Group Counseling Has More To Offer Than Individual Counseling

Published in 1962, Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest tells the story of Patrick McMurphy, a newly-admitted patient at a psychiatric hospital where individuals with various mental conditions are treated. Run primarily by Nurse Ratched, a demeaning autocrat who exhibits complete control over others, the patients are subjected to various forms of treatments and therapy with the intent of rehabilitation (Kesey 5). Most forms of treatment depicted in Kesey’s novel, such as group therapy, are an accurate representation of what typical psychiatric patients may encounter while under care at a mental facility. Yet others, particularly electroshock therapy and lobotomies, were quite controversial at the time of the novel’s publication. Such treatments were questioned for their effectiveness at improving patients’ condition – and while these procedures were still occasionally performed at the time, they often did not benefit the treated individual. Often painful and traumatic, these treatments physically degraded the patient’s mental status; and in extreme

The text book, The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy by Irvin D. Yalom with Molyn Leszcz begins with the preface of the fifth edition. In the preface, Irvin D. Yalom introduced Molyn Leszcz as his collaborator and how they met at Stanford University in 1980. He then discussed how they both worked hard collaboratively to combine old and new material to make this edition. Their goals for this edition were to prepare student therapists for the present-day workplace and to keep the current methods from decaying, so that students can gather wisdom and techniques of the field when they get the opportunity to utilize those methods as therapists. Yalom briefly talked about what each chapter in the text would discuss. He closed out by mentioning while making changes to this text, he was also writing the class novel, The Schopenhauer Cure, which complements this text very well.

counseling, where the co-leader can take a few minutes work on some better communication methods so that the client can learn some new and healthier methods to communicate. When the co-leader does not have a client to work with, the co-counselor can be part of the counseling process with the leader of the group.

Attachment with the primary care giver also promotes individuals and help them to cope with difficult events in their lives. Some studies show that people who have secure attachment can cope with difficult events in their lives in a better way. It is actually connected point with resiliency, however, we do not have any further information about this relationship between attachment and resiliency.

Safety in group counselling is top priority. According to merriam-webster.com, Safety is freedom from harm or danger. In group sessions, keeping members safe should be a main concern of the leader. It is said that members will not participate if they do not feel safe, feeling safe in the context of group counselling is to be protected and sheltered from unfavourable occurrences in the group. I agree, it is my opinion that the dynamics of the group is at risk if members do not feel safe as this will hinder them from sharing, they will be fearful, hence they will remain reserved and the purpose of the group will not be fulfilled. Members need to feel a level of comfort with the leader and members before they interact and with other members and

Person centred counselling According to McLeod (2003) states that “the emphasis is on the client as an expert and the counsellor as a source of reflection and encouragement and this is captured in the designation of the approach as a ‘non-directive’ form of counselling.” Empathy, congruence (genuineness) and acceptance (unconditional positive regard) are known as the three ‘core conditions’. These core conditions are essential for effective counselling. According to Gillon (2007) “from a therapists’ point of view, an empathic attitude is a desire to understand a client’s perceptual world as if it was his or her own”. Meaning that the Therapist must listen and follow what the client is trying to communicate to them and that the therapist tries

Elements of Yalom’s therapeutic factors were apparent over the course of the semester while experiencing and conducting our breakout groups. Yalom refers to 11 therapeutic factors in the practice of successful group therapy with them being: installation of hope, universality, imparting information, altruism, corrective recapitulation of primary family, development of socializing techniques, imitative behavior, interpersonal learning, group cohesiveness, catharsis, existential factors. Below, will be a reflection of my experience in the group over the course of the semester.

Group psychotherapy is often voluntary, but sometimes members have been mandated by the court or other authorities to participate. Participation is usually easier for voluntary members since it doesn’t have the added psychological barrier of being forced to attend. For this reason, mandated members have difficulty with participation and are sometimes perceived as reluctant (Roth, 2005). It is important that members understand the dynamics within the group and what goals and processes are involved in being a part of that group. This essay will focus on the strategies of assisting group leaders and group members in engaging in the process of psychotherapy by providing informed consent, learning

Interpersonal interaction within the group is vital to effect change and the therapist’s role is to facilitate that experience in the here and now. By members feeling a sense of belonging, hope, safety and awareness they are not alone in their issues, provides a solid foundation. Interpersonal interaction within the group enables members to release previously repressed emotions promoting healing, and the sharing of information can help educate and empower a sense of value by helping others. Members can learn coping strategies from others and interpersonal teaching can help them to develop supportive interpersonal relationships and interpersonal skills, such as empathy and tolerance. The discussion of existential factors within the group helps promote awareness and acceptance and understanding of how to live with them. (Yalom & Leszcz,

These approaches are modern-day behaviorism, rational emotive behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, and reality therapy. Each one of these forms of therapy make up what we now as the cognitive behavior approaches. These approaches were developed by men like Albert Ellis, Aaron Beck, and William Glasser.The cognitive-behavioral therapies are meant to be a short term treatment. It is goal orientated, and a pretty hands on approach. The overall goal of this therapy form is to change a persons way of thinking. It just like the conditioning experiments done by Pavlov and Skinner. If the person is exhibiting the wrong behaviors or thinking , than you try to change their thinking/behaviors into the correct behaviors. Starting as children we are forming our personalities thoughts and behaviors. We get older and some behaviors are automatic and this therapy helps us understand the reasoning behind the way we act and how to look past the automatic response. In therapy, if the undesirable behaviors can be picked out than the client and counselor can work together to get rid of those less desirable behaviors. The modern-day behavior therapy has 6 stages: building the relationship, clinical assessment focusing on problem areas and setting goals, choosing techniques and working on goals, assessment of goal completion and closure and follow-up. Each one of these stages has an important role in building a healthy client/counselor relationship. Then we see that with REBT the therapist is not worried about building a good caring relationship with the client. Instead, they focus on pointing out the negative or distorted beliefs they have. This allows them to understand that what they see through there eye may not be how it actually is. The REBT has 5 stages that help it be successful. They are as follows: assessing the client 's situation and hypothesizing how the ABCs apply,

I used Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT) techniques with some of my clients. I was not trained in this therapy but was familiar with the idea of being in the here-and-now. This technique worked for my schizophrenic client by keeping her focused on what was happening each day by writing in a journal and distracting her from what she thought had been happening in her past. I was able to use Art Therapy with the client I had with PTSD, depression, and suicidal thoughts.

Much discussion is devoted to the literature regarding group work as it remains an integral part of the social work field. Group work is important as “the need to belong is one of the most basic and powerful human needs as well as the most social” (Ashford, & Lecroy, 2008, pg. 140). Group work is found to be an effective intervention and has become a major treatment modality in the mental health services (Knight, 2017; Clements, 2008). This intervention has been found just as effective as an individual intervention (Knight, 2017). Groups have played an instrumental part in transforming how the social work field thinks about the helping process for clients. Social work using groups utilizes group processes as ways to help individuals and the groups accomplish their goals (Social Work Practice with Groups, n.d.). Group work can be defined as “a method of working with people in groups for personal growth, the enhancement functioning, and for the achievement of socially desirable goals” (Social Work Practice with Groups, n.d.). Group work emphasizes member empowerment and mutual support both which

Counselling is a talking therapy that involves interactive relationship of client and counsellor. Counselling offers opportunity for clients to talk to the counsellor about their problems and feelings in a confidential environment. A counsellor generally helps the clients to see things from a different perspective and find their own solutions based on their own beliefs. The main aim is to enable the clients to develop a better understanding of self and be able to make changes to cope with difficulties in their lives, by reaching their own decisions and act upon them accordingly to develop a satisfying life.

Psychoanalytic group therapy is the model involving groups that meets face to face with therapist and it comes approximately in a group of seven to eight members. Each and everyone in the group have to contribute with their thought. Firstly some might feel a sense of rejection being in a group but those fears will fade away after they observe the rest of the group members. Apart from that, during the session, members will be able to receive valuable feedback from one another rather than depending on the therapist itself (Kleinberg, 2011).

After the Advanced Skills Facilitation course, I had learned many counselling skills in group counselling and different settings of group counselling. Also, it provided a lot of exercises for us to practice group counselling sessions. Thus, there are many things that I can make a reflection on it.