Group counseling

Group counseling Group counseling Group counseling is a form of therapy that approaches personal growth using interpersonal interaction (Corey, 2012). Individuals with similar issues, problems, or experience interact with each other together with a professional therapist to identify their problems and how to deal with them. Group interactions are very effective because it provides an opportunity to build relationship among people and receive interpersonal feedback on how individuals experience one another. The main concept is for people with similar problems to meet and share their experience and know that they are not alone. Through these groups, individuals are able to gain specific skill and strategies that will help them achieve personal goals, explore area that are of challenge to them and get encouragement from others.
Group counseling was stabilized by the emergency of training groups (T-Groups). T-groups are a group where people come together to work and effect interpersonal change. Today there are several kinds of these groups. Group therapy have similar characteristics and that is; they are small groups and leader directed (Corey, 2012). However, there are four common group therapy namely:
Psychoanalytic Therapy
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Skills Development Groups
Support Groups.
Planning
There are a number of things to consider before starting group counseling. Some of the things to considers are, the purpose and goal of the group, will the group be homogenous (is a closed group, membership is open up to a certain time then closed and attendance is until the end of the session) or heterogeneous (are open groups one can join and live at will). Another thing to consider is the size of the group, the duration, and the venue where the group would be meeting (Jacobs, 2006). Additionally it is always important to prescreen people before they become members of the group; at this point, the group explains its rules and regulation while the client talks of their expectation and their intensions (DeLucia-Waack, 2004). The following paper analyses on two different types of group counseling.
Psychoanalytic Therapy: this group the therapist spends their time listening to patients talk about their lives. At this point, the therapist will come up with a topic that is relevant to the client’s current problem (Jacobs, 2006). The group is more educational in nature, and is led by an expertise who is aware of real-life issues affecting people.
Benefits of Psychoanalytic Therapy
This group has received many critics from people terming it as time consuming and expensive. However, it has its benefits in such a way that the therapist creates an environment where people can open up freely and share their fears and thought. The aspect of sharing is also beneficial since the client will be able to off load their burdens.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: This type of group counseling deals with a specific problem. The group helps individual with irrational thinking to change their thought, perceptions, and beliefs. For instance, an individual who believes that he or she cannot quit drinking then this is the best group to attend. Another example is an individual who is being helped to overcome fear of heights.
Similarities
Both groups are group counseling, where people get to interact.
Both group work toward assisting individual to overcome an issue in their life
There is no confidentiality in both
Both are cost effective
Group members support each other.
Differences
The first on deal with a wide range of issues in people’s lives, while the other one deals with a specific thing.
Group counseling is a very powerful tool it maintains the focus of the group and is a tool toward change. Group members are responsible for one another and help each other to achieve their goal and purpose.
References
Corey, G. (2012). Theory & practice of group counseling. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.
DeLucia-Waack, J. L. (2004). Handbook of group counseling and psychotherapy. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications.
Jacobs, E. E. (2006). Group counseling: Strategies and skills. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Brooks/Cole.
Shulman, L. (2011). Dynamics and skills of group counseling. Belmont, Calif: Brooks/Cole Pub Co.