Syllabus
CNSL 5304 Group Counseling with Adults and Children
Wayland Baptist University Hawaii Campus
School of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Spring III Session (April 1-June 8, 2013)
Face-to-face classes:
Saturday 4/6 @ 9am-4pm
Saturday 4/27 @ 9am-4pm
Saturday 5/18 @ 9am-4pm
Saturday 6/8 @ 9am-4pm
*Additional time needed includes class assignments completed online via Blackboard
and time needed to meet on group assignments
Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically challenging and distinctively
Christian environment for professional success and service to God and humankind.
Instructor:
Leilani Ahina, PsyD
email: leilani.ahina@wayland.wbu.edu
phone: (808) 220-0141
office hours: Before and after class, other times by appointment
Prerequisites:
Students must be able to write scholarly papers and be willing to participate in group activities. Students must
also be willing to receive and utilize feedback from the instructor and members of the group.
Textbooks:
Group Counseling: Strategies and Skills, 7th Edition (Jacobs, Masson & Harvill) Cengage Learning, 2012
ISBN10: 0840033931 ISBN13: 9780840033932
Course outcome competencies:
• Students will demonstrate on tests and in class discussions their understanding of the progression of group
interactions; especially as depicted in the six stages as described by Corey.
• Students exams will reflect their understanding of how group techniques and interactions differ by age level
and purpose of group.
• Students will identify in films, in class group interaction or role play, and on tests the following group
leadership skills: active listening, restating, clarifying, summarizing, questioning, interpreting, confronting,
reflecting feelings, supporting, empathizing, facilitating, initiating, setting goals, evaluating, giving feedback,
suggesting, protecting, disclosing oneself, modeling, linking, blocking, and terminating.
• Students will demonstrate in group activities their nonverbal attending skills.
• Students will develop an understanding and demonstrate it on tests and in discussion of how to modify
various techniques according to the age of group members.
• Students will demonstrate in group their willingness to receive and utilize feedback.
• Students will also demonstrate their understanding of the usefulness of the group in achieving their goals in
their individual projects.
1
Attendance and Absences
Campus Attendance Policy: Students enrolled at one of the University’s external campuses should make every
effort to attend all class meetings. All absences must be explained to the instructor, who will then determine
whether the omitted work may be made up. When a student reaches that number of absences considered by
the instructor to be excessive, the instructor will so advise the student and file an unsatisfactory progress report
with the campus dean. Any student who misses 25 percent or more of the regularly scheduled class meetings
will receive a grade of F in the course. Additional attendance policies for each course, as defined by the
instructor in the course syllabus are considered a part of the University’s attendance policy (WBU Catalog,
2005-2006, p. 77).
Instructors Additional Attendance Policies: Attendance is very important to the outcome of your success in this
class. If you are unable to attend a class, it is your responsibility to notify the instructor immediately and to
acquire the notes from another student for the class missed. Attendance will be taken and will be factored into
students' grade. If you miss class, you should notify the instructor (preferably via e-mail) of your status and
reason for missing class.
Notice to Students Experiencing Disabilities:
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it is the policy of Wayland Baptist
University that no otherwise qualified person with a disability be excluded from participation in, be denied the
benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity in the university. The
Coordinator of Counseling Services serves as the coordinator of students with a disability and should be
contacted concerning accommodation requests at (806) 291- 3765. Documentation of a disability must
accompany any request for accommodations.
Academic Honesty
Wayland Baptist University’s policy on academic honesty and/or plagiarism will be strictly adhered to in this
class. Any plagiarized work will be referred to the Dean and may result in an automatic No Pass grade. Please
refer to the Academic Catalog for further information.
Reading: Students will be expected to read the assigned readings prior to the day they are discussed in class.
Attendance & Participation: Students will be expected to be present and to participate and contribute
thoughtfully to the classroom discussions. This requires you to be prepared for class by completing the
reading prior to the day it is discussed in class. You are expected to be attentive and to respect your
classmates’ opinions
Ethical and Professional Conduct. Counselors-in-training are expected to behave in accordance with the
ACA Ethical Standards and other standards of accepted professional conduct, including attire appropriate to
professional counseling. Special attention is called to standards of confidentiality. Specific Ethical and
Professional Guidelines for School Counselors are also included in the (a) TEA Code of Ethics and (b)
American School Counselor Association Ethical Standards.
2
Grading
Course grades will be calculated as follows:
Points
4
3
3
4
3
3
10
10
10
10
10
10
20
100
Assignment
Group Observation post
Group Observation questions to classmate posts
Group Observation responses to classmate questions
Review of Counseling Theories post
Review of Counseling Theories questions to classmate posts
Review of Counseling Theories responses to classmate questions
Group Movie Presentation
Research Article Presentation
Design a group
Part 1: Background (group grade)
Part 2: Session Information (group grade)
Part 3: Facilitation (individual)
Part 4: Reflection (individual)
Class Attendance & Participation
POINTS TOTAL
The following grading system will be used throughout the course:
A
B
C
D
F
I
W
100-90%
89-80%
79-70%
69-60%
below 60%
incomplete*
withdrawal
*An incomplete may be given within the last two weeks of a long term or within the last two days of a microterm
to a student who is passing, but has not completed a term paper, examination, or other required work for
reasons beyond the student’s control. A grade of “incomplete” is changed if the work required is completed
prior to the last day of the next long (10 to 15 weeks) term, unless the instructor designates an earlier date for
completion. If the work is not completed by the appropriate date, the I is converted to an F.
3
Course Assignments
The first two assignments involve 1) an initial posting to blackboard, 2) responding to classmate’s posts with a
comment and question, and, 3) responding to these comments and questions. For all posts you should be
respectful, positive and non-critical. Points will be deducted for late postings.
1. Group Observation
Observe a group for at least 45 minutes. It is fine if you are a member of this group, though you may find it
easier to attend a group where you are more in the role of observer. An open AA or NA Meeting is fine. It
could also be an informal group, such as a PFA or town meeting. Do not lie or present yourself dishonestly. At
most meetings it is appropriate and accepted to say that you are attending as a requirement for a class and are
there to observe. In your write-up do not include any information that would reveal someone’s identity or
breach their confidentiality. Write a 2-3 page reflection and post this to Blackboard under Post #1.
Include:
What type of group it is (educational, task, support, etc.)
How the session started
The stage of the group (beginning, middle/working or end)
A description of the leader and what you noticed about what they did, including an evaluation of their
strengths and weaknesses as a leader
A description of interaction patterns between those present
A description and evaluation of skills used by the leader and participants
Group dynamics and problems that occurred and how these were handled by the leader or group
members
How the session ended
Your reactions to observing the group and/or participating in the group
2. Review of Counseling Theories
Read the information included in chapter 13 (Using Counseling Theories in Groups) as well as at least two
additional resources (peer reviewed journal articles preferred). These resources can be specific but should
relate to group therapy or counseling using this theory (e.g, The use of REBT in group therapy with sex
offenders). Post to the discussion board a one paragraph summary of the theory and a then list 10 specific
ways the theory can be applied to group counseling, along with an original (an example not in the book)
example of how each of these 10 ways would look in practice (e.g., instructions for exercises, dialogue, etc.
such as “Have group members identify and confront each other when irrational thoughts are shared during
group interaction.”). This does not need to be written in APA format, but do include a list of your references in
APA format. Post this to Blackboard under Post #2.
Theories include:
1. REBT
2. Reality Therapy
3. Adlerian Therapy
4. Transactional Analysis
5. Gestalt Therapy
6. Solution-Focused Therapy
7. Transtheoretical Model
3. Group Movie Assignment
With your assigned group members, watch a film that involves a group. After viewing the film, discuss the
following questions and create a 20-30 minute class presentation that summarizes your discussion.
o Which character(s) do you each identify with?
o How do the character(s) experiences and feelings match your own?
o How do the experiences and feelings of the character(s) affect their response to the group?
o How do you “play” this character within this working group (working on this assignment)?
o What are some of the difficulties the characters encounter coming from their cultural, ethnic, racial
background? How do these play out in the group?
o What are the sources of strength for the characters, coming from their particular cultural, ethnic, racial
background? How does this play out in the group?
o What does this group in the film teach you about group work in the counseling field?
4
o How did your group work together to complete this assignment? What characters from the film were
you most like in doing so?
4. Research Article Summary
Read your assigned research article and create a 15-20 minute presentation summarizing the main points of
the article for the class. Include in your presentation 2-3 discussion questions for the class that will stimulate
discussion and challenge the class to think critically about what you have presented. You will be facilitating a
group discussion about the points that you raise. Do NOT ask questions that solely “quiz” the class on details
to check if they were paying attention. Your goal is to have the group think critically about this topic and
consider its impact on their life/counseling practices.
5. Design a group
You are tasked with the responsibility of developing a multi-session group of some sort. For this assignment,
prepare and facilitate a one hour group session that is not the first session. You and your classmates (to be
determined at our first meeting) should work together to develop a sample group session and not simply divide
up the presentation into mini individual presentations. This should not be a didactic session that merely aims to
teach or dispel information. It should focus more on process, not content. That is, it should be designed and
facilitated to encourage the group members to participate and interact. Creativity is welcomed and
encouraged. Brainstorm ways to make your project interesting and engaging.
PART 1: BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Each group supplies a typewritten report addressing the following (please format your paper using these
headings)
(a) Descriptive information about the group.
- Describe the purpose/purposes of the group and for this particular session. Provide a brief overview of the
content
- Describe the type of group if will be (educational, discussion, etc.).
- Describe your setting, population of your special interest, the makeup of participants, how they will be
recruited and screened, and your exclusion and inclusion criteria.
- Will it be open or closed?
- Voluntary or non-voluntary?
- How will client drop-outs and admission of new members be handled?
- Any rules about concurrent individual and group counseling?
- Where, when, how often, and how long will the group meet?
- Specify the rules of operation for the group and how you will deal with potential problems that arise (e.g.,
being shy and withdrawn, dominating the discussion, etc.)
- What ethical and legal issues have you considered? How?
(b.) Stages of the group
- How do you anticipate the group changing through the beginning, middle and closing stages?
- At what stage is this particular session scheduled for? What factors have you considered since the group is
at this stage?
(c.) Your chosen theory and style of group leadership.
- How will the group’s work be accomplished?
(d.) Managing a co-therapist. Identify your co-therapist(s) and how you specifically intend to work together.
Identify challenges that may arise and how these will be addressed.
(e.) First Meeting: Describe how you would begin the first meeting. How will you directly or indirectly begin
setting structure and modeling desired norms? How will you address potential absences? Tardiness?
(f.) Anticipate Critical Incidents: Given the type of group, the specific population and the meeting place of
your group, the expected issues your group addresses, and your chosen theory and style of group leadership,
what problems and critical incidents do you anticipate? How do you intend to handle them?
5
(g.) Anticipate problem situations. Given the population you would be working with, what potential problem
situations (chapter 16) do you expect, and how will you address and manage them? Identify and address at
least four potential problems.
(h.) Closure/Termination/Aftercare/Referrals: How you will structure the ending of your group and what
follow-up if any, would you offer?
(i.) Group Flyer: Create a one page inviting and ethically honest description of your group which you will use
to recruit clients and/or give to clients for their information.
(j.) Informed Consent: Create an informed consent form for you and your participants to sign. Include the pros
and cons of group participation, and the expectations and responsibilities of both group members and you, the
leader. Clarify what clients can expect to happen in the group, the style of group work, boundaries of your
availability outside of group. Note the limits of confidentiality, and the limits of your ability to enforce strict
confidentiality either in inpatient settings, or in groups in general. Specify the counselor's/group leader's legal
and ethical responsibilities, specify rules and penalties for group members who breach confidentiality. Include
fees, and how they will be paid. Those designing groups for minors or persons under conservatorship (e.g.,
those who lack the mental capacity to consent for themselves) will create 2 informed consent forms: a consent
form for the legally responsible party, and an assent form which respects the intellectual capacity of the
potential group participant.
(k.) A sample therapist’s group meeting notes/summary sheet from a previous hypothetical session. This
is for record keeping purposes. Include both content and process comments.
PART 2: A DESCRIPTION OF THE SESSION YOU ARE FACILITATING WITH THE CLASS
This is submitted as a group and should address the following (please format your paper using these
headings):
(a.) What session number is this?
(b.) Describe the focus of this session. What are the specific content goals? How and when do you plan to
shift the focus? Any plans to deepen the focus? How?
(c.) Describe the specific process goals of this session.
(d.) Provide a detailed description and assign a specific amount of time for each exercise or activity. Include
information about how the session will start and end.
-Use a round activity at least once. Describe what type of round you will be using and why you chose
this type of round
-Use at least one exercise. Describe the type of exercise you will be using and why you chose it.
Describe in detail how you plan to introduce, conduct and process the exercise.
PART 3: GROUP FACILITATION
Your grade, in part, will be determined by your execution and facilitation of this session with the class.
Criteria for grading include:
(a.) Evidence of your preparation and organization, including the clarity of your instructions and the
coordination with your co-facilitators
(b.) Your use of basic skills (active listening, questioning, etc.)
(c.) Your reaction to the group members (Hint: don’t focus too much on following your plan that you
forget to pay attention to the group members!)
PART 4: REFLECTION
Provide a 2-3 page individual reflection following your group facilitation addressing the following:
(a.) Describe the group dynamic. In hindsight, what could you have done differently to address this more
effectively?
(b.) Describe how well you and your cofacilitators worked throughout the planning and execution of this
project.
(c.) What mistakes did you make in planning? What could you have done differently to address this?
(d.) Identify and evaluate your use of basic skills during the session.
6
(e.) Describe and evaluate an attempt you made during this session to either cut someone off or draw
someone out. Why did you decide to do this? How did you do this? What effect did it have?
(f.) Did any critical incidents or problem situations occur? Critique how they were handled.
Course Outline: Meeting Times and Due Dates
This Week
Week 1
Saturday
4/6 Class Meets 9 am-4 pm
►Read Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 15 & 16 by the start of
class
Week 2
4/13
Week 3
4/20
☺Post your Group Observation Paper by Midnight
4/20
Week 4
☺Read other class member’s Group
Observation Papers and post a comment and a
question referencing a concept from the text by
midnight 4/26
4/27 Class Meets 9 am-4pm
►Read Chapters 4, 9, 10, 11, & 18 by the start of class
Week 5
☺Answer class member’s posts about your
Group Observation Paper by midnight Friday
5/3
5/4
☺Post your Review of Counseling Theories paper by
Midnight 5/4
Week 6
☺ Read other class member’s Review of
Counseling Theories and post a comment and a
question by midnight Friday 5/10
5/11
Week 7
☺Answer class member’s posts about your
Review of Counseling Theories by midnight
5/17
5/18 Class Meets 9 am-4 pm
☺Group Movie Assignment Presentation Due
☺ Research Article Summary Presentation Due
Week 8
5/25
Week 9
6/1
☺Submit Part 1 of your Group Session by midnight 6/1
Week 10
☺Submit Part 2 of your Group Session
Assignment by midnight 6/7
6/8 Class Meets 9 am-4pm
☺Group Facilitations with the Class
☺ Submit Part 3 of the Group Session Assignment
(Reflections) by Midnight 6/10/12
7