Group Counseling The subtleties of counseling are very difficult to accurately express in written form alone. This is particularly true in the case of group work, where the interpersonal dynamics expand geometrically. A good group counseling textbook, such as the fifth edition of Group Counseling: Concepts and Procedures (2013), can provide a solid foundation, but video demonstrations can illustrate the nuances of the group experience in ways that words alone cannot. To provide just such a video, Kevin A. Fall has filmed a series of segments of a group in which he acts as leader with six participants, over the course of which he demonstrates the stages of a group moving from the first session through to termination. Fall offers regular sections of audio commentary, analysis, and processing on each segment, totaling a 120 minute program. The companion workbook provides additional information to fill in what is not shown on the film and includes exercises, activities, and discussion questions related to each video segment. The video and workbook are designed to work seamlessly with the Berg, Landreth, and Fall text, but they can also be used alongside any other group counseling textbook. Kevin A. Fall, PhD, is Associate Professor of Counseling and Program Coordinator in the Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education, and School Psychology at Texas State University—San Marcos. Group Counseling Process and Technique Kevin A. Fall First published 2013 by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Simultaneously published in the UK by Routledge 27 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FA Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2013 Taylor & Francis The right of Kevin A. Fall to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. ISBN: 978-0-415-64480-8 (pbk) ISBN: 978-0-203-07908-9 (ebk) ISBN: 978-0-415-64482-2 (pack) Typeset in Adobe Caslon and Frutiger by Florence Production Ltd, Stoodleigh, Devon Contents Preface vi How to Use this Workbook viii Overview of the Developmental Stages of Group x The Importance of a Pre-Group Screening Interview xiii Pre-Group Interview Purpose Overview xiv 1 First Group 1 2 Moving from External to Here-and-Now Processing 10 3 Managing Conflict 18 4 Commitment to Working as a Group 26 5 Preparing for Termination 33 6 Termination 40 Preface “What does a ‘good’ group look like?” This was a question that I asked as a doctoral student, specializing in group. In my training, I co-facilitated many groups and led group on my own, but the technology did not exist to actually watch people do groups and the only recordings available were not that good, in my opinion. Over the past fifteen years, I have taught graduate group classes and have led or co-led more groups than I can count, and I still hear that question, but this time from my students. In an attempt to answer this undying question, I decided to include this DVD as a supplemental resource for the newest revision of our text, Group Counseling: Concepts and Procedures. The new question for me is, “How do I capture group on a DVD?” The process is more challenging than you may believe. Times have changed since my doctoral training and we now possess the technology to film groups in a wide range of ways. There are a few examples on the market, each with their respective pros and cons. To film my group, here are some of the things I considered. First, to get a sense of real group process, I wanted to film an entire, eight-week group and then make that available, with commentary to the public. By capturing the whole life of a group, everyone could see what a group really looks like. The problem? Group professors would groan at having to find sixteen hours of class time to show the group. Either that or I would be asking the professors to watch and edit the group for class purposes. But if you are going to edit it, what is the purpose of filming the entire group? That format is just not workable for teaching. Besides, it would be too expensive to film and package. Thus, the dream of filming an entire group died on the vine. I thought if I couldn’t film an entire group, then maybe a “critical incident” approach would be good. As I consulted colleagues and the literature, what you see here is what I developed. The segments I chose are based on either aspects of group that appear in every group experience (i.e. “First Session,” “Preparing for Termination,” and “Termination”) or elements of group that group leaders should strive to facilitate, but also might struggle with at times (Moving to the Here and Now, Conflict, and greater group member responsibility). Each segment’s duration is less than twenty minutes, which allows the viewer to get a good look at the relevant dynamics, but also allows for whatever you need to do in class. I hope you will find it useful. In doing a project like this, obviously I needed quite a bit of help. First, I would like to thank Bob Berg and Garry Landreth for giving a young doctoral student a shot to work on the third edition of the textbook way back in 1996. That opportunity has opened so many opportunities for me and helped me develop a lifelong passion for group. I can never thank you enough for that and for trusting me to develop this DVD supplement to our text. Thanks also to the students that helped with this project: Mallory Stover, Greg Hinton, Caroline Sweatt, Kurt Pohl, Ritz Valle, and Chali Henderson. I couldn’t have done Preface vii it without you. Lastly, thanks to Dana Bliss, Christopher Tominich, and Fred Coppersmith at Routledge, Elizabeth Robey at Alexander Street Press, and Bob Currie and Salwa Khan at vcYES Productions for their expertise and vision to see this project to completion. Kevin A. Fall, Ph.D. How to Use this Workbook Hello and welcome to Group Counseling: Process and Technique, the workbook companion to the DVD. This workbook and DVD are designed to complement the material presented in the textbook, Group Counseling: Concepts and Procedures (5th edn) by Berg, Landreth, and Fall. The DVD and the workbook are new to the latest edition and represent an attempt to provide students with a visual example of important incidents in the developmental life of a typical group. By way of introduction, here are the people in the group: • Dr. Kevin A. Fall, Group Facilitator • Amanda • Greg • Kurt • Chali • Caroline • Mallory. You will get to know each of them as you watch the segments. It is important to note what this group is and how it formed. The group members are students in a graduate counseling program at Texas State University—San Marcos. They were recruited by Dr. Fall. Each member was given the segment title, developed their own group member style, and met once as a group to discuss the project. The group then met on film day and filmed each segment in order. Although not a “real” group in the traditional sense, the remarkable thing about group is that you cannot fake group dynamics. The interactions are not scripted and what you are viewing represent real examples of people interacting as a group at different stages of the group process. Before you watch any segment, read the overview to learn about the general dynamics of what you will be seeing and why the segment was selected. Each part was included because it represents a crucial developmental stage of the group process and might include moments in group that cause leaders some difficulty. Answer the “Preview Reflection Questions” as a way to get you thinking about the group processes that will occur in the segment. As you prepare to watch the DVD, realize that there are several different perspectives from which you can watch the segments. First, you can watch from the leader perspective. If you are like I was during my graduate training, you probably have not had the opportunity to see many actual groups so your models for leadership are limited. When watching from the leader perspective, think about what the leader is How to Use this Workbook ix doing. How is he interacting with the group? Why does he choose the interventions he selects? What would you do differently? Next, watch from the member perspective. In this view, you are watching the segment as if you were a member in the group. How would you fit into the group? How would you respond to what the leader is doing? How would you respond to each of the other members in the group? Last, you can watch each session as a process observer. In this role, you are trying to see the big picture of the group. Try to identify group dynamics and concepts. Try to delineate between content and process. The three different levels will encourage you to watch the segments at least three different times. As you watch each segment, it might be a good idea to first watch it without looking at the verbatim. Just view the interactions and get a sense of what is going on in the group. For your second viewing, read along with the verbatim in the workbook. I have included commentary and additional questions for you as you work through the segment. The commentary provides useful process observations of what was going on in group or what the leader was trying to do at crucial moments in the group. Once you have viewed the segment from the various vantage points, you should have a good grasp on the dynamics and have many ideas on how you would have interacted differently with the group. Proceed to the “Reflection Questions” as a way to process and integrate your thoughts and ideas before you begin the next segment. I am very happy with how this came out. I think all of the segments will provide viewers with many different levels of learning. What I like best about it is that it is not perfect. In reviewing the DVD for this workbook, there are many things I could do differently, but the imperfections mirror what happens in every group. I hope you enjoy watching it. Overview of the Developmental Stages of Group A complete discussion of the stages can be found in Chapter 8 of the Group Counseling: Concepts and Procedures (5th ed.) by Berg, Landreth, and Fall. Precommitment Stage Initial Testing of Group Limits Focus: Superficial and external. It is normal for group members to discuss their external relationships and keep the depth at a surface level. Anxiety is high. Risk, trust, and cohesion are low. Silence is normal. Important Questions • How do I fit into this group? • How can I develop trust in the other members and the group process? Tentative Self-Disclosure Interaction increases, but group members are still testing the water. Think of this stage as a person getting into the swimming pool. They start off with dipping their toe in but gradually get more and more of their body into the pool. Healthy norm: self-disclose to belong. Conflict increases: Who is a safe target? Resolved conflict is the gateway to deeper exploration. Important Question • Do I feel a growing sense of belonging in this group?