherapy
structured to help ppl learn specific skills, understand themes, or go through life transitions
psychoeducational groups
designed to assist task forces, committees, planning groups & community organizations, discussion groups, study circles
task groups
allows ppl w/ a common problem a support system that protects from stress
emphasizes member’s autonomy & internal group resources
self-help groups
we can only be understood to the extend that we take into account all dimensions of human fxning
holism
organism must be seen in environment
field theory
tracks how some aspect of the environmental field emerges from background + becomes focal point of the individual’s attention/interest
figure-formation process
nature of relationship b/w person & environment
strive for equilibrium/gratification of need
organismic self-regulation
uncritical response of other’s beliefs & standards w/out assimilating them into one’s own personality
introjection
(channel of resistance)
process by w/c we disown certain aspects of ourselves by ascribing them to the environment; opposite of introjection
projection
(channel of resistance)
act of turning back onto ourselves something we would like to do to someone else
retroflection
(channel of resistance)
a disturbance in w/c the sense of the boundary b/w the self & environment is lost
confluence
(channel of resistance)
a way of avoiding awareness by being vague & indirect
deflection
(channel of resistance)
basic task is to develop a sense of trust in self, others + world
common theme explored in group is feeling unloved, uncared for, the ensuring acute need for someone who will deeply care, love
work through pain & barriers to trusting
trust v. mistrust
stage 1
infancy
oral stage
basic task is independence, accepting personal power, learning to express (-) feelings (anger, rage, aggression)
time to develop sense of autonomy
get in touch w/ disowned part of self that cause feelings
group allows for safe expression of pent-up feelings = catharsis
autonomy v. shame/doubt
stage 2
early childhood
anal stage
sexual identity takes form
unconscious incestuous desires
competence/initiative (Erikson)
group offers opportunity to express sexual concerns, correct faulty learning, work through repressed feelings
initiative v. guilt
stage 3
preschool age
phallic stage
sexual impulses decline
replaced by interests in school, playmates, sports, etc.
importance on achieving goals that are personally meaningful (Erikson)
group work centers on (-) self-concept, feeling of inadequacy related to learning, feelings of inferiority in establishing social relationships, conflicts about values, confused sex-role identity, dependency, lack of initiative
confront fear of failing as group member or person may be harmed by group experience
industry v. inferiority
stage 4
school age
latency stage
time for testing limits, rejecting dependency, establishing new identity, time of conflict (wanting to escape from parental control, but fear of being independent
unresolved problems of adolescence manifest in adult problems brought to group
may result in rebellious attitude toward leader; attacking the leader as an authority figure
identity v. identity confusion
stage 5
adolescence
(genital stage)
focus is on ability to form intimate relationships, confidence in identity, fulfillment of dreams, plans, occupational success
group works on struggles w/ interpersonal intimacy, unfulfilled dreams, meaningless work, look at future, reevaluate lives, determines changes needed, look at gaps b/w dreams & current life, examine family of origin
intimacy v. isolation
stage 6
young adulthood
need to be actively involved w/ helping + guiding next gen.
examine discrepancy b/w what we set out to accomplish & what we have actually achieved
challenge members to make new assessments, adjustments, & choices to open up new possibilities & reach new lvls of meaning
generativity v. stagnation
stage 7
middle age
adjustment to death of spouse or friends, retirement, accepting loses in physical + sensory capacities
can express fear of getting old and/or dying
ask, what would you like to be able to say about your life when you reach old age?
this helps them take steps necessary to achieve a sense of integrity in old age
integrity v. despair
stage 8
later life
help members discover their unique “being in the world”
how do I experience my world?
self-awareness
main task for group leader is to confront members w/ the reality of their freedom & ways in w/c they are restricting or denying it
self-determination + personal responsibility
product of being confronted w/ death, freedom, existential isolation, + meaningless
therapy strips away our defenses, must like peeling an onion
at the core of therapy clients come to terms w/ the underlying conditions of being human
existential anxiety
accceptance of death as essential to discover meaning + purpose of life
therapist ask clients to honestly examine how they feel about their quality of their life
process of chnage means allowing parts of us to die to make room for new growth (existential death)
death + nonbeing
confront clients w/ evidence of the fact that they are living by unexamined values that no longer contribute to a meaningful existence
search for meaning
group provides a powerful context in w/c to look at oneself, decide the degree to w/c one is a fully fxning person as opposed to reflecting what others expect, + consider that other choices might be more authentically one’s own
avenue to share, fears, & tackle challenges
search for authenticity
