Group Counseling Flashcards
Types of Groups
Counseling
Guidance
Psychotherapy
Psychoeducation
Structured
Self-Help
T-Group (training group)
Task/Work Groups
Counseling Groups
purpose: growth, devpmt, removing barriers, prevention
ppl to address problems in a group environment
means there is no DSM diagnosis
Guidance Groups
goal: provide information
Discuss how the info is relevant to members (eg, schools)
Psychotherapy groups
goal: remediation, treatment, personality reconstruction
in agencies, clinics, hospitals
may run longer than others
means there IS a DSM diagnosis
Psychoeducation groups
goal: acquiring info and skill building
- can be preventative, growth oriented, or remedial
found in social service, mental health settings, universities
Structured group
goal: focused on a central theme
eg. learning job search skills, anger mgmt, loss/grief
most often product groups; no expectation of cohesion
Self-help group
goal: support systems for help w/psychological stress
eg.,: weight control, survivors of incest, child loss
Usually NOT professionally run (12 steps, gambler’s anonymous)
T-Group
(training groups)
Goal: examine and improve interpersonal skills
Task/work groups
Committees, study groups, planning groups to accomplish specific goals. may be interdisciplinary teams too
defn of Group Counseling and who is associated with it?
George Gazda (Gs=Group)
interaction bw ppl for prevention or remediation of difficulties or the enhancement of personal growth through the interaction of those who meet together for common purpose
Group member roles
facilitator/building. helps members feel welcome
maintenance. helps with bonding
blocker. attempts to hinder group formation
regarding leadership styles, if a group is committed toward a common goal then the _____style yields the best results
laissez faire (member free to do as they choose)
Universality/mutuality (groups)
feeling that one is not alone or unique; that others share similar problems/situations
Intellectualization in groups
keeping content on a cognitive level
Issues regarding co-leaders in groups
- members benefit from additional insight
- co-leaders can re-create roles and serve as models, so more linking is possible
- receive feedback from other co-leaders
- helpful to have male and female
- different reactions and feedback from leaders may enhance energy and discussion
- should share theoretical orientations with other leader
- no power struggles
- good way to start out ‘new’ leaders
open vs closed groups
Open groups
- replace members who leave, new members provide new insights, ideas
Closed groups
- do not admit new members, building and maintaining trust and cohesion is facilitated
Optimal group size and time duration?
8 for adults, up to 2 hrs
3-4 members for children ages 5-6 is ideal and may only last 20-30 minutes
Tuckman model
forming, storming, norming, performing, mourning/adjourning
Irvin Yalom group stages
orientation, conflict, cohesion, termination
Corey et al group stages
pre-group, initial, transition, working, final
difference bw process and product group?
process: goal is to let guard down (tuckman model)
product group: goal is to graduate/get a certificate
Irvin yalom found how many curative factors existent in successful groups?
11
altruism
universality
interpersonal learning
imparting information
developing socialization techniques
imitative behavior
group cohesiveness
catharsis
corrective recapitulation of the primary family group
instillation of hope
existential factors
Irvin Yalom suggested how many ldrsp functions were present in groups no matter what?
what are they and what amount of each is recommended?
4
emotional stimulation (moderate amount)
caring (consistent use)
meaning attribution (frequent use)
executive direction/function (moderate amount)
Michael waldo
suggested different levels of exec ldrsp needed depending on the clinical setting (eg., in vs outpatient, time constraints, goals of group)
ex:
-emotional stimulation may decrease
-exec direction may increase
-caring depends on client demographic (ie sociopathic, schizophrenic…)
-meaning attribution relative to the cognitive level of the group
who coined ‘group therapy’?
jacob moreno, the father of psychodrama
who is the father of psychodrama?
jacob moreno
group therapy spawned in the 1940s from the creation of what two groups?
american society for group psychotherapy and psychodrama (ASGPP)
the american group psychotherapy group (AGPG)
primary group vs secondary group vs tertiary group
a primary group
- tries to stop a problem before it occurs (ie, group that teaches birth control to teens; educational program on drugs and alcohol)
- ex: guidance or psychoeducation group
a secondary group
- deals with early stage problem and aims to reduce severity or length and includes aspects of prevention (ie, dealing w/grief or attempting to ward off shyness)
- ex: counseling group
tertiary groups
- deal with individual difficulties that are serious and longstanding and help them return to full functioning
- may involve personality change, rehab
- ex: counseling a therapy group
group therapy initially flourished in the US due to _______
shortage of individual therapists during WWII
what is believed to be more effective for groups, structured or unstructured exercises?
unstructured exercises
Risky shift phenomenon
group decisions are less conservative than the average group member’s decision
Ex: in high school, group decisions tended to be far riskier than individual ones
Jacob Moreno
coined “group therapy”
- the father of psychodrama
- began ‘theater of spontaneity” in Vienna in 1921
- first to use “group psychotheraphy” in the literature in 20s
- founded American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama in 1941
Psychodrama
- Jacob Moreno
- emphasizes enacting conflicts/crisis in the present moment to allow for catharsis, insight, reality testing
- has 3 roles: director, protagonist, auxillary ego (representing ppl, objects, or audience)
-occurs on a “stage” - has 3 parts: warm-up/pre-action, action, integration
Group Psychotherapy is typically used…
- for ppl w/serious psychological problems of long duration
- in mental health facilities
- anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation
- as an adjunct to IC
Group counseling and multicultural issues
special issues may be present in multicultural groups
- unfamiliarity with counseling
- degree of acculturation may impact participation
- sharing frowned upon in some cultures; silence valued
- confrontation may be seen differently
Outcome research on groups
Shows effectiveness of group work; data supports counseling
Process research on groups
Shows a higher level of quality research
Adlerian influence on groups
- strong belief in social nature of people
- focuses on the individual IN THE GROUP rather than just the individual
STEP
Systematic Training for Effective Parenting
- psychoeducation for parents
- Don Dinkmeyer
ASGW
Association for specialists in group work
- division of ACA
- has best practices for group workers which serves as its code of ethics
Vertical vs horizontal group intervention
Vertical: specifically address an individual, making them the focus of a session or given intervention;
Horizontal: involve all the members of the group.
A group can deal with itself, target a specific diagnosis, and split into subgroups without practicing vertical intervention.
Most important trait for group members is the ability to…
trust
when comparing autocratic, laissez faire and democratic styles, which is most favorable?
democratic, or what Sam Gladding called a “facilitator”
Group risks are discussed when?
during the initial session
Interpersonal vs intrapersonal group ldrsp
group leadership can be described in one of two general ways. One is interpersonal leadership, which has the group leader facilitating interactions that call upon the group at the same time to be completing an activity, such as having group members complete assignments together. The other form of group leadership is intrapersonal leadership, which describes any group activity that focuses on one individual at a time.
Group Work Grid
The Group Work Grid refers to R. K. Coyne’s four levels of intervention:
Prevent, correct, or enhance…
Individual, Interpersonal, Organization, and Community populations.
• Individual: To prevent, correct, or enhance individual personal or task functions; the focus being helping an individual.
• Interpersonal: To prevent, correct, or enhance interpersonal or task functions;
the focus being on interpersonal interactions.
• Organization: To prevent, correct, or enhance organizational or task functions;
the focus being on organizational behavior.
• Community: To prevent, correct, or enhance task functions at the community level; the focus being on the larger interactions within communities
What are the main styles of group ldrsp and when would they be used?
Group counselors can choose from one of three main styles of leading groups: autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire.
Autocratic leaders are typically direct and set clear goals and boundaries for groups. This type of leadership works best when time restraints are an issue, when membership frequently changes, or when the group needs to coordinate with other groups.
Democratic leaders allow members to express their ideas and aim to encourage discussion and participation.
Laissez-faire leaders allow group members to be in charge of all decision-making and it works best when group members are very motivated.
R. K. Coyne’s four levels of intervention is called what and what does it entail?
Group Work Grid
refers to R. K. Coyne’s four levels of intervention: Individual, Interpersonal, Organization, and Community populations.
• Individual: To prevent, correct, or enhance individual personal or task functions; the focus being helping an individual.
• Interpersonal: To prevent, correct, or enhance interpersonal or task functions;
the focus being on interpersonal interactions.
• Organization: To prevent, correct, or enhance organizational or task functions;
the focus being on organizational behavior.
• Community: To prevent, correct, or enhance task functions at the community level; the focus being on the larger interactions within communities
Transactional Analysis Group
Transactional Analysis Groups focus on the study and repair of the pattern of one’s interpersonal interactions, with a focus on being free of scripts and games. Transactional Analysis includes content based on dynamic ego states (parent, adult, and child), and is leader-centered in its character.
Should group exercises be more or less robust as the group matures?
Group exercises should be more robust as the group matures
A therapeutic group experiences a life cycle that has a definite beginning and progression, though the ending may be in doubt. At the beginning of the group, less robust clinical exercises are probably more useful than in-depth, robust clinical work. As the group progresses, more robust group exercises are more appropriate.
