Developing, Managing ad Evaluating Groups

Acknowledgement

This PowerPoint has been adapted from instructional

materials developed by Dr. Maureen McGuire-Kuletz,

The George Washington University for the Group

Counseling class of the Master’s in Rehabilitation

Program.

Various Types of Groups

Task facilitation groups

aims to foster accomplishing identified work goals

Psychoeducational group

aims to educate group members who want to acquire information and skills in an area of living

Support Groups

Professional Training Standards for Group Workers

ASGW (2000) has recommendations for what

constitutes competence as a group facilitator –

Knowledge competencies: course work is essential

Skills competencies: specific group facilitation skills

are required for effectively intervening

Core specialization in group work: task facilitation

groups; psychoeducational groups; counseling

groups; psychotherapy groups

Groups: Process & Practice - Chapter 2 (7)

Ethical and Legal Issues in Group Counseling

Informed consent

Provide members with adequate information that will

allow them to decide if they want to join a group

Some information to give prospective members:

The nature of the group

The goals of the group

The general structure of the sessions

What is expected of them if they join

What they can expect from you as a leader

Groups: Process & Practice - Chapter 3 (1)

Psychological Risks of Group Participation

Although there are benefits to participating in a group, there are also potential risks that group leaders need to monitor —

Members may be pressured to disclose and violate privacy

Confidentiality may be broken

Scapegoating may occur

Confrontation may be done in an uncaring manner

Group leaders may not have the competencies to deal with some difficulties that arise in a group

Groups: Process & Practice - Chapter 3 (3)

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is the foundation of a working group

Leaders need to define the parameters of confidentiality

including its limitations in a group setting

Members need to be taught what confidentiality involves

Leaders talk to members about the consequences of

breaching confidentiality

Leaders remind members at various points in a group

of the importance of maintaining confidentiality

Groups: Process & Practice - Chapter 3 (4)

Some Legal Safeguards for Group Practitioners

Take time and care in screening candidates for a group; and for preparing them on how to actively participate

Demystify the group process

Strive to develop collaborative relationships with the members

Consult with colleagues or supervisors whenever there is a potential ethical or legal concern

Incorporate ethical standards in the practice of group work

Groups: Process & Practice - Chapter 3 (7)

The Role of Group Leader Values

Essential that you are aware of your values and how

they influence what you think, say, and do in groups

Groups are not a forum for you to impose your values

on members

Purpose of a group: to assist members in examining

options that are most congruent with their values

Group members have the task of clarifying their own

values and goals, making informed choices, and

assuming responsibility for what they doGroups: Process & Practice - Chapter 3 (6)

Forming a Group: Setting Yourself Up For Success

Five areas for a practical proposal for a group

RATIONALE – What is the rationale for your group?

OBJECTIVES – Are your objectives specific and attainable?

PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS – Have you considered all the relevant practical issues in forming your group?

PROCEDURES– What kinds of techniques and interventions will you employ to attain the stated objectives?

EVALUATION – How will you evaluate the process and outcomes of the group?

Practical Considerations in Forming a Group

Group composition (depends on what type of group)

Group size (up to 12 but 7 or 8 work best)

Open versus closed group

Heterogeneous versus Homogeneous

Length of the group (12 to 15 weeks best)

Frequency and duration of meetings (1/wk; 1hr 30mins)

Place for group sessions

How will you go about getting the information out about

your group

Desirable Characteristics of a Group

Group balance (ideally dynamic balance b/w cognitive reflective

members who talk about their feelings – intellectualizes and emoters

– express feelings; self-blamers and blamers of others; genders –

differing viewpoints)

No poor-risk combinations (extreme crisis or suicidal, unable to

conceptualize or verbalize at the level of the group, paranoid,

psychopathic, sociopathic, drug or alcohol involved in a

heterogeneous group)

Member acceptance of each other

Willingness to self-disclose (certain level of ego strength)

Questions for Screening of Potential Members

The type of group determines the kind of members that are suitable or unsuitable

The key questions are

Should this person be included in this group at this time with this leader?

Other questions -What methods of screening will you use?

How can you decide who may benefit from a group?

And who might not fit in a group?

How might you deal with a candidate who is not accepted to your group?

Explore

Motivation for joining group

Ability to deal with & comment on interpersonal

interaction of interview

Ego strength

Environmental stressors (acute & chronic)

Interpersonal relationships (friends – closest

prolonged friendship, degree of intimacy with members

of both sexes)

Questions

What are some advantages of a group setting?

Group setting offers support for new behavior and encourages experimentation

The group is a microcosm of the real world – allows us to see how we relate to others

Group setting provides an optimal arena for members to discover how they are perceived and experienced by others

Groups help members see that they are not alone in their concerns

Initial Stage

Characteristics: Initial Stage

What are the main characteristics of a group during the initial

stage?

Participants test the atmosphere and get acquainted

Risk taking is relatively low – exploration is tentative

Members are concerned with whether they are included or excluded

A central issue building trust and focusing on the here and now

There are periods of silence and awkwardness

Leaders set the stage for exploring ground rules and assist members

in goal setting

Common Fears Experienced

by Group Members Anxiety over being accepted or rejected

Concern about the judgment of others

Afraid of appearing stupid

Concerns about not fitting into the group

Not knowing what is expected

Concern over communicating feelings and thoughts

effectively

Establishing Goals

Main task – helping members formulate clear goals –

check in with group members as the group

progresses

Absence of goals – considerable floundering and

aimless sessions

Collaborative process in identifying goals

Goals – lead to contracts and homework

assignments

Characteristics: Initial Stage

What are the main characteristics of a group during the initial

stage?

Participants test the atmosphere and get acquainted

Risk taking is relatively low – exploration is tentative

Members are concerned with whether they are included or excluded

A central issue building trust and focusing on the here and now

There are periods of silence and awkwardness

Leaders set the stage for exploring ground rules and assist members

in goal setting

Transition Stage

Transition Stage of a Group

What are some of the characteristics of a group in the transition stage?

Transitional phase is marked by feelings of anxiety and defenses

What kinds of behaviors might you expect at this stage of a group’s development?

Members are: testing the leader and other members to determine how safe the

environment is (trust should be deepening) struggling between wanting to play it safe and wanting to risk

getting involved learning how to express themselves so that others

will listen

Common Fears Emerging at the Transition Stage

Fear of making a fool of oneself

Fear of emptiness

Fear of losing control

Fear of being too emotional

Fear of self-disclosure

Fear of taking too much of the group’s time

Fear of being judged

Leader Functions During the Transition Stage

Show members the value of recognizing and dealing fully with conflict situations

Help members to recognize their own patterns of defensiveness

Teach members to respect resistance and to work constructively with the many forms it takes

Provide a model for members by dealing directly and tactfully with any challenge

Encourage members to express reactions that pertain to here-and-now happenings in the sessions

Group Leader Interventions in Dealing with Difficult Behaviors of Group Members

Avoid responding with sarcasm

State your observations and hunches in a

tentative way

Demonstrate sensitivity to a member’s culture

Avoid taking member’s behavior in an overly

personal way

Encourage members to explore a resistance – don’t

demand they give up a particular “resistive” behavior

Examples of Problematic Styles of Behaving in a Group

Silent Members

Monopolistic behavior

Latecomers and Absentees

Persistent Nondisclosers

Scapegoating

Challenging the Leader’s Authority

Bombarding Others with Questioning

Silent Members Reasons

Might feel unworthy

Cultural background

Observing or taking it in

Manipulation

Naturally shy, inhibited, embarrassed, fearful, or hesitant

Communicates behaviorally rather than verbally

Intervention

Refrain from initiating a direct response to the silent member

Use strategies that require the group members deal with the silent member rather than the leader

The leader should observe to see if the silent member has psychologically withdrawn or is really involved

Monopolists

Reason

Self-centeredness

Anxious

Accustomed to being ignored

Attempting to keep control of group

A way to avoid intimacy

Intervention

Should not be silenced but helped to be heard differently

Help the member recognize the effect his/her behavior has on the group

“What do you want from the group now that you have said this?”

“How do you perceive the group members responding to you?”

“How can you say that in ten words or less?”

Latecomers and Absentees Reason

Form of resistance

Although they might be absent from the group they are not forgotten

Intervention

Help group members deal with their feelings about the absent member

Remove group member (might suggest individual counseling)– have to deal with remaining members feeling through here and now dialogue

Latecomers’ reasons given not response

No negotiating to tolerate lateness

The most productive way to deal with latecomers is within the group context NOT on a one-to-one basis

Persistent Non-disclosers

Might be verbally active but not be disclosing in a meaningful way

They have spent a long time blocking affect from their experiences

May perceive self-disclosure as dangerous because it makes them vulnerable to control by others

Interventions – leader should search out answers to the following questions

What feelings does this member have in common with other members?

How may I respond to these feelings and facilitate affiliative feelings among them?

How may I prepare this member and use feedback from fellow members?

Scapegoating

Reason

Most often the member is the object of displaced aggression

May sermonize, be contentious, act dumb, ruminate about past events, or remain untouched by the appearance of intimacy

Intervention

Need to find the source of the group’s anger (often toward the leader)

Try not to: encourage members to give feedback to the scapegoat, or try to protect the scapegoat or focus group attention on the scapegoat

Storytelling

Initial resistance is demonstrated by the need to use

storytelling

Reporting events that happened outside of group is

easier than relating to group members

Acknowledging other members’ presence requires the

member to recognize personal emotion which the group

member considers dangerous

Giving voice to one’s feelings leaves the member

vulnerable

Challenging the Leader’s Authority

Opportunity for the leader to be a role model

Respond openly and avoid becoming defensive

Share responsibility with the group

Invite others reactions

This is a good thing as the member is able to become

less dependent on the leader and feels the group is a

safe place to freely express himself or herself

Questioning

Reason

May be a way of hiding

Remaining safe and unknown to the group

Direct people toward thinking and away from feeling

Masks the questioner’s feeling toward the member they are questioning

Intervention

Help questioner understand that the questioning is intrusive and elicits defensiveness

Practice making only direct statements

Need to get at what prompted the question

Giving Advice

Can be subtle or not so subtle

Interrupts thoughts and feelings

Increases dependency

Reason

A form of defense

Resistance

Intervention

Explore the meaning behind giving the advice

Explore what is gained by giving the advice

Point out to advice giver he/she is not giving enough attention to him/herself

Working Stage of Group

Working Stage of a Group: Key points of the working stage

There are no arbitrary dividing lines between each stage

of group

Group development ebbs and flows – does not stay static

Work can occur at every stage – not just the working stage

Not all groups reach a working stage

Not all members are functioning at the same level in a

working stage

Characteristics of a Productive Group versus a Nonworking Group

Working Group There is a focus on the here and now

to explore feelings, ideas, & beliefs

Goals of members are clear and specific

Cohesion is high – a sense of emotional bonding in the group

Conflict in the group is recognized and explored

Members are willing to make themselves known

Trust is increased and there is a sense of safety

Members less reliant on leader

Nonworking Group

Mistrust is manifested by an undercurrent of unexpressed feelings

Participants focus more on others than themselves

Participants hold back – disclosure is minimal

Members may feel distant from one another

Conflicts are ignored or avoided

Communication is unclear and indirect

Choices to be Made During the Working Stage

Disclosure versus anonymity

Honesty versus superficiality

Spontaneity versus control

Acceptance versus rejection

Cohesion versus fragmentation

The Value of Homework in Groups

Group: not an end in itself Group is:

A place to learn new behaviorsA place to acquire a range of skills in living Training ground for everyday life

Homework – a means for maximizing what is learned in group

Members can devise their own homework assignments Ideally, homework is designed collaboratively between

members and leader

Ending Stage of Group

Ending a Group: What are some of the tasks of the final stage of a group?

Reemphasize importance of maintaining confidentiality

Dealing with feelings of separation

Dealing with unfinished business

Reviewing the group experience

Practice for behavioral change

Ways of carrying learning further

The use of a contract and homework

Giving and receiving feedback

Giving and Receiving Feedback at the Ending Stage

The sentence completion method can enhance the quality of feedback and can result in focused feedback

Examples:My greatest fear for you is ...My hope for you is... I hope that you will seriously consider... I see you blocking your strengths by...Some things I hope you will think about doing for

yourself are...Some ways I hope you’d be different with others are...

Sample Proposal for a Group with Adults

In designing a specific group, consider these components

Description of the type of your group

Rationale of your group

Goals of your group

Marketing methods

Screening and selection members

Structure of group – description of sessions

Methods for assessing outcomes

Groups: Process & Practice - Chapter 11 (3)

Developing, Managing ad Evaluating Groups

This information is the intellectual property of the George Washington University and is to be used for educational purposes only.