Questions Members Often ask Themselves
- Will I be accepted
or rejected hers?
- How will this
group be different from my daily interactions?
- What exactly
will theses sessions be like?
- What risks will
I take in here?
- How am I like
other people here? Different?
- Will I feel
pressured and pushed to perform in some way?
- How important
will I be?
- Who will be
the real leaders here? What can be achieved here?
Concerns and Fears
- I'm afraid I'll
look stupid.
- Will I tell
too much about myself?
- Will others
like me?
- What if I find
out what I'm really like?
- What if everyone
rejects me?
- What if the
group attacks me?
- I'm afraid I'll
be withdrawn and passive.
- What will happen
if I really open up my feeling?
- Will I embarrass
myself?
- What if I'm
asked to do something I don't want to do?
- What if others
can tell I'm afraid and nervous?
- What if I find
out things about myself that I can't cope with?
Characteristics of Initial Stage
- Silence and
awkwardness.
- High anxiety.
- Impatience to
"get the ball rolling".
- Confusion about
what everybody is supposed to be doing.
- Storytelling,
a tendency to talk about others and focus on people and situations
outside of the group.
- Central issue
is trust vs. mistrust.
- Testing of each
other and the leaders.
- Requests for
greater leader involvement.
- Cocktail conversations,
safe levels of conversation.
- Vying for informal
leadership.
Some Ways to Start a Group Sessions
- Go around
the room and have each member state what he/she wants from the
upcoming session.
- As leaders,
share your thoughts about where the group is at, how it is progressing,
ways the group might be getting stuck, etc.
- Ask members
if they have any unresolved feelings or thoughts about the previous
session: "Did anyone have any after thoughts or leftover feelings
about last week's session?"
- Ask, "How
is each of you feeling about being here today?"
- Have each
member complete the sentence, "Today I'd like to get actively
involved by"
- Announce,
"As a way of beginning tonight, let;s have a brief go-around and
have each of you say what you'd most like to be able to say by
the end of this session."
- Inquire of
each member: "what were you thinking and feeling before coming
to the group today?" or "Whom (or what) are you most aware of
in this room right now, and why?"
Some Ways to End a Group Session
- Ask members
to tell the group briefly what they learned about themselves through
their relationships with other members in that particular session.
- Ask, "What
was it like for you to be in this group tonight?"
- Instruct,
"Let's do a quick go-around and have everyone say a few words
on how the group is progressing so far and make any suggestions
for change."
- Indicate,
"Before we close tonight, I'd like to share with you some of my
reactions and observations of this session."
- Ask if anybody
has any feedback that they would like to give another member or
the leaders.
- Determine
if here are any issues that members would like to return to or
explore in the next session.
Planning a group - Practical Considerations
- What is the
purpose of the group?
- What are the
specific goals of the group?
- What type
of group will this be?
- What theory
will guide the group?
- What specific
techniques and strategies will be used?
- Can I
develop a session-by-session plan?
- What therapeutic
factors will be emphasized?
- To what degree
will sessions be structured?
- How will I
market the group? Obtain referrals?
- What will
be the cost of the group?
- How will I
screen/evaluate potential members?
- What are the
criteria for inclusion/exclusion?
- Where will
the group meet? What props do I need?
- What will
be the duration and frequency of meetings?
- How many people
will participate in the group?
- Will the group
be open or closed?
- How many sessions
will the group meet?
- Will I use
a co-leader? Who?
- What will
be the group rules? How will these be conveyed?
- How will I
prepare participants for the group?
- What problems
can I expect to run into, and how will I deal with those?
- How will I
handle dropouts?
- Under what
circumstances will I remove a member from the group?
- What paperwork/documentation
will be required?
- How will I
assess outcomes of the group?
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