Group Counseling
Kinds of Groups
Kinds of Groups
• A group is two or more people who have come
together for the purpose of some designated
interaction.
• There are seven categories of groups, based on
their different goals.
Education Groups
• Often, helping professionals are asked to provide
clients with information on various topics.
• In these groups, the leader provides information and
then elicits reactions and comments from the members,
thereby serving sometimes as an educator and other
times as a facilitator of discussion.
• Often, education groups are held just once for 2 to 8
hours. Others meet for a number of weeks, 1 or 2
hours per week.
Discussion Groups
• The focus is usually on topics or issues rather
than any member’s personal concerns.
• Its purpose is to give participants the
opportunity to share ideas ideas and exchange
information.
• The leader serves mainly as a facilitator
because she does not necessarily have more
knowledge than the members do about the
subject.
Task Groups
• The task group is one in which a specific task is
to be accomplished.
• It is called a task group because its purpose is
very specific.
• The leader’s role in a task group is to keep the
group on task and to facilitate discussion and
interaction.
Growth Groups & Experiential Groups
• Growth groups consist of members who want
to experience being in a group and who have
the motivation to learn more about themselves.
• Growth groups are conducted in settings such
as schools, colleges, community centers, and
retreat centers.
• In these groups, members are given the
opportunity to explore and develop personal
goals and better understand themselves and
others.
Growth Groups & Experiential Groups
• The goals include changes in lifestyle, a greater
awareness of of oneself and others, improved
interpersonal communications, and an
assessment of values – all accomplished in an
atmosphere of sharing and listening.
• The leader may need knowledge of a broad
range of issues such as parenting, sex, religion,
need for approval, etc.
• One form of a growth group is the experiential
group – the best known is the ropes course.
Counseling & Therapy Groups
• Counseling and therapy groups are different
from growth groups in that the members come
the group because of certain problems in their
lives.
• The leader focuses the group on different
individuals and problems; then members try to
help one another with the leader’s guidance.
• The leader will, at times, play a dominant role
in that he directs the session in order to make it
productive.
Support Groups
• A support group is composed of members with
something in common and meets every day,
once a week, once a month, or twice a month.
• Members share thoughts and feelings and help
one another examine issues and concerns.
• The role of the leader in a support group is to
encourage sharing among participants –
sharing is the group’s purpose and goal.
Self-Help Groups
• Self-help groups are groups led by laypeople
who have similar concern as those at the
meeting.
• Alcoholics Anonymous is the most well-known
self-help group.
Potential Group Problems
• Skip from topic to topic
• Try to dominate the
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discussion
Be “chit-chatty” rather
than personal and
focused
Attend sporadically
Be shy and withdrawn
Dislike other members
Try to force others to
speak
• Get angry at the leader
• Get angry at each other
• Try to preach morals
and religion to the group
• Be resistant because of
forced attendance
• Stop attending the group
Group Counseling
Stages of Groups
The Beginning Stage
• The beginning stage is the time period used for
introductions and for discussions of such topics
as the purpose of the group, what may happen,
fears, ground rules, comfort levels, and the
content of the group.
• The beginning stage may last part of the first
session, the entire first session, or the first
couple of sessions.
The Working Stage
• The middle or working stage is the stage of the
group when members focus on the purpose.
• In this stage, members learn new material,
thoroughly discuss various topics, complete
tasks, or engage in personal sharing and
therapeutic work.
The Closing Stage
• The closing or ending stage is devoted to ending
the group.
• During this period, members share what they
have learned, how they have changed, and how
they plan to use what they have learned.
• Members say goodbye and deal with the ending
of the group.
Group Counseling
Therapeutic Forces
There are 16 therapeutic forces a group
leader should attend to:
• Clarity of purpose for both
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the leader and the members
Relevance of purpose for the
members
Size of the group
Length of each session
Frequency of meetings
Adequacy of the setting
Time of day for both the
leader and the members
The leader’s attitude
Closed or open group
• Voluntary or involuntary
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membership
Members’ level of goodwill
Members’ level of
commitment
Level of trust among
members
Members’ attitudes towards
the leader
The leader’s attitudes
towards the members
The leader’s experience and
readiness to deal with groups
Group Counseling
Purpose of Groups
Purpose of Groups
• Being clear about the purpose of the group is
perhaps the most important group leadership
concept to be learned.
• “Purpose” refers to why the group is meeting
and what the goals and objectives are.
• Clarity of purpose helps the leader keep the
members “on course” by suggesting relevant
activities, asking relevant questions, and
cutting off irrelevant discussions.
Common Questions About Purpose
• Certain questions often come up regarding the
purpose of groups.
• Although some of them may seem similar, each
one addresses slightly different issues.
• They are…
Can the group have more than one purpose?
• Yes. Many groups have multiple purposes, such
as providing support, information, and
therapy.
Must each session have a purpose?
• Yes. A good group leader will have in mind the
purpose or purposes of each specific session.
Can the purpose change?
• Yes. Groups often start out as education,
support, or growth groups, and as they develop,
the members begin to share more on a personal
level.
• Leaders should always inform the members if
he or she is shifting the purpose of the group.
Can there be no purpose?
• This is inadvisable. Groups without a purpose
usually dissolve due to lack of interest and
direction.
• In fact, a group with no purpose cannot be
termed a group. Rather, it is a social gathering.
If the leader is clear, will the members be?
• Not always. Often, members have their own
ideas of what the group should be about, and
they try to steer it in that direction. Also, some
members will come to groups for reasons other
than the state purpose.