The Colombo Plan Asian Centre for Certification and Education of Addiction Professionals Training Series
Curriculum 41
Basic Counseling Skills
for Addiction Professionals
MODULE 5 – GROUP COUNSELING: BASIC
SKILLS
Important
Group counseling is not the same thing as
doing individual counseling in a group setting!
Using individual counseling skills in group may
not always be effective
The needs of the group as a whole must be
balanced with the needs of individuals in the
group
Group counseling includes good facilitation
skills that enable the group to do mist of the
work
1.2
Module 5 Learning Objectives
Describe the process of preparing clients for
groups
Describe at least 2 basic issues or tasks for each
typical group phase
Describe a basic way to structure a group
session
List at least 3 ways to avoid leader-centered
groups
Demonstrate ways of managing disruptive
behavior in groups
1.3
Preparing Clients for Group
Preparing clients for group work:
Helps groups become more therapeutic more
quickly
Has a positive effect on client improvement
1.4
Pre-group Meetings with Clients
Clarify expectations
Of the client
Of the treatment program
Setup basic rules
Explore the advantages of group therapy
Correct any misconceptions about groups
1.5
Assessing and Matching Clients to Groups
Consider:
The client’s characteristics, needs, preferences,
stage of change, and stage of recovery
The program’s resources
The nature of the group or groups available
1.6
Special Considerations
Not all clients are right for a group:
Clients with co-occurring mental disorders (e.g.,
severe depression; anxiety) may not be able to
function well in a group setting
Clients with a co-occurring personality disorder
may need a group with very strict boundaries to
avoid a negative group experience or to avoid
negatively affecting other group members
Eachclient must be assessed for his or her
own individual needs in treatment
1.7
Special Considerations (continued)
Not all clients are right for a group:
Clients who have experienced trauma, especially
sexual abuse, may need a homogeneous group
Clients in the throes of a life crisis may require
more concentrated attention than groups can
provide
Clients who choose not to participate in group
therapy should not be criticized or penalized
1.8
Preparing Clients for Group Work
Screen clients for appropriateness
Assess ability to function in group
Assess stage of change
Assess willingness to participate
1.9
Preparing Clients for Group Work
(continued)
Provide information:
How group counseling compares with other group
experiences clients may have had
The benefits of group counseling, or how group
might specifically help the client
How the group is structured
The kinds of issues the group addresses
1.10
Preparing Clients for Group Work
(continued)
Recognize and affirm clients’ expectations
Ask about expectations
Correct any misconceptions
Affirm positive expectations
Address and reframe fears
1.11
Preparing Clients for Group Work
(continued)
Group agreements
Attendance requirements
Expectations of confidentiality
Whether physical contact is okay
Use of substances
Minimum participation requirements
The counselor’s punctuality
1.12
Goals of Preparation
Establish a preliminary alliance between client
and counselor
Gain a clear mutual understanding about the
client’s expectations
Offer information and instruction about the
group
1.13
Goals of Preparation (continued)
Deal with initial client anxiety about joining a
group
Present and gain acceptance of a group
agreement
1.14
Small-Group Exercise: Preparing
Clients for Groups
Resource Page 5.2: Potential Group
Members: Client Profiles
Resource Page 5.3: Types of Groups
For each of your three assigned clients:
Which group is most appropriate?
Why?
How will you prepare the client for the group?
For
one client, develop a role-play
demonstrating preparing the client for group
1.15
General Types of Groups: Time-Limited
Versus Ongoing
Time-limitedgroups have a set number of
sessions (an education group is a good
example)
Ongoing groups have no specific end date
1.16
General Types of Groups: Static Versus
Revolving Membership
Staticmembership groups keep the same
membership throughout the life of the group
with no new people joining
Revolving membership groups have people
come and go, join and leave, and the group
continues on despite the changing
membership
1.17
General Types of Groups: Content-Oriented
Versus Process-Oriented Groups
Content-oriented groups focus on identified
topics for each session (for example:
education or skills-training groups)
Process-oriented groups focus on the
interaction between group members and
counselors and are “here and now” focused,
with no specific topic identified for each
session
1.18
Your Agency’s Groups
Membership: Static or revolving?
Timeline: Time-limited or on-going?
Focus: Content-oriented or process-oriented?
1.19
Phases of Group Development
Beginning phase
Middle phase
End phase
1.20
Beginning Phase Issues and Tasks
Introducing members and facilitators
Establishing/reviewing a group agreement
Providing a safe, cohesive environment
Establishing norms
Initiating the work of the group
1.21
Middle Phase Issues and Tasks
Balancing content and process
Noticing and rolling with resistance
Keeping the group focused
Modeling a healthy interactional style
Facilitating rather than running or directing the
group
1.22
End Phase Issues and Tasks
Putting closure on the experience
Examining the impact of the group on each
person
Acknowledging the feelings triggered by
departure
Giving and receiving feedback about the group
experience and each member’s role in it
Completing any unfinished business
Exploring ways to carry on the learning
1.23
Break
15 minutes
1.24
Structuring a Group Session
What is intentionality in counseling?
1.25
Structuring a Group Session (continued)
Intentionality means:
Selecting helping behaviors and specific
strategies with a clear purpose and direction in
mind
Having a clear objective in mind for a session and
not allowing the session to take on its own
momentum (while being appropriately flexible)
1.26
Structuring a Group Session (continued)
By structuring a group session:
The facilitator ensures that important aspects of
the work are protected
Group members know what to expect from a
session
Beginning and ending rituals are established
1.27
Structuring a Group Session (continued)
Opening and welcome
Check-in
Review group norms and rules
Active work
Summary and homework
closing
1.28
Opening and Welcome
Greet each participant warmly
Start the session ON TIME!
Beginning on time sends the message that the
work of the group is important
A late group leader sends the message that the
group is not important and conveys a lack of
respect for participants’ time
Waiting for late group members reinforces
lateness and conveys lack of respect for group
boundaries and participants
1.29
Opening and Welcome (continued)
Introducenew members
Make announcement
Opening ritual
1.30
Check-in
Review of last session
Homework follow-up
“How are you all feeling today?”
1.31
Active Work
The heart of the session
Content-oriented or process-oriented,
depending on type of group
1.32
Summary and Homework
Summarize the work of the group or ask the
group to summarize
Give or reinforce homework assignments
Affirm the work of the group
Ask the group for any other affirmations
Check in with participants if necessary
1.33
Closing
Closing ritual
For example: Asking group member what was
learned that they are taking away from the group
1.34
Leader-centered Groups
Content-oriented group
For example: Psycho-education groups
Leader becomes a teacher
A process group that remains leader-centered:
Limits include one-on-one counseling in the group
May include one-on-one counseling in the group
Does not use the full power of the group to
support experiential change or to build authentic,
supportive interpersonal relationships
1.35
Group Facilitation
Thepractice of supporting a group’s process
rather than creating or directing it
1.36
Group Facilitation (continued)
Avoid doing for the group what it can do for
itself:
Turn questions back over to the group
Ask a group member to direct a comment to
another group member
Don’t always be the one to break a silence
Ask the group to comment on process
1.37
Group Facilitation (continued)
Teach participants to support one another:
Model support in early stages of group
Teach specific skills
Reinforce and affirm participants’ support of one
another
Don’t rush in the later stages of group
1.38
Emotional Contagion
Another’ssharing can stir frightening
memories and intense emotions in listeners
Emotional contagion can overwhelm group
members and the group process
1.39
Modulate Emotionality
Keep emotionality at a level that enables the
work of group to continue
Example:
“We’ve been expressing some intense feelings here
today…To prevent us from overload, it might be
valuable to stop what we’re doing and try together to
understand what’s been happening and where all
these powerful feelings come from”
Source: Yalom, I. D. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy. 4th ed. New
York: Basic Books. P. 350. 1.40
Small-Group Demonstration: Instructions
Decide:
In what phase of development is your group?
What portion of a group session will you
demonstrate?
Select a facilitator
Select client roles from Resource Page 5.2
Prepare an 8- to 10-minute group role-play
Be creative!
1.41
Issues in Group Management
Handling conflict in group (Resource Page
5.8)
Unhealthy interactions
Covert conflicts
Displaced anger
Managing subgroups (Resource Page 5.9)
Make covert alliances overt
Reframe what the group is doing
Rearrange
1.42
Issues in Group Management (continued)
Responding to disruptive behavior (Resource
Page 5.10)
Talkative or interrupting clients
Clients who flee a session
Coming in late or absence
Silence
Turning out
Focusing only on others
1.43
Small-group Presentations: Issues in Group
Management – Instructions
Read your assigned Resource Page
Select a facilitator
Select client roles from Resource Page 5.2
Create a presentation and a demonstration
role-play
1.44
Lunch
60 minutes
1.45
Small-group Presentations: Issues in Group
Management
Presentations
1.46
