Term Paper on "Facilitating and Experiencing a Psychotherapy Group With Disruptive Adults"

Term Paper 4 pages (1369 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Group Counseling" by Jacob and Spadaro is to help introduce those who are working in a correctional setting to the concept of leading a group in a correctional setting. Because the article being discussed is a book chapter it does not describe a single research design, methodology, or results. However, it does engage in a discussion of some of the basics of group counseling. It focuses on skills and techniques used in group counseling sessions, rather than focusing on the theory behind group counseling. Moreover, they focus specifically on groups in a correctional setting. By correctional setting, the authors are referring to counseling occurring in any location where the members are there because they have been instructed to be there, rather than there by choice. This includes prisons, penitentiaries, jails, detention centers, residential centers, work camps, halfway houses, probation office, and parole offices. They also begin to address some of the specific concerns that come with addressing groups in these settings. One of the problems that plague groups in correctional settings is that many group members are not willing to participate and engage in behavior that is meant to sabotage other group members, leading many people to question why one would conduct group rather than individual sessions in a correctional facility. The answer to that dilemma is multi-faceted, but one of the main reasons is because engaging in therapy with fellow inmates can actually be helpful to inmates.

This chapter provides significant information about the interview process. It not only discusses group dynamics, but addresses them specifically from the perspective of correctional facilities. There are so many unique facets of working with an incarcerated or otherwise involuntary population that it is important to recognize that group dynamics will be different than those in an outside environment.

References

Jacobs, E. & Spadaro, N. (2003). Introduction to group counseling. In Leading Groups in Corrections: Skills and Techniques, 1-21. Lanham, MD: American Correctional Association.

Facilitating and Experiencing a Psychotherapy Group with Disruptive Adults

One of the most pressing difficulties for counselors working with groups is that the counselor cannot control the therapeutic process in the same way that the counselor can in one-on-one counseling situations. Instead, group situations allow group members to interact, so that the issues and concerns of one group member can impact the participation and progress of another group member. In many scenarios, this interaction is considered beneficial. In fact, one of the purposes behind group practice is to encourage interaction between group members so that they can benefit from others' experiences. However, it would be naive to suggest that all group members will always be beneficial to the group. Frequently, groups contain members who are disruptive and who do not desire the same benefits other group members are seeking. While this can occur in any setting, groups where some members may be forced to participate, such as groups in correctional settings or substance abuse groups, are more likely to have difficult and disruptive members. Therefore, it is critical for group leaders to be prepared to facilitate psychotherapy groups that contain disruptive adults.

One of the problems with leading a non-voluntary group is that some of the members would not choose to participate in the group if they were not compelled to be present. Therefore, a leader needs to learn how to overcome resistance. If the leader is effectively able to overcome resistance in group members, he greatly decreases the likelihood of encountering disruptive behavior. To do this, the leader has to make sure that the group is sufficiently deep that it will elicit emotions in its members, but also manage groups in a way that keeps them from being overwhelming for group members. Incarcerated persons and substance abusers frequently lack the skills needed to handle complex emotions, which is why they may have responded with anti-social behavior in the face of past adversity. Therefore, group facilitators need to keep these potential limitations in mind when leading a group, so that they can avoid disruptive scenarios when they are avoidable.

Perhaps the most important thing that a group facilitator should keep in… READ MORE

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