Group work suggests exceptional opportunities to explore both interpersonal and intrapersonal problems. One of the benefits of group counseling is that it gives the possibility to work with more people (Corey, 2015). Effective counseling may create a preventive environment, enable self-discovery together with discovering the others. It suggests a chance of redefining oneself and contributes to the development of interpersonal awareness (Berg, Landreth, & Fall, 2013). “Groups provide a natural laboratory and a sense of community that demonstrates to people that they are not alone and that there is hope for creating a different life” (Corey, Corey & Corey, 2014, p.6), so the group counseling may be useful for people with similar problems.
The group session I have attended gathered eight adolescent girls who have experienced sexual violence. All those girls aged from twelve to sixteen were sexually abused by their fathers at different periods. It was the first meeting of the counseling group. As Corey et al. (2014) state, a counseling group may aid in solving common but often complicated daily issues. These problems are often connected with education, work, personal and social issues. This type of group usually aims at some inner mechanisms and problem-solving approaches. The participants of the group get guidance from the counselor, which will help them realize the causes of the problems. Speaking about the goals of the group I have attended, I would choose the two stated by Corey et al. (2014). The first one is “Helping people develop more positive attitudes and better interpersonal skills” (Corey et al., 2014, p.9). During the meeting, the participants of the group will share their experiences. It will help them realize that they are not alone and that some other people have similar problems.
Those people are different, with various backgrounds, but they still faced the same troubles. In the process of communication within the group, its members will also improve their interpersonal skills. Not all the people, especially observing personal problems, can get along well with the others. The improvement of interpersonal skills will contribute to their ability to express themselves. The second goal is “Using the group process to facilitate behavior change” (Corey et al., 2014, p.9). The behavior change is one of the final stages of group work. Still, it “does not occur through magic” (Jacobs, Schimmel, Masson, & Harvill, 2015, p.314). It can be a result of a long process connected with the study of needs, planning actions, and assessing results. The counselor’s task is to guide the group, arrange activities to provide efficient work, and reach those goals.
As it was the first meeting of the group, it started with the acquaintance. In the beginning, the group leader emphasized the safety of the meeting. She explained that the information revealed in the room would not go further. Then, each of the girls introduced herself. The role of the counselor here was limited to active listening. After that, the girls were questioned about their feelings at that moment and the expectations from the meeting. Although questioning is often overused by counselors (Corey et al., 2014), it was a proper choice for the initial stage of the group work here. It helped the leader to reveal the emotional condition of the participants without touching the main problem. The girls honestly shared that they felt depressed, judged, used, scared, and low. These emotions were mainly negative. Some mentioned they felt annoyed and confused, and only one person said she felt hopeful. This assessment evaluated the emotional preconditions of this group. Later, after the planned number of meetings, it will be curious to compare the feelings in the beginning and at the end of the group work. As for the expectations, the group members mentioned the following. The girls were hopeful; they wanted to gain back respect and feel normal. They hoped to stop feeling worried and feel happy instead. Besides, they wanted to work with their fears and start to believe that everything that had happened did not matter. This evaluation of the expectations is useful for both the participants and the counselor. The group members get a clearer aim of the meetings after sharing their hopes, and the counselor can adapt his work plan to meet the needs of the group.
At this stage, it is hard to evaluate the effectiveness of the group. The first meeting was dedicated mainly to getting acquainted and did not touch the problem. It is probably a thoughtful approach, for it may be difficult for teenage girls to speak about the abuse they experienced with the people they see for the first time. Later, when they realize that they all observe the same difficulties, they may become more open and ready to share. Thus, the effectiveness of group work will increase.
The first meeting is usually embarrassing. It is early to talk about the members’ satisfaction, but the girls looked more relaxed at the end of the meeting. Consequently, I can predict that further meetings will also be comfortable and productive.
To my mind, the aim of this meeting echoes one of the core values of Saint Leo University, which is the value of respect. A meeting like this stimulates its participants to respect their dignity. I have noted some points that I can use in my practice. Productive group work should be well-planned. First of all, it is important to study the group characteristics at the initial stage, for every group is different. Even people with similar problems react to them differently. Secondly, the atmosphere of trust should be created. The members must believe that their privacy is respected. Each group counseling should have distinct goals. Sitting in a circle and talking only will not solve the problem. When the goals are identified and clear, it is easier to formulate minor tasks for every meeting. Also, it may be a good idea to think of a particular way of opening and closing the group sessions. Rituals may be helpful to the people in the situations of stress, as they give the feeling of stability. In general, the mentioned above components of preparations can be used for both groups and families. The initial stage may differ as long as the family members already know each other. Still, with some specific issues, the stage of acquaintance may also be productive for a family.
On the whole, group sessions are efficient means of handling certain personal or social problems. Still, despite various advantages, group counseling has some limitations. Not all individuals feel safe enough to work successfully in the group. For some people, an individual meeting will be preferable to discuss their problems. One more thing that should be considered is the age range. The people in a counseling group should be of approximately the same age. The counselor has to be well-prepared, listening, trustworthy, and anticipating to get the best results from a group session as possible.
References
Berg, R.C., Landreth, G.L., & Fall, K.A. (2013). Group counseling: Concepts and procedures (5th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Corey, G. (2015). Theory and practice of group counseling (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Corey, M.S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2014). Groups: Process and practice (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thompson Brooks.
Jacobs, E.E, Schimmel, C.J., Masson, R.L.L., & Harvill, R. (2015). Group counseling: Strategies and skills (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.