Counseling Interventions

1. Counseling Interventions G532, Group Counseling

2. Structure in Group Work • Bednar, Melnick, & Kaul (1973) • New groups get little work done • Low group cohesiveness • Environment threatening • Members can’t anticipate responses to their messages • Meaningful messages perceived as risky • Members “chit-chat” instead

3. Structure . . . • Provides context for therapeutic messages • Reduces risk by reducing responsibility for message outcomes • Members produce more meaningful messages • Cohesiveness grows • More rapid group development • Less need for structure

4. Two Types of Structure • Cognitive structure provides a conceptual rationale for therapeutic messages • Includes • Pre-group preparation • Early group didactic explanations • Written and taped material • Discussion of concerns about therapeutic behaviors and how to alleviate those concerns

5. Behavioral Structure • Provides opportunities to view ad rehearse therapeutic behaviors • Includes • Exercises • “Ice-breakers” • Role-plays

6. About Structure • Most helpful early in a group • Most helpful to high risk takers • Less helpful as group cohesiveness builds • Too much structure hinders group development • Structure continued too long hinders group development

7. Types of Interventions (Corey, 2001) • Facilitating • Processing • Challenging

8. Reflective listening Questioning Drawing out Drawing together or expanding discussion ) Self-disclosure Supporting/siding Blocking/ redirecting (verbal and nonverbal Facilitating Interventions

9. Process illumination Linking Interpreting Addressing anecdotes changing questions to statements Feedback Role-playing Processing Interventions

10. Challenging Interventions • Individual and group confrontation • Evaluating • Suggesting

11. Working With Stories in Groups • Address the feelings behind the story • Address the point of the story • What does person want others to learn about him from the story? • These interventions bring stories into the “here and now”