Group therapy and its use in addiction treatment
Group therapy is a strong therapeutic tool and has been greatly effective over the years, in the treatment of substance abuse. On most occasions, it is as equally effective as the individual type of therapy, since the groups are associated with many traits that have good rewards. Some of these types of rewards include the reduction of isolation and quick recovery.
This model of group therapy provides some information that is important to the client, who may require this service for the first time. The model also helps the peers in schools to avoid and abstain from any form of abuse of substances.
The possibility of having a professional single treatment in the model also enables people using it to attend to a number of clients at the same time. The model has also been credited with the provision of feedbacks when tasked with providing the values and the abilities of the members of each group.
The model helps in solving this problem since it helps the clients to overcome past experiences in their families that may be harmful. The substance model is also important as it gives the members the opportunity to learn the skills needed in the society.
This helps them to cope with their everyday life instead of looking for solutions to end their abuse of substances. The substance and drug abuse is also solved through the support, encouragement, and reinforcement of members, when they are carrying out some anxious and difficult tasks.
How counselors can intervene in the group process
Counselors can intervene in the group process, when majority of the members are faced with the self-denial, to try and solve this problem by helping the members accept their own problems.
The counselors can also intervene when there is a confrontation between the members, to help solve the problem. They can also intervene in the case of a critical situation when a member proves a hard nut to crack in trying to solve the substance abuse problem in him or her.
Counselors are also important in the group process, as they provide information to the members concerning recovery and addiction, and also aid in clarifying issues and providing answers to the questions asked during the session. They can intervene in the case where the members of the group are in need of psycho educational tips, which can help them relate with the material personally, rather than intellectually.
The counselors also intervene in the group to ensure that there is interaction and participation between all members, as it enhances the sharing of feelings, experiences and thoughts. The counselors also make sure that there is a healthy reinforcement between the members, through healthy behaviors that build a healthy interaction between them.
The counselors are also involved in validating issues or problems that may be shown by individual members. When a group member for instance struggles with relapse, the counselors acknowledge and try to elicit support from the rest of the members without becoming judgmental.
The counselors also challenge the members to practice behaviors that are counterproductive, and this involves giving a prompt feedback on his/her present behavior.
Group culture
Group culture is the culture of both the formal and informal groups, and it helps them to carry out tasks that are important to the system of the organization.
In group culture, individuals are recruited and assigned various roles to play in the group, so as to facilitate the achievement of the group’s goals and objectives. In group therapy, the group culture is a common way of doing things and this greatly helps in fostering success of the therapy.
Group culture can be defined in other terms as a participatory democracy. This is the culture where people speak with one voice, through their actions. In this form of culture, a group of people start solving their problems themselves, by first assessing the solutions within them.
The group assesses the solutions at hand rather than the solutions from outside. A group culture is involved in the decisions that control lives, by taking a direct action of reclaiming the power from fear, detachment and isolation. Individuals basically challenge oppression and unearth the self-empowerment within them.
In a group culture, the group primarily focuses on one specific incident or worry amongst the members, that is very crucial to them. They then converge and each member of the group epics his/her own thoughts and feelings. They form forums where they focus on counseling, problem solving and discussions, without interference from other people outside the group.