IM1-4

Chapter 11: Working With Groups

IM1-4

Chapter 11: Working With Groups

Chapter 11 Lecture Notes

Working With Groups

CHAPTER OUTLINE

Aim of the Chapter

Group Work as the Treatment of Choice

Various Types of Groups

The Value of Group Work

Groups for Veterans and People in the Military

A Bereavement Group

The Value of Feedback in Groups

Stages of a Group and Tasks of Group Leaders

Pregroup Stage

Initial Stage

Transition Stage

Working Stage

Final Stage

Developing Skills as a Group Leader

Leadership Skills in Working With Challenging or Reluctant Group Members

The Ethical and Professional Group Leader

Multicultural and Social Justice Themes in Groups

Working With Coleaders

Consider a Group Experience for Yourself

Teaching Group Members How to Get the Most From a Group Experience

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

· For many target populations and certain purposes, groups are the treatment of choice, not a second-rate approach to helping people change.

· A group process can lead to self-acceptance, deeper understanding of oneself, and change. Some of the values of a group experience are learning that one is not alone, receiving feedback from many sources, gaining opportunities for experimenting with new behavior, and using the group as an interpersonal laboratory.

· Become familiar with the stages of development of groups so that interventions are effective and meet the needs of the group. Group development includes the pregroup and initial, transition, working, and final stages.

· Helpers are expected to follow ethical guidelines in forming and conducting group sessions. It is important to know the limits of your competency if you are asked to work with groups.

· Multicultural and social justice themes are intertwined in the practice of group work. Effective group work addresses diversity within a group and encourages members to explore topics such as power, privilege, and oppression as they surface in a group.

· Skills in working with groups can be acquired and refined. These skills can be applied to working with a wide array of special populations in a variety of settings. Becoming an effective group leader involves acquiring basic social justice and advocacy competencies.

· As a student in a training program, you have a great deal to gain from groups in your personal and professional development. If you expect to make group work a part of your practice, training and supervision are essential.

KEY CONCEPTS AND TERMS

Counseling groups focus on interpersonal concerns and address conscious thoughts, feelings, and behavior. These groups aim at helping participants resolve problems in living or dealing with developmental concerns.

Feedback occurs when both members and leaders share with each other their personal reactions about one another.

Final stage of groups is time for reviewing what was learned and for bringing closure to the group experience.

Initial stage of groups is a time of orientation and exploration.

Pregroup stage of groups involves the planning for forming a group.

Psychoeducational groups focus on developing members’ cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills through a structured set of procedures within and across group meetings. The goal of these groups is to prevent an array of educational deficits and psychological problems.

Structured groups focus on a particular theme and tend to be educational in nature.

Transition stage of groups is a time when members are challenged to deal with factors such as anxiety, reluctance, defensiveness, and to make decisions about taking risks in the group.

Working stage of groups is a time when deeper levels of exploration occur and cohesion increases.

Copyright © 2019 Cengage Learning. All rightsreserved.

Copyright © 2019 Cengage Learning. All rightsreserved.