Group Work in Professional Practice

Question 1

Conflicts of interests in group work (5):

Answer 1

• Conflicts between group and societal norms.
• Limits of confidentiality.
• Self-determination vs. group needs.
• Informed consent.
• Conflicts between agency policy and needs of members.

Question 2

Conflicts of interests in group work according to psychotherapy literature (5):

Answer 2

• Negative power of groups over individuals (voice/opinion/needs not recognised).
• Limits of confidentiality.
• Good of the group versus the good of the individual.
• Unresolved conflicts influencing the group process.
• Double message of providing group therapy to help members develop lasting relationships but not allowing members to socialize together outside of group meetings.

Question 3

Debriefing as co-facilitators (6):

Answer 3

Attend to issues of…

• power
• roles
• leadership
• triggers
• conflicts
• differing assessments of where the group is in the desired process

Question 4

Roles of facilitators (4):

Answer 4

• Do some facilitators have a past working relationship while some are new?
• Are there differences in the group in core values/processes/model preferences.
• Are differences discussed and a consensus reached?
• Are the roles of the co-facilitators well defined?

Question 5

De-briefing questions (few examples):

Answer 5

• How are you feeling about how the group went?
• How are we working together?
• What worked well? What needs development?
• What do we need to plan for next time?
• Did you notice any strong reactions in the group?