Leah_Kiser_u7a1_EffectiveGroups

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1 Unit 7: Foundations of Effective Group Work Leah Kiser School of Counseling and Human Services, Capella University COUN5241: Group Counseling & Psychotherapy Dr. D. Lenares-Solomon February 28, 2021

2 Unit 7: Foundations of Effective Group Work Group counseling is a great treatment choice for individuals who struggle with numerous intrapersonal and interpersonal concerns. Specific group counseling types have different focuses and goals in helping people invoke change through a sense of community that shows individuals that they are not alone in their problems (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2018). The overall goal of group counseling is to increase knowledge of self and others for individuals, help members of the group clarify changes they want to make in their life, provide tools to make change, and support those changes within the group. There are multiple types of groups used in counseling: task groups, psychoeducational groups, counseling groups, psychotherapy groups, and brief groups. However, the most common groups used in the educational setting by school counselors are task, psychoeducational, or counseling groups (Corey, et al., 2018). In this case, the school counselor has been tasked with creating a psychoeducational group to help improve academic outcomes of struggling eighth grade students. Psychoeducational groups involve members that are well- functioning but need assistance in a specific deficit that they have – in this case, academic knowledge and skills (Corey, et al., 2018). Therefore, the purpose of this group is to improve the student’s grades in their four core classes, language arts, science, social studies, and math, by developing effective academic skills, maintaining or improving student attendance, and improve academic self-efficacy disrupting dysfunctional thinking about academic success. Theoretical Orientation for Group Work Two theoretical orientations that are helpful for group work, especially with adolescents, are solution-focused counseling and reality therapy. When counseling children or adolescents, it is important for school counselors to have an idea of different theoretical orientations for counseling, even if they primarily operate from one orientation, so they are able to adjust their

3 counseling strategy based on the needs of the student or students (Henderson & Thompson, 2016). First, solution focused therapy is a therapeutic strategy that draws the student’s attention away from the problem and focuses on developing a solution. The questioning is key in solution focused therapy and is the primary means of this therapeutic strategy. The key to questioning in solution focused therapy is to have the student imagine life beyond the problem, describe what that life looks like, and have the client develop paths or ways to achieve that ideal life thus he/she is focused on creating solutions (Henderson & Thompson, 2016). On the other hand, the use of reality therapy helps the student recognize that their problems come from unsatisfying relationships and situations. With proper use of reality therapy, students begin to address their thinking around problematic relationships and situations and learn to adjust their behaviors and reactions to get the results they want for their life. The major focus of reality is problem-solving in the present, and not looking back or living in the past (Henderson & Thompson, 2016). Considering the goals of this group, both reality therapy and solution-focused counseling can help adjust dysfunctional thinking surrounding academic performance and academics self- efficacy of failing students. One of the core techniques of a reality therapy-based approach is the WDEP system of thinking. In this system, students are asked to address their wants and desires, which could look like better grades or wanting to graduate eighth grade, and then think about the actions they are already doing to achieve that goal and evaluate what actions are working and which actions tend to be getting in the way of achieving that goal. From this evaluation, person lead change occurs, and students are able to adjust behaviors and thoughts to achieve their wants and desires and lead a happier life (Wubbolding, Casstevens, & Fulkerson, 2017). While reality- based approaches are able to address total behavior that is able to direct and indirectly affect the success of individuals in the group, it can often be difficult for young adolescent to grasp or

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4 understand and requires a highly experienced and well-practiced counselor to navigate it successfully with this age group (Henderson & Thompson, 2016; Wubbolding, Casstevens, & Fulkerson, 2017). Therefore, as a new counselor working with this group of students for the first time on their academic struggles, a solution-focused approach may be best for the success of the group. In working with adolescents, solution focused counseling goals and strategies align well with the developmental stages of this age group. Solution focused counseling is all about building collaborative relationships, developing practical goals for problem solving, defining and developing solutions rather than focus on the problem, and increase the use of solution-focused behaviors in the child or adolescent (Murphy, 2014). This is ideal for group settings where students are expected to work through their problems together and challenge each other to recognize the expectations to their academic struggles. Also, solution focused counseling aligns well with general goals of group counseling like developing effective conversational and problem-solving skills that can used throughout the lifespan (Henderson & Thompson, 2017; Murphy, 2014). Stages of Group Counseling The formation stage of a group is vital for the progress of the rest of the group because it lays the foundations of group members getting to know each other, the purpose of the group, and why they are involved in the group (Corey, et al., 2018). In this stage, members of the group are introduced to each other and begin the initial stages of counseling. Members may begin to feel each other out and figure out their own place in the group; increasing their own self-awareness in the group. It is important for the counselor to note that in the initial stage it is natural for members to be self-conscious or feel uncomfortable and to give group members time to adjust to

5 the new setting and get their bearings. Specifically, in working with adolescences, some members may struggle to feel connected to the group and may need more time to adjust to being part of the group than other members (Corey, et al., 2018). In this moment, the counselor may consider drawing attention to the feeling of discomfort and use it as a moment for other members to connect based on those natural feelings of getting comfortable in this group setting. Although it may seem counterproductive, it may be really helpful in building connections, understanding, and trust to break groups into smaller groups and discuss a focus question related to the objective of the group. This will allow members to get to know members more intimately and build stronger connections for later in the transition stage when members will be pushed a bit more emotionally by the group or the group leaders. The transition stage is essentially the stage in which the training wheels come off and the true purpose of the counseling group is explored on a deeper level (Corey, et al., 2018). Group leaders and members may begin to challenge each other as they are pushed to reveal more intense emotions, thoughts, and beliefs on specific topics or events affecting their life. This may look like group members being supportively questioned by the group leaders about their goals reacted to group counseling and the commitment of members to effectively addressing the issues related to the purpose of the group (Corey, et al., 2018). School counselors in this stage may begin to appropriately nudge and probe members into exploring their issues more deeply while still allowing members to set boundaries and limits to their level of sharing with the group. Group members begin to develop their goals and reflect on what they want to achieve in being a member of this counseling group ( Delucia-Waack, 2000). Also, group members start to build meaningful connections with other group members, which is also a focus of the transition stage. Overall, in this stage the members of the group are beginning to become less dependent on the

6 group leaders to steer the conversation. The most significant sign of success in the transition stage in a psychoeducational group setting is members begin to actively help each other process their feelings and experiences, build stronger connections as a group, begin to naturally and independently work toward the counseling goals of the group (Furr, 2000). The working stage of the group is when the connections of the group are put to the test and group members really begin to challenge each other on their struggles that brought them to group. This can look like members verbally discussing their issues and working through them with other group members in an interactive manner or encouraging others to share more about their perspective and experiences. In this stage, resistance and conflict are normal and must be expected by the group leaders (Corey, et al., 2018). Group leaders must not shy away from conflict in this stage as it often leads to major growth and process for members if they are able to successful work though it. As mentioned by Delucia-Waack (2000), the working phase is a time when group members work in the here and now and students become truly present working through struggles with the group. Specifically in addressing academic goals of this group, group leaders can start to ask questions to push students a little more in depth and clarify feelings, thoughts and difficulties related to school or set up role playing scenarios amongst members to help address dysfunctional thinking about academic challenges (Corey, et al., 2018; Delucia- Waack, 2000). The use of counseling activities tied to a theoretical approach within the counseling group are helpful in encourage deep emotional progress and address the goals of the group directly. The final stage is where group members reflect on their progress, evaluate the skills and knowledge they gained in group, and identify areas in their life in which they can apply their newly gained knowledge and skills to improve functioning and decrease further issues related to

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7 the counseling goal (Corey, et al., 2018). During this stage, the school counselor may want to address unfinished business and students will begin to make plans for the next steps to continue their progress. This can include continued contact with other group members, follow up/check in sessions with group leaders, and/or continued individual counseling (Corey, et al., 2018; Delucia-Waack, 2000). This can be a difficult stage for many members as they struggle with leaving the safety of the group and having to begin to figure out their struggles on their own. In this stage, group leaders may want to encourage students who are struggling to reflect on their skills or write down their plans and keep them to remind them they are well-equipped to address their academic concerns more independently then before group started (Delucia-Waack, 2000). It is also important for the counselor to prepare for this stage and be clear about establishing support networks for students within the school. Formation of the Group Keeping in mind the goal of this counseling group, which is to prepare academically struggling students for the transition from middle school to high school, the most important for steps would be identify the students in most need of this support. In order to do this, the counselor may want cross examine data points that most affect academic success, like attendance, discipline referrals, and overall grade point averages. Beyond that, the counselor may look at current grades, I&RS referrals, or students on academic intervention plans. There may be a large number of students who fit these categories and that data can be overwhelming, therefore the counselor may look for input from teachers or administration about students who they feel may be good fit for this group. It is important for the counselor to use all their recourses in determining participation in this group. Overall, this group would be a mixture of psychoeducational which will focus on open discussion of any challenges students may be

8 experiencing when thinking about transitioning to high school next year and identify specific academic support strategies to assist them building their academic self-efficacy. Once potential group members have been identified, the counselor may choose to informally observe and speak to students about their level of interest in being a part of the group (Furr, 2000; Delucia-Waack, 2000). If a student is showing particular interest in being part of the group, the counselor may then offer a letter about the group, which will include a description of the group, the intended purpose and goal of the group, why the group is being formed, and contact information for the counselor to follow up with any questions to review with their parents. In some districts, it may also be wise of the counselor to contact the student’s parent/guardians about the conversation they had with their student, so they are not blind-sided at home with the news of the group (Delucia-Waack, 2000). It is also important to consider a variety of students for this group and to find a good balance of potential group dynamics, including personality, cultural background and social/emotional backgrounds (Corey, et al., 2018; Delucia-Waack, 2000). Intervention Plan for the Group In deciding to use a solution-focused approach with this group, there are a number of techniques and activities that can be conducted in group to help students imagine a problem-free life and develop effective solutions to their academic struggles. To begin the group, the counselor will have the students, as well as their parents/guardians and teachers, fill out a quick survey about academic strengths, on-going thoughts/feelings about school, and any behavioral concerns related to academic success they have witnessed or experienced through their education. This will serve as the foundation of the group as the group members explore and challenge their academic mindset. Students will attend hour long sessions once a week for ten

9 weeks in which they are expected to engage in solution-focused activities that encourage problem-free talk, building on exceptions to their academic struggles, and adjusting behaviors and thoughts in order to improve self-advocacy, academic self-efficacy, and academic perseverance ( Steen, S., & Kaffenberger, 2017). Students will use other solution focused strategies like goal mapping to identify effective study habits, ways to approach teachers about asking for extra help when necessary and increasing parental involvement in assisting in academic work (Murphy, 2014). Throughout the group, members will have opportunities to work in smaller groups and provide feedback to their peers and discuss ‘best hopes’ of each group session in order to stay focused on the academic goals of the group. By the end of the group counseling sessions, students will have developed their own academic plan based on the techniques and strategies discussed in group. As the group leader, it is important to encourage collaboration within the group and have the student try different techniques to figure out which ones work best for them in improving their grades. Examples of these strategies may include using graphic or organizers to take notes, homework assignment calendars, list of teachers to turn to for extra help, and peers that each student feels comfortable asking for extra help, etc. Success of this group will be evidenced by an increase in letter grade in all four core classes and more positive perception of school for all students who participated in the group. To encourage the success of the group throughout the set number of sessions, the school counselor needs to make sure the group is effectively accessing their progress in the group. One way to do this is by providing evaluation that students, parents, and even teachers can fill out regarding the student’s progress while in the group (Steen & Kaffenberer, 2017). More informal evaluations can be done toward the middle of the sessions, allowing students to share their feelings of their own progress or if they feel like they are doing better working toward

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10 the goal of the group. At the end of the marking period, a few weeks after the end of the group, follow-up sessions will be scheduled so students are able to come together one last time to reflect on their experience in the group, evaluate the success of the strategies they developed, and continue to collaborate and tweak any strategies that did not work for members (Thomas & Pender, 2008). Beyond this, follow up sessions allow group members to provide feedback about their experience as a group member. This constructive feedback can used to guide programming, improve practices, and become a more effective counselor. Ethical Considerations There are a number of organizations that lay out guidelines and standards for ethical practice that the counselor must consider when completing group work in an educational setting. Organizations like the American School Counseling Association (ASCA), American Counseling Association (ACA), and more specifically, the Association of Specialists for Group Work (ASGW) all provide ethical frameworks for effective group counseling and address standards to be follow for counselors to avoid serious ethical dilemmas. As counseling professionals, it is an ethical responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of the students as a top priority. School counselors specifically have responsibility to not only the students they serve, but the families and school community as well to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect and given equity access to district and community services and resources to best support individual academic, social/emotional, and career development (ASCA, 2016). School counselors can prevent damage to the counseling relationship and protect their students by consistently engaging in self-reflection and practicing self-awareness in order to ensure personal values, beliefs, and opinions, especially in groups when conflict will arise naturally amongst members (ACA, 2014; ASCA, 2016, Thomas & Pender, 2008). It is also important that counselors’ practice within their

11 competence level and facilitate groups from the framework of evidence-based or research-based practices (ACA, 2014, ASCA, 2016). Therefore, school counselors who have little experience in working in groups must recognize when they many need support from more experienced counselors or refer individual members to more qualified services (Thomas & Pender, 2008). Keeping in mind considerations for cultural values, educational needs, and group topics of individual group members when conducting groups as school counselor is vital for the success of the group and helps to maintain an effective and productive group. A major ethical concern that is present in all counseling settings is the issues of confidentiality, especially in schools. School counselors need to be consistently be evaluating how they are protecting the personal information and identify of students on their caseload. Protecting the confidentiality of students is not only important ethically for school counselors but is a major legal consider for school counselors. School counselors have the additional pressures of having to consider and follow educational law under FERPA and HIPPA when maintaining confidentially of students (ASCA, 2016). The best strategies in maintaining confidentiality of students is clear communication with both the students and guardians about the limits of confidentiality and when confidentiality can be broken between the student and parent. It is important to communicate with the parent that the primary ethical obligation for confidentiality is to the student, but there is an understanding parent/guardians inherent right to be the guiding voice in their child’s life (ASCA, 2016, A.2.f). Within the group, the counselor must stress to students the importance of confidentiality and not speaking about what is discussed in group outside the group. According to Thomas and Pender (2008), when the group leaders discusses confidentiality in the initial stages of group counseling, the members feel safe to disclose and work through potentially difficult situations without fear that their personal struggles will

12 become public knowledge; the group counseling environment is built on trust and support of one and other. In conducting group work, school counselors are tasked with determining a group topic that is appropriate for the age group they are working with and still aligned with the mission and vision of the school community. School counselors want to be conducting productive group counseling sessions that achieve the educational goals of the school administration and justify their use of groups ( Delucia-Waack, 2000). In Section C.3.a of the ASGW Best Practice Guidelines, group leaders are expected to evaluate process, outcomes, and results of the group and how this data can be effectively be used to better their practice, plan counseling programing, and develop counseling research (Thomas & Pender, 2008). This aligns with a lot of the standards for practice and development of school counseling programming. For example, section A.7 of the ASCA ethical standards addresses guidelines for group work and mentions providing the necessary follow up with group members to ensure continued progress, get feedback on participation in the group, and collect data on progress related to counseling goals (ASCA, 2016, A.7.j, A.7.i). Therefore, the school counselor is ethically obligated to provide the necessary follow up sessions with members within a few weeks after the end of the group counseling sessions. These follow up sessions serve a dual purpose of allowing group member to provide feedback about their experience as a group member and give constructive feedback to the group leaders that can used to guide programming, improve practices, and help the counselor becomes a more effective group leader.

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13 References American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA code of ethics [PDF] . Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/Resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf . American School Counselor Association. (2016). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Ethics/EthicalStandards2016.pdf Corey M. S., Corey G., & Corey C. (2017). Groups: Process and Practice. [Capella]. Retrieved from https://capella.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781337469227/ Delucia-Waack, J. L. (2000). Effective group work in the schools. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work,25 (2), 131-132. doi:10.1080/01933920008411456. Furr, S. R. (2000). Structuring the group experience: A format for designing psychoeducational groups. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work,25 (1), 29-49. doi:10.1080/01933920008411450. Henderson, C. L., & Thompson, D. A. (2016). Counseling children (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning. Murphy, J. J. (2014). Solution-focused counseling in schools . Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.library.capella.edu Steen, S., & Kaffenberger, C. J. (2017). Integrating academic interventions into small group counseling in elementary school . Professional School Counseling, 10 (5), 516–519. Thomas R. V., Pender D. A., (2008). Association for Specialists in Group Work: Best Practice Guidelines 2007 Revisions. The Journal For Specialists In Group Work. 33(2), 111-117. Wubbolding, R. E., Casstevens, W. J., & Fulkerson, M. H. (2017). Using the WDEP system of

14 reality therapy to support person-centered treatment planning . Journal of Counseling & Development, 95 (4), 472–477.

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