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Texas A&M – Central Texas
Department of Psychology & Counseling
CPSK 554.110 Group Procedures for Counselors
Fall 2014
Thursdays 6PM - 8:50PM Rm. 316
Professor:
Phone:
E-mail:
Office Hours:
Brian Wortham, Ed.D
Office: (254) 519-5431
wortham@tamuct.edu
Tuesdays:
1PM-6PM
Thursdays:
1PM-6PM
Course Description
An introduction to group therapy and group procedures with special emphasis on the development of group
counseling skills with children adolescents, adults, and special populations. Supervised experience in group
memberships is included. Covers related ethical concerns. Prerequisite: CPSK 550 and CPSY 557 or approval of
School Director.
Objectives
Knowledge Outcomes
1. Understand principles of group dynamics, including group process components, developmental stage theories,
group members’ roles and behaviors, and therapeutic factors of group work.
2. Understand group leadership or facilitation styles and approaches, including characteristics of various types of
group leaders and leadership styles.
3. Understand theories of group counseling, including commonalities, distinguishing characteristics, and pertinent
research and literature.
4. Be knowledgeable of group counseling methods, including group counselor orientations and
behaviors, appropriate selection criteria and methods, and methods of
evaluation of effectiveness.
Skill Objectives
1. Demonstrate basic group counseling techniques and effective group supervision and leadership.
2. Evaluate and choose appropriate group counseling interventions based on the context of the setting, individuals,
purpose, and goals of the group.
Required Texts
Jacobs, E., Masson, R., Harvill, R., & Schimmel, C. (2012). Group counseling: Strategies and skills (7th ed.).
Belmont: Thomson- Brooks/Cole
Recommended Texts:
American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6 th
ed.). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. (Note: All previous editions are obsolete.)
Corey, G. (2006). Theory and practice of group counseling (6th ed.). Monterey CA: Brooke/Cole.
Gladding, S. (2012). Group work: A counseling specialty (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall.
Yalom, I. (2005). Theory and practice of group psychotherapy (5 th ed.). New York: Basic Books
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Philosophy of Teaching
My current teaching philosophy is that the best way to maximize learning is to create a collaborative learning
environment in which we all co-create a meaningful conversation about (a) what we read and study for this class, (b)
our personal experiences related to those topics, and (c) our shared experience of participating in this class as a
group. I follow a participant/manager model of teaching and counseling in which I am a learner in the class at the
same time that I am a facilitator of the class conversation. If everything goes as I hope, this class will consist mainly
of group-related activities that we experience and process together. My goal as a participant is to learn as much or
more than any other class member.
Expectations
Attendance is expected for all classes and all groups. Because of the experiential nature of this class, missing even a
small part of a class leaves a large void in your learning and understanding of group theory and process. Missing
more than 30 minutes of a class will result in an absence. If you need to miss part of a class, that is not a problem,
but you will need to do some type of additional assignment to make up for the time not spent in class. The most
common way to make up for a missed class is to read one of the Yalom paperbacks.
Active participation in this class is essential. Come to class prepared to participate. Participation at an “A” level
means initiating spontaneous comments or question during class session. If you do not participate in class activities,
I reserve the right to drop your final grade by 10%.
An open, curious, and honest attitude toward learning from others and about yourself will facilitate intellectual
growth and development for everyone, including me. This is not a time to be shy. Conversely, it’s also not a forum
to dominate and monopolize. Exercising social awareness is essential. While this class will be held in an educational
setting, I will be treating class time as an experiential learning process. Due to this, if I see any “goodness-of-fit”
concerns, I may discuss these with you outside of class. These conversations will have no impact on your grade for
this class.
Philosophy of Grading
My current philosophy of grading for this class is to use Mastery Learning. Many requirements for this course are
“binary” in nature: “credit” for satisfactory completion or “no credit” for unsatisfactory or non-completion. If you
receive “no credit” on an assignment, your final grade will be lowered by 10%. The Mid-Term Project and Final
Project receive letter grades. After receiving feedback on an assignment you’ve turned in, you are encouraged to
continue to revise and resubmit until you’ve reached a level of satisfaction regarding the quality of your final
product.
Grade Distribution
Participation:
Mid-Term:
Final:
Journals:
one free absence, -10 points per missed class after
40 points
39 points (30 points group grade, 9 points individual grade)
21 points (3 points per journal)
Total:
100 points
Extra Credit Option
It is possible for you to earn one extra credit opportunity (One absence or 5 points) in this class in one of
the following ways. Attend a group-counseling-related workshop for at least one-half day. OR observe at
least two sessions of an existing counseling group that you are not a member of. OR read an additional
book by Irving Yalom (e.g., The Schopenhauer Cure, Love’s Executioner, When Nietzsche Wept, Lying on
the Couch, etc.). Write an informal processing paper summarizing your reaction to one of the above
experience.
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Mid-Term Project: Grant Proposal - Due October 23
You will be in charge of creating your own group. Feel free to choose a topic and population you are interested in.
Treat this assignment as if you were writing a grant proposal. The following items will be needed to include in the
proposal packet. After you complete the proposal, you will be required to lead a part of this group in class. Your
fellow students will role play during this group session. This role play is a “credit” or “no credit” assignment.
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Title of the group or workshop.
Type of group or workshop being proposed.
Population for whom the group is most appropriate.
Develop a rationale that documents the need for the group you are proposing and why it is important you
work with this population in a group format. It is important to be informed about the population for whom
the group is relevant. Thus, outside reading about the population’s specific attributes and counseling needs
will be necessary. Consider this section to be your argument for receiving the grant. You will need to state
what others have theorized, proposed, or discovered about group work with your particular population.
When you apply for grants, you are competing with numerous other agencies/schools. You need to sell why
your group should receive the money, so this section should start with the brief literature review about your
population and the need(s) they have. You then should connect how your group will meet that need. You
should cite at least six sources specific to this topic. The six sources may include an interview with
someone considered to be an “expert” on your group topic. This section must be in APA style and include
a Reference page.
Describe any potential risks for the participants or leader(s).
Marketing strategy: How will members be recruited for the group? What will be the criteria for inclusion
and exclusion?
Pre-group screening and preparation criteria and processes. How, when, and by whom will these processes
be enacted.
Operationalized goals: What skills will members learn or what changes will they make? What will be
“different” for members as a result of successful participation in this group? Each goal should be
measurable and assessed in your evaluation plan.
How will the group experience and the specific group goals be evaluated? Include any evaluation forms
you might use.
Logistics: What will the ideal size of the group be, length of time for each session, number of sessions,
location, and materials needed?
Group leader characteristics: Is this group more appropriate to be led by one facilitator or by cofacilitators? What qualifications (experience, degrees, personal characteristics) are necessary to be a
facilitator of this group? What type of leader will be the most effective?
How will the group leader(s) receive supervision?
Group curriculum: Plan a six hour segment of this group or workshop. Think of this as a “lesson plan” for
your group counseling or group workshop sessions. Include a description of the objectives of each unit, the
major content to be covered, the specific activities that will take place with time allotments, and so forth.
Attach any handouts or homework assignments. Be specific and practical and design it in a way that is
useful for you.
Curriculum Reference page if needed
Provide a Professional Disclosure Statement
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Final Project: Due December 11
The purpose of this project is to measure and apply your learning of characteristics of group process and
theory. This project provides you an opportunity to demonstrate what you’ve learned in this class up to
this point.
All projects should be typed double space, using a standard font (e.g., Times New Roman, 12 pt.), using
APA style.
This project is designed to encourage creativity and learning through the process of taking it.
Work together in groups of 2-4 to complete this project. You may find a parallel process of experiencing
group dynamics in your own group while you work on the project.
Your responses should be based on some type of real or fictional group process that you observe
specifically for this project, although you may have already observed the particular group process at some
previous time. That is, you are likely to perform better if you observe it again prior to or while completing
this project.
Your grade will be based on the extent to which you are able to integrate material learned in this class into
your written understanding of a group process observed outside of this class. Grades will be based on the
breadth and depth of your examples and synthesis of your observations with group theory.
The project should be in essay form, using headings and sub-headings. Include all individual authors'
written reflections on what it was like to complete this project in the final section, prior to the references.
Avoid "storytelling" and rehashing the plot. Assume that we've already observed this group and write it
from that perspective, even if we haven't seen the group.
Outline for Final
I. BRIEF OVERVIEW
A.
Give a brief description of the group that you observed. Including:
1.
Name of the group
2.
Medium utilized to observe the group
3.
Length of (a) the group’s existence as a group and (b) the particular group
experience you observed.
B.
Summarize
1.
Events that took place during your observation of the group
2.
How you chose this group process for observation
II. GROUP COMPOSITION & DIVERSITY
A.
Group type
1.
What type of group was this?
2.
Would this group fit into any of the types of groups described by ASGW, Yalom,
or anyone else? If not, what type of group do they most closely resemble?
Give evidence to support your group type classification.
B.
Group membership
1.
Who were the members of this group?
2.
How were members selected and rejected? This may have beendone formally or
informally. If done informally, what seem to be the unifying characteristics of this group?
What would be possible criteria for rejecting someone?
3.
Give examples of group roles members played. Note that the same member may play
different roles at different times during the group. Provide specific observations. You
may wish to consult class handouts, along with your textbooks.
C.
Diversity
1.
How much diversity was there within this group?
2.
Were there any multicultural factors influencing the development of this
group?
3.
What impact, if any, did diversity have on the development of this group?
D.
Group leadership
1.
Who was/were the group leader(s) (if anyone)?
2.
How was this person selected, or why is it that no leader was selected?
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3.
4.
How would you describe the leadership style of the facilitator(s)?
What characteristics of effective or ineffective group leadership skills
were displayed by this or other members?
III. CHARACTERISTICS OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT
A.
Stages of group development
1.
Describe the stages of group development you observed. Provide supporting evidence for
each stage and explain how you believe the group came to arrive at that stage. If the
group did not change stages during your observation, describe shifts within that stage.
2.
Describe how group members changed with the stages or within a stage.
3.
How was cohesion achieved during the group, or what stopped that from
happening?
4.
Speculate what would be necessary to for the group to move to the next
stage, if the group did not terminate.
B.
Therapeutic Factors
1.
What therapeutic factors were observed taking place within the group at
the various stages?
2.
How did the therapeutic factors work to effect change for individual group
members?
3.
How did the therapeutic factors work to effect change for the group as a
whole?
IV. PERSONAL LEARNING REACTION PAPER (To be completed and handed in by everyone individually)
A.
What was new or different about this observation that you will take with you after handing in this
project? That is, what did you learn from this experience?
B.
How will you use this information in your professional future? If you won’t, feel free to say so
Also consider the possibility of a “negative model,” which is something you now will intentionally
“not do.”
C.
Talk briefly about the process of what it has been like for you to complete this project.
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The Growth Group Experience and Journals
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Students are required to participate in a structured Growth Group experience during the semester. The
purpose of the group is to provide a live example of group leadership and to experientially document the
concepts discussed in class.
The purpose of this experience is to help you learn more about groups as well as help you understand your
own modes of functioning within a group.
This is not a therapy group, although it’s often therapeutic–there is no assumption that anyone’s needs
or desires will change, nor will you be expected to disclose anything about your life inside or outside of the
group.
The purpose of the group is educational, to help you become better prepared to function within groups as
well as lead groups. The goal of the group is to provide support in your development and growth as a
professional counselor. CACREP requires that all students participate in the process of experiential growth
during their education. This serves as one possible experience. Additionally, if you are anything like other
students who have taken this course, you will learn about your communication style and some of the roles
you normally take on in groups.
Students typically rate participation in the small group experience as one of the best components of the
class. There is some risk of emotional discomfort in self-disclosing your experiencing of the here and now
interaction, but the potential for personal and professional growth is far greater. If you are going to miss
any portion of a group session, please contact me in advance.
Small group journals - Quality of content counts; length does not. Below you will find some possible
topics. Journals will be due no later than midnight the Saturday after the experiential group. Late
journals will not be accepted. You should email your journals to your group leader, not me. While they do
not have to be in APA style, they must be submitted in as a Word document. Any journals sent as an
email will not be given credit. Your group leader and I may go over them together during supervision
sessions.
Group Structure and Dynamics Group Structure and Dynamics
Pre-screening, norms and expectations
Roles in the group: Who took what roles? What was the level of motivation of members?
Group cohesion
Trust and safety in the group
Communication in the group; how did it occur; patterns?
Conflict in the group: How was it handled?
Stage Development
What stages did your group experience? Support you answer.
What did the leader do to move the group?
Group Leadership
Discuss the leadership style of your leaders.
What atmosphere did they establish? How did the group respond?
What pressures were put on the leaders and how did they respond?
Evaluation of your involvement in the group
Discuss your level of trust, commitment, and involvement in the dynamics.
How did the group meet your expectations?
How did your involvement change over time and what key events influenced you?
Something to consider:
If this group were to continue with you as its leader, what would you wish to accomplish?
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Course Outline
Date
Topic
Thursday, August 28
Syllabus/Introductions
Thursday, September 4
Yalom’s Therapeutic Factors
Types of Groups
Beginning a Group
Growth Groups
Group 1: 6:00-7:20
Group 2: 7:30-8:50
Growth Groups
Group 1: 6:00-7:20
Group 2: 7:30-8:50
Group Leadership
Group Stages
Growth Groups
Group 1: 7:30-8:50
Group 2: 6:00-7:20
Growth Groups
Group 1: 7:30-8:50
Group 2: 6:00-7:20
Group Interventions
Types of Clients
Growth Groups
Group 1: 7:30-8:50
Group 2: 6:00-7:20
Growth Groups
Group 1: 6:00-7:20
Group 2: 7:30-8:50
Growth Groups
Group 1: 6:00-7:20
Group 2: 7:30-8:50
Role Play Groups
Role Play Groups
Thanksgiving
Role Play Groups
Thursday, September 11
Thursday, September 18
Thursday, September 25
Thursday, October 2
Thursday, October 6
Thursday, October 17
Thursday, October 23
Thursday, October 30
Thursday, November 06
Thursday, November 13
Thursday, November 20
Thursday, November 27
Thursday, December 4
Thursday, December 11
Readings
Handout, Ch. 1, PP. 40-49
Ch. 3 & 4
Ch. 5, 12, 15, & 18
PP. 29-39
Ch. 6-11
Ch. 16
Mid-term
Final
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UNILERT
Emergency Warning System for Texas A&M University – Central Texas
UNILERT is an emergency notification service that gives Texas A&M University-Central
Texas the ability to communicate health and safety emergency information quickly via
email, text message, and social media. All students are automatically enrolled in UNILERT
through their myCT email account. Connect at www.TAMUCT.edu/UNILERT to change
where you receive your alerts or to opt out. By staying enrolled in UNILERT, university
officials can quickly pass on safety-related information, regardless of your location.
*I reserve the right to amend this syllabus at any time.
COURSE AND UNIVERSITY PROCEDURES AND POLICIES
Drop Policy. If you discover that you need to drop this class, you must go to the Records
Office and ask for the necessary paperwork. Professors cannot drop students; this is always
the responsibility of the student. The record’s office will provide a deadline for which the
form must be returned, completed and signed. Once you return the signed form to the
records office and wait 24 hours, you must go into Warrior Web and confirm that you are no
longer enrolled. Should you still be enrolled, FOLLOW-UP with the records office
immediately? You are to attend class until the procedure is complete to avoid penalty for
absence. Should you miss the deadline or fail to follow the procedure, you will receive an F in
the course.
Academic Integrity. Texas A&M University -Central Texas values the integrity of the
academic enterprise and strives for the highest standards of academic conduct. A&M-Central
Texas expects its students, faculty, and staff to support the adherence to high standards of
personal and scholarly conduct to preserve the honor and integrity of the creative
community. Academic integrity is defined as a commitment to honesty, trust, fairness,
respect, and responsibility. Any deviation by students from this expectation may result in a
failing grade for the assignment and potentially a failing grade for the course. Academic
misconduct is any act that improperly affects a true and honest evaluation of a student’s
academic performance and includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or
other academic work, plagiarism and improper citation of sources, using another student’s
work, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials. All academic misconduct concerns will
be reported to the university’s Office of Student Conduct. Ignorance of the university’s
standards and expectations is never an excuse to act with a lack of integrity. When in doubt
on collaboration, citation, or any issue, please contact your instructor before taking a course
of action.
Disability Support and Access Services. At Texas A&M University – Central Texas, we value
an inclusive learning environment where every student has an equal chance to succeed and
has the right to an education that is barrier-free. The Office of Disability Support and Access
is responsible for ensuring that students with a disability enjoy equal access to the
University's programs, services and activities. Some aspects of this course or the way the
course is taught may present barriers to learning due to a disability. If you feel this is the
case, please contact Disability Support and Access at (254) 501-5831 in Warrior Hall, Ste.
212. For more information, please visit their website at www.tamuct/disabilitysupport. Any
information you provide is private and confidential and will be treated as such.
Tutoring. Tutoring is available to all TAMUCT students, both on-campus and online. Subjects
tutored include Accounting, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics, and Writing, and APA
formatting. Tutors are available at the Tutoring Center in Warrior Hall, Room 111. Visit
www.ct.tamus.edu/AcademicSupport and click "Tutoring Support" for tutor schedules and
contact information. If you have questions, need to schedule a tutoring session, or if you are
interested in becoming a tutor, contact Academic Support Programs at 254-501-5830/5836
or by emailing Cecilia.morales@ct.tamus.edu
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