Group Counseling: Effective Under Certain Circumstances
Reflecting upon my group experiences as well as the lessons from class, I’ve come to the conclusion that group counseling is most effective under certain circumstances. These circumstances include a feeling of being alone, having a lack of support, and a need for modeling. When these conditions are met, I have found that group therapy can be even more effective than individual counseling.
Feeling Alone
Feeling alone in one’s experiences can be extremely isolating, which can lead to feelings of embarrassment and shame. Unfortunately, isolating behaviors can escalate and lead to even more psychosocial problems. In my experience working with bereavement groups, I’ve found that even though …show more content…
Instilling hope is important for any type of therapy because this can significantly impact the client’s engagement and outcome (Yalom, 2005). Providing information, whether through didactic instruction or advice, can be useful for increasing a client’s knowledge (Yalom, 2005). Altruistic actions or behaviors are those that come from a place of selflessness. These factors are components of support: supportive people provide a sense of hope, they share information in order to help as best they can, and usually these come from a place of …show more content…
In the bereavement groups that I worked with, I engaged in activities and games meant to help process grief and get the children to stages of acceptance. My women’s group is primarily psychoeducational, focusing on helping women develop healthier habits and more positive ways of thinking. That being said, I still believe my theoretical orientation to group will continue to be cognitive-behaviorally based since I have found it to be effective. Though I like humanistic theory for individual counseling, I don’t necessarily think it would be most effective for me in a group setting since I primarily see myself conducting psychoeducational groups. I think it would be difficult to have psychoeducational groups without being able to provide direction and lead the group. Even though I enjoyed the t-group experience, which I link to a humanistic approach, I don’t think I could see myself leading one. This is mostly due to there being more emphasis and need for psychoeducational groups more than my desire to lead a