Group Dynamics, Processing
& Counseling
Melanie J Drake Wallace, PhD, LPC, NCE
Yalom’s Therapeutic Factors
Yalom (1995) defined therapeutic factors as
"the actual mechanisms of effecting change
in the patient" (p. xi).
Yalom identified 11 factors that influence the
processes of change and recovery among
group therapy clients.
11 Therapeutic (Curative)
Factors of Group Therapy
1. Altruism - the sense of value derived from
giving to others.
2. Cohesion -group and individual
interdependence and inter-member
acceptance.
3. Catharsis - the expression of positive and
negative feelings.
4. Insight - acquiring selfunderstanding
5. Interpersonal Skills - learning to
listen, respond, and resolve conflict.
6. Feedback - has a different impact
from each peer.
7. Family Re-enactment
(Recapitulation of primary family
group) - family conflicts and patterns
are recaptured and corrected.
8. Instillation of HOPE - from others
who have learned to cope with similar
problems.
9. Universality - sharing similar
experiences counteracts uniqueness
and loneliness.
10. Identification - modeling the self
after another member.
11. Spectator Learning - vicarious
learning by observing others confront
and resolve problems.
NOTE: The importance of the
therapeutic factors depends upon the
type of group. Different goals
emphasize different therapeutic
factors. The factors in bold are the
most important and complex
according to Yalom.
General Ideas about Group Structure
* General size for adult groups is 8 10
* Generally meet once a week for one
or two hours; the average is one & 1/2
hours.
* Heterogeneous in social-economic
and client problems or conflicts.
* Homogeneous with respect to
intelligence, developmental level, age,
ego strength, vulnerability, and ability to
tolerate anxiety.
* Adolescents do better with peers so they
can explore views of authority, peer
pressure, social development, and
consolidation of their identity.
* Children groups should be kept small
(two or more) within 1 year of age with
diverse problems.
General Stages of Group
Process
General Stages of Group
Process
1. Inclusion - members strive
to be accepted and loved by
the leader.
2. Power - members attempt to
gain autonomy from the leader.
3. Affection - members look to
one another for aid (giving and
receiving help).
Leadership Styles,
Responsibilities, Roles,
Skills, and Characteristics
Leadership Styles
Authoritarian - high productivity / low
morale - see themselves as experts most compatible with psychoanalytic
perspective.
Democratic - most used style - high
productivity / high morale - shared
leadership.
Laissez-faire - low productivity / high
moral - no leadership - most compatible
with humanistic theoretical perspective.
Leader Responsibilities
* Create (must screen
members) and maintain the
group.
* Build the group culture.
* Activate and illuminate the
here-and-now.
Leadership Roles & Involvement
1. Telling - high risk (directive) low relationship
(supportive) behavior to orient the group and
establish group rules. A lot of structure is good
this early in the process.
2. Selling - high risk / high relationship behavior to
facilitate testing and questioning and a cohesive
climate.
3. Participating - high relationship / low risk
behavior - members assume responsibility for the
group
Leadership Roles & Involvement, cont.
3. Participating - high relationship / low
risk behavior - members assume
responsibility for the group
4. Delegating - low relationship / low risk
behaviors - the group is productive and
able to function with minimal leader
intervention.
Leader Skills
1. Active Listening
2. Reflection and Clarification
3. Questioning and Summarizing
4. Encouraging and Supporting
5. Modeling
6. Self-disclosure
Leader Characteristics
* Poise / Group Judgment
* Maturity / Ego Strength
* Free From Excessive Anxiety
* Perceptive / Intuitive
* Empathic
* Tolerance for Frustration and Ambiguity
Advantages of Group Work
* Setting is similar to communication and
interaction of everyday life
* Members learn to give and receive
Disadvantages of Group Work
* Less individual attention
* Confidentially is more difficult to maintain
* Counselor has less situational control (Leader
can loose control and members can to harm to
other members)
* Scapegoating - shared reality - “Group Think”
(forcing group opinion on all members)
Advantages of Co-Leadership
1. One leader can correct the
mistakes of another
2. Reduces likelihood of missing
significant moments or data
3. One can observe while the other is
actively involved in the group
4. Doubles the energy brought to the
group by the leaders
Advantages of Co-Leadership, cont.
5. Leaders can model an effective
interpersonal relationship
6. Reduces burnout
7. Reduces the risk of countertransference
Note:
It is important for leaders to meet between
sessions to prevent working at crosspurposes
Corey - Leaders must have been in a
therapeutic group to be effective.
Trust is the most important trait in a
group.
Most Successful Leader
high on caring and meaning
moderate on emotional stimulation and
executive function.
Important Terms
Lewin T-Groups: National Training
Laboratory
(Sponsored by the National Education Association)
Helps people develop human relationship
skills in the organizational setting by
examining group process rather than
personal growth
Rogers / Esalen Encounter Groups
emphasize personal growth and focus
on the here-and-now and the I-thou
encounter.
Consciousness-raising
a societal and political emphasis on
sensitivity training about various “groups”
that make up society (minorities, women,
LGBT populations, etc.)
Sociogram - a mapping of
group interactions
Star - the central person
Isolate - outside the
group
Cluster - majority
Closed vs. Open Group
Open groups - allow new members.
The advantage = the the number of people are more
stable.
The disadvantage = new members miss information and
trust level is set back.
Closed groups - do not allow new members.
The advantage = promotes cohesiveness.
The disadvantage = losing members.
Group Counseling Theories
and Techniques
Group Counseling Theories and Techniques
Johari Window Applied to Group
The goal is to move from the
Secret Area (Known to Self / Unknown to
Others) through self-disclosure and from the
Blind Area (Unknown to Self / Known to
Others) through feedback into the
Open Area (Known to Self and Others).
Unconscious Area
(Unknown to self and others). It is
unethical for a therapist to bring this up in
the group. It should be done in individual
counseling.
Psychoanalytic Groups
Leader interprets, analyzes resistance and
transference, remains anonymous so
members develop projections toward the
leader, avoids directive leadership, and
lets the group determine its own course.
Five Major Techniques
1. Free association “go around technique”
2. Interpretation
3. Menbers sharing insights
4. Dream analysis
5. Analysis of transference, multiple
transference, and counter-transference
Adlerian Group Counseling
Assessment techniques:
1. Exploring family contellations
2. Reporting recollections
3. Investigating lifestyles
Main Technique:
* asking members to behave “as if” they
are who they want to be and explore social
dynamics and lifestyle
Glasser Reality Therapy
Groups
Techniques:
Leader:
Rational Emotive Groups
Techniques:
Leader:
Berne Transactional Analysis
Techniques:
Leader:
Existential
Themes:
1. Self awareness
2. Self transcendence 3. Freedom
4. Responsibility
(authenticity)
Existential, cont.
Techniques:
Leader:
Rogers / Egan / Carkuff / Ivy’s
Person-Centered Groups
Techniques:
Leader:
Group Stages: know in order
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Milling around
Resistance
Description of past feelings
Expression of negative feelings
Exploration of meaningful material
Expression of here-and-now interpersonal feeling
Development of a healing capacity
Self-acceptance
9. Cracking of facades
10. Feedback
11. Confrontation
12. Helping relationships outside the group
13. Basic encounter
14. Closeness
15. Behavior change
Rogers
* encounter groups
* to promote world peace
Gestalt Groups
Goals
Leader Roles
Techniques
Behavioral Groups
Meichenbaum - stress inoculation and
assertiveness training
Lazarus’ B.A.S.I.C. I.D. approach
Leader: actively teaches coping skills
and behavior modification
Techniques: behavior changes,
cognitive restructuring, implosive therapy,
operant conditioning, reinforcement,
coaching, modeling, feedback,
challenging, and changing cognitions
Moreno’s Psychodrama
Components:
The Stage
Director (Leader)
Techniques:
Protagonist
Anxiliary egos
Audience
Psychoanalytic Groups