What are the techniques employed in Group therapy?
In
group therapy approximately 6-10 individuals meet face-to-face with a trained
group therapist. During the group meeting time, members decide what they want
to talk about.
Members are
encouraged to give feedback to others. Feedback includes expressing your own
feelings about what someone says or does. Interaction between group members are
highly encouraged and provides each person with an opportunity to try out new
ways of behaving; it also provides members with an opportunity for learning
more about the way they interact with others. It is a safe environment in which
members work to establish a level of trust that allows them to talk personally
and honestly. Group members make a commitment to the group and are instructed
that the content of the group sessions are confidential. It is not appropriate
for group members to disclose events of the group to an outside person.
Preferred Group
therapy techniques are:
- Reflection: Allow individual to understand fully
each person’s comments and how they can relate to what they just stated.
- Active Listening: Allow
individual to be very aware of their listening skills within a group and
how important they are. This allows the group to be more open with
each other when they know their group members are paying
attention to their feedback.
- Clarification:
Allow individual to be very concrete with others in the group of
comments made.
- Summarizing: Allow individual
to see the bigger picture of what was said in the group by
doing a recap of what was said. Provides comfort within group.
- Linking:
Allow individual to see how their problems connect with others’ in the group and
they have the same concerns.
- Encouraging: Allow individual to be more open with group and
makes sharing personal feelings more inviting.
- Focus: Allow therapist and individual to give
attention to groups concerns.
- Cutting Off:
Allow therapist to keep the group on topic and give everyone a
chance to share.
- Drawing Out:
Allow therapist to bring forth quiet group members comments.
- Rounds:
Allows each individual to share within the group.
- Dyads: Allows
individual to pair up with a partner and learn more about another student.
- Word or Phrase Round:
Allow individual to broaden their vocabulary when describing how they felt
about something within the group session.
- Comment Round:
Allow individual to share their personal comments about that specific
session.
- Icebreakers: Allow individual to warm-up to group members
when beginning group.
- Modeling: Allow individual to see therapist as a
role model in group
work and the behaviors that can be applied to them personally.
- Use of Eyes: Allows therapist to have direct eye
contact with group members
that are sharing. It will allow the therapist to draw out quiet members to
speak. Allow them to members that have lost interest in the topic.
- Tone Setting:
Allow individual to establish a mood for their group.
Rather it needs to be a tone that is serious, social, supportive, and
formal.
- Use of Leader’s Energy:
Allow individual to see the therapist excitement about their new group,
topic, and activities. Therefore allowing them to be put off high energy
levels.
- Non-Judgmental: Allow individual to see that this is a positive
experience and not to make anyone feel down
- Empathy: Allow individual to convey to other group members
that they understand and will not make fun of anyone
