CCEUS15 - Group Counseling Approaches In The High School: Strategies For Success With Troubled As Well As Talented Students [10contact hours] - [$50.00 -  NO OTHER COURSE FEES APPLY]  Conducting support groups in the secondary school is a valuable tool for counselors to employ to enable students to deal with the stress, trials, and tribulations of attending a modern high school.  This course is designed as a primer on getting groups started in a high school and facilitating the development of the members of the group toward more healthy and useful ways of dealing with problems they may encounter. A step-by-step guide to starting and facilitating groups for various populations will be introduced.  Group topics could include anger management, divorce, children of parents harmfully involved in substance abuse, relationships, multicultural concerns, social skills, and stress reduction. The flexibility of a group approach to these problems can be unlimited and can benefit the atmosphere of the entire school.

Course Directions

Click on the Course Directions page to read course procedures.    

As a result of the work in this course the student/counselor will:

Group Counseling For School Counselors: A Practical Guide.  Greg Brigman and Barbara Earley.  ISBN #0825117852.  $19.96 on The Bookstore page .

1. Describe four themes that may be part of a counseling program in a high school.

2. What are the core principles that guide the textbook authors in using groups in the school?

3. What are the beliefs and perceptions that underpin an effective group counseling program?

4. Discuss the rationale for group counseling as outlined in the theories of Donald Dinkmyer.

5. Outline the types of groups that may be appropriate for the high school level.

6. Outline the logistical specifics regarding group counseling in your school.

7. What role can teachers, administrators, and parents play in establishing a group counseling program in the high school.

8. List some of the major things that need to be addressed in getting a group counseling program started in a high school.

9. What are the major elements to present in a pre-group screening?

10. Review some of the most helpful tips in leading groups.

11. What could you add to the textbook considerations of pre-group procedures or group leadership skills?

12. Discuss the need for pre-group screening before a group counseling program gets started in the high school.

13. Outline the major stages of group development and the importance of each.

14. Describe in detail the four major task-related issues of a group and four major task-related issues for maintenance of a group.

15. List the seven basic group leadership skills.    

16. Elaborate on the ethical issues pertaining to group counseling in the high school.

17. What are the major ethical tenets for counselor in running groups in the schools?

18. Why is it important for parents to be a major part of identifying and maintaining a group experience in the schools.

19. Outline how you would adapt a group entitled "Understanding Yourself And Others" for use in a high school.

20. Outline how you would adapt a group centered around friendship to the high school.

21. Detail how a group centering around the development of self-concept might be part of a high school program.

22. How could the group model be adapted to handling interpersonal conflict in the schools?

23. How can the school counselor play a role in the personal growth of teachers?

24. Discuss the establishment of parent groups with regard to the following topics:

25. Show how the following special concern groups might be adapted to the high school:

Supplementary Readings [Required Reading To Be Prepared For The Exam]

Effective Group Counseling

There is a natural tendency for people to gather in groups for mutually beneficial purposes. Through groups, individuals accomplish goals and relate to others in innovative and productive ways (McClure, 1990). People would not survive, let alone thrive, without involvement in groups. This reliance and interdependence is seen in all types of groups from those that are primarily task-oriented to those that are basically therapeutic.

In order to be effective, group leaders must be aware of the power and potency of groups. They must plan ahead and they must be sensitive to the stage of development of the group. Equipped with this knowledge they can utilize appropriate skills to help their groups develop fully (Gladding, 1994). Proper preparation and strategic intervention increase the chance of running a counseling group smoothly and effectively.

BEGINNING COUNSELING GROUPS

OBJECTIVES OF GROUP COUNSELINGGroup counseling involves individuals who are having difficulties they wish to resolve that are of a personal, educational, social, or vocational nature (Corey & Corey, 1992). These groups are primarily run in educational institutions or agencies. They deal with specific, nonpathological problems that members are aware of prior to joining and which do not involve major personality changes. For instance, group counseling may focus on how members achieve such goals as relating better to their families, becoming organized, or relaxing in the presence of supervisors at work.

GROUP MEMBERSHIPGroup membership is either homogeneous or heterogeneous. Homogeneous groups are composed of individuals who are similar, such as adolescent boys, single parents or individuals working with grief and loss issues. Heterogeneous groups are made up of people who differ in background, such as adults of various ages with varied careers. While homogeneous groups can concentrate on resolving one issue, their members may be limited experientially. In contrast, heterogeneous groups offer diverse but multifocused membership.

Effective group leaders screen potential members before accepting them. Screening allows leaders to select members and members to select leaders and groups. The ideal group size of eight to 12 allows members an opportunity to express themselves without forming into subgroups. In order to help dispel and overcome misconceptions about groups, leaders can utilize pregroup interviews to identify fears related to upcoming groups. Through feedback and explanation, misunderstandings can be immediately clarified and corrected (Childers & Couch, 1989).

RULES IN COUNSELING GROUPSCounseling groups run best when the rules governing them are few and clear. If there are more than a dozen rules, many members will tend to forget some of them. Likewise, if the rules are vague, some members will inevitably violate the letter or spirit of them. In counseling groups, rules should follow the ethical standards of professional organizations, such as the Association for Specialists in Group Work. Members should agree to keep each others' confidentiality, not attack each other verbally or physically, to actively participate in the group process, and to speak one at a time.

TIME AND PLACE OF GROUPSAlthough counseling groups vary, members need a specific, consistent time and place to meet. Most groups meet for one and one half to two hours each week for 12 to 16 sessions. The meeting room should be quiet and inviting and away from other activities. Groups work best when chairs are arranged in circles where everyone feels a sense of equality with one another and the flow of communication is enhanced (Gladding, 1994).

GROUP DYNAMICSGroup member interactions appear simple but they are not. They are complex social processes that occur within groups and that affect actions and outcomes (Lewin, 1948). Group dynamics occur in all groups, and involve the interactions of group members and leaders over time, including the roles the members and the leaders take. Individuals have an impact on groups just as groups influence members. The number of group interactions increases exponentially as the size of groups grows. Therefore, keeping track of communication patterns in counseling groups is a demanding job.

The complexity of interaction is magnified by the fact that messages are sent within counseling groups on a verbal as well as a nonverbal level. The nature of this communication is crucial to comprehending what is happening within groups. For example, a member who physically or emotionally distances from a group influences how the group operates as clearly as if he or she makes a statement. As groups develop, members frequently switch roles and patterns of interaction.

GROUP STAGES

The first group stage is "dependency" or forming. At this time, group members are unsure of themselves and look to their leaders or others for direction. This process gives members an opportunity to explore who they are in the group and to begin establishing trust. The second stage in group counseling is "conflict," or storming. It may be overt or covert. The type and amount of conflict that is generated relates to how much jockeying for position goes on in the group.

Stage three focuses on "cohesion," or norming, which can be defined as a spirit of "we-ness." In it, members become closer psychologically and are more relaxed. Everyone feels included in the group and productive sharing begins to occur. In the fourth stage, performing, the main work of the group is begun. Interdependence develops. Group members are able to assume a wide variety of constructive roles and work on personal issues. The level of comfort in the group increases too. This is a prime time of problem solving. It occupies about 50% of a typical group's time. The final stage, adjourning deals with termination. Issues of loss in separating from the group are raised. Celebrating the accomplishment of goals is also a primary focus within this stage.

GROUP COUNSELING SKILLS

a) active listening, where leaders are sensitive to the language, tone, and nonverbal gestures surrounding members' messages;

b) linking, where leaders help members recognize their similarities;

c) blocking, where leaders keep unfocused members from disrupting the group by either redirecting them or preventing them from monopolizing conversations; and

d) summarizing, where leaders help members become aware of what has occurred and how the group and its members have changed.

Empathy, personal warmth, courage, flexibility, inquiry, encouragement, and the ability to confront are vital skills too. Counseling group leaders must wear many hats in helping their groups make progress. The more skills within the counselors' repertoires the more effective they will ultimately become.

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

Corey, M. S., & Corey, G. (1992). "Groups: Process and practice" (4th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Gladding, S. T. (1994). "Effective group counseling." Greensboro, NC: ERIC/CASS.

Lewin, K. (1948). "Resolving social conflicts: Selective papers on group dynamics." New York: Harper.

McClure, B. A. (1990). "The group mind: Generative and regressive groups." Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 15, 159-170.

Tuckman, B. W., & Jensen, M. A. (1977). Stages of small group development revisited. "Group and Organizational Studies," 2, 419-427.

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Samuel T. Gladding is a Professor of Counselor Education at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Examination

The examination for this course is attached to this page.  PRINT OUT THE EXAM. All examinations consist of both True-False and/or Multiple-Choice items with five answers.  You must score 80% on the exam to gain the contact hours.  When you have printed the exam, read each question carefully, choose the BEST answer and circle the letter of the answer you choose.  Return the exam by mail to Dr. Budd A. Moore, Exam Scoring At CounselingCEUsOnline along with the signed Honor Pledge and a check or money order for $36.00 payable to Dr. Budd A. Moore. The exam and the honor pledge can also be faxed to our office at 1(717)597-2302; however, it will not be scored until the scoring fee is paid in full.  When the fee and all of the materials are received, the exam will be scored within 48 hours.  Results will be e-mailed to you as soon as they are available.  A letter of congratulations, a certificate from CounselingCEUsOnline, and an official transcript will be mailed to you.  Examinations will not be returned to the student. Records of your scores will be maintained by CounselingCEUsOnline and will be available for you for a $5.00 transcript fee.

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