Counselling a Reflective Account Designed a Group - Assignment Example

?Useful approaches for group counseling: Psychotherapy is the third step in the process of psychological treatment after assessment and diagnosis of a person. The basic element of any type of therapy consists of talking session between client and psychologist. In psychology there are many psychological therapies which are used in different setups. The basic goal of all these therapies is to provide help to clients and give them a nonjudgmental environment of empathy and understanding so that they can feel free to tell their problems. In this way psychologists can help them overcome their issues and guide in goal setting. The purpose of psychologist is not to think for the person, but first to make the person stable in personality and then make him decide for himself. What is group counseling? Group counseling is a form of psychotherapy in which more than two clients are dealt together by a counselor. Group counseling is effective and useful specially in treating people with same issues or problems. In such way clients in group are able to learn from other experiences and exchange ideas and advices. The other advantage of group therapy is that it is more cost effective and saves time of counselor and money of clients. (About.com, 2011) Group counseling is actually a way of counseling people with different therapies. In group counseling many other therapies are used. Such as psychodynamics, CBT and client centered therapy etc. Benefits of Group Counseling: It is useful in many psychological illnesses like OCD, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, panic attacks and personality disorders. In group therapy people usually feel easier in expressing their symptoms when other is expressing the same. Approaches to Group counseling: Group therapies fulfill and nourish variety of client’s need. In 1995 the Psychiatrist Irvin Yalom wrote the therapeutic qualities in group counseling. Those approaches are: 1. Instillation of hope: in group therapy the rate of hope in people becomes higher because when they interact and discuss issues together, they become positive that they aren’t only one suffering. And with this hope treatment of clients become effective. 2. Universality: usually when a person is going through it alone he feels like he is the only one suffering and that makes him feel even more terrible. But in group therapy when people with same issues gather and share their issues the feeling on individual suffering goes away and client learns that others are also having same issues and they are not alone. 3. Communication of information: when a client comes to know that he isn’t the only one suffering he gets better understanding towards his own problem and then recover better in group. 4. Altruism: in group therapy people become altruist and part of a group and their recovery will be mutual. 5. Interpersonal learning: in group therapy a client learns from other people's issues and that he is not only one suffering but pain and suffering of the other persons can be more acute. (NFATTC , 2004) Common Therapies in Group Counseling: Psychologists use many theoretical approaches in group counseling. Three main of them are as following: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – it focuses on the thought processes (cognition) and behavior of the person that leads to problem. And it aims to change the way those patterns of thought and behavior are creating problem for person. (NACBT, 2010) Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) – it focuses on other peoples’ roles in personal life of the person and how such relation leads to a problem. People with whom one interacts in life can affect ones feelings and thoughts. And if the influence of people is not good then such interactions can lead to various psychological issues. (about.com, 2008) Psychodynamic Therapy (PDT) –Psychodynamic therapy is analytic nature of therapy; based on the concepts of Freud. In this therapy therapist keep his own personality and personal views away from client and acts as a black canvas over which client can transfer all his thoughts and deep feelings. (NetDoctor, 2010) Psychodynamic therapy aims in helping patient to become aware of his feelings and experience deep repressed feelings which were not in conscious awareness but were triggering the issue. (GoodTherapy.org., 2011) Other Counseling Approaches: 1. Feminist Therapists: they primarily focus over women and their issues. And aim for their wellbeing and freedom if them. In group therapy it focuses on all the women issues which are bothering them and are causing troubles for them. 2. Expressive training Therapist: they focus on understanding the feelings and help person to identify his own feelings; it helps the client to become more expressive especially in nonjudgmental way. 3. Family system therapists: they provide therapies to family, aiming on better relationships in family. The therapists keep in mind the basic norms, roles and beliefs of the family, and according to that they provide them therapy as every family as its own beliefs and customs. Family therapist covers the issues of marriages, divorce, parents’ children relationship and spouse issues. 4. Client centered therapists: in this approach the therapist with non-directive therapy approach focuses on providing client a therapeutic relationship with client. And it consists of empathy, understanding and love. In group therapies client therapy is widely used. In which therapist only formulate and conduct the session. And clients interact with each other, understand their issues and come to solutions. The therapist focuses on providing therapeutic environment and relation formed over empathy. 5. Gestalt therapist: the approach which aims to see things as a while focuses on here and now. It helps the clients in group therapy to become more aware of their feelings, thoughts and actions. (Regehr, 2005) Key aspects of Group therapy: Group therapy focuses: if focuses on all the individuals that share common problems. Group therapy is very successful for trauma victims, sexual abuse, depression and substance abuse where they have suffered from same situations and experience same mental pain. Group therapy construction: It can be of two types homogeneous or heterogeneous. Homogeneous is group in which clients with similar diagnosis are gathered. For example: all clients suffering from substance abuse. And Heterogeneous groups consist of mixed individuals with different diagnosis and problems. The ideal number of clients in group therapy typically consists of five to twelve patients. Application of Group therapy: Group therapies consist of number of sessions depending on clients’ need. Usually there is one session each week. The time limit of group sessions can be fixed or free till each client is given proper time. In each group session therapists usually give task to clients over which they work in the time period of week and then they talk about the given task in next session. Which patients are referred for group therapy? Psychologist refers the client for group therapy according to diagnosis and need of the patient depending on the client as sometimes a group therapy is more effective for the client. End of group sessions: Group therapy comes to an end when the goals set for the clients are achieved however it is encouraged by the psychologist to keep coming for review. (Advameg, Inc. , 2011) Group dynamics and process of counseling: Group dynamics studies the group of people and how group is processed. Dynamics means to develop lots of ideas and force. As in group therapy when clients are usually suffering from same issues, they interact and share their emotions which lead to influence each other and develop different dynamic in their problems through brainstorming. And when they share their issues they start to understand themselves and other better and the feeling of being one arises. Interacting with each other not only leads in developing dynamics in group but also helps clients to form better social relations. The understanding between people is better when they are suffering from same emotions. Group dynamics and counseling: These dynamics help the therapist in counseling the clients as those ideas are given by clients themselves and it is easier for them to act upon them rather than on those ideas which are purely from therapist. That’s why therapist always encourages the client to speak up and himself give options and opinions. (James Neill, 2007) Impact of counselor on client: In a relationship of client and counselor the counselor aims at the therapeutic relationship. The therapeutic relationship is considered as the most important factor in the relationship of client and counselor. Therapeutic relationship means that the client and counselor has unconditional positive regards which lead a client to feel comfortable and trusted and makes him express himself better. Therapeutic relationship is made up of feeling of trust, rapport, collaboration and understanding and is free from prejudice, sexuality and abuse. (Elizabeth Hartney, 2010) The therapeutic relationship doesn’t reach its goal when the psychologist becomes partial or biased. Or when there is lack of unconditional positive regards. The other factor which also affects the client and counselor relationship is the enforcement of psychologist views or beliefs. We all know that every person apart of general social norms has his own set of beliefs and faiths. There can be many things which seem to be right for psychologists are not acceptable for client. That’s why it is always considered in psychology that a client should be unbiased and should think of himself from the side of client. The other approach used from successful psychotherapies in non-directive therapy; which basically aims over this factor that the counselor only provides client a therapeutic and empathic environment and leads the client to come up with best options of solutions himself, and psychologist provides only guidance. Conclusion: Group therapies are widely used and are effective for treatments of different psychological disorders. Therapies such as cognitive behavior therapies, psychodynamics and interpersonal therapies are often used to treat the clients. But whatever therapy is used they all focus over one motive which is to provide the client with an unconditional positive regard, empathy and therapeutic environment. Group dynamics is very useful and effective in treating patients with same psychological issues. Bibliography about.com. (2008, July 6). Interpersonal Therapy. Retrieved April 30, 2011, from ABOUT.COM: http://depression.about.com/od/psychotherapy/a/interpersonal.htm About.com. (2011). Types of Therapy. Retrieved April 30, 2011, from http://psychology.about.com/od/psychotherapy/a/treattypes.htm Advameg, Inc. . (2011). Group therapy . Retrieved April 30, 2011, from minddisorders: http://www.minddisorders.com/Flu-Inv/Group-therapy.html Elizabeth Hartney. (2010, july 29). What Is a Therapeutic Relationship? Retrieved April 30, 2011, from about.com: http://addictions.about.com/od/overcomingaddiction/f/therapeutic_relationship.htm GoodTherapy.org. (2011). Psychodynamic Therapy. Retrieved April 30, 2011, from GoodTherapy: http://www.goodtherapy.org/Psychodynamic.html James Neill. (2007, April 23). Group Dynamics, Processes & Development. Retrieved April 30, 2011, from wilderdom: http://wilderdom.com/Group.html NACBT. (2010). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Retrieved April 30, 2011, from NACBT: http://www.nacbt.org/whatiscbt.htm NetDoctor. (2010, july 6). Psychodynamic therapy. Retrieved April 30, 2011, from netdoctor: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/depression/psychodynamictherapy_000433.htm NFATTC . (2004). approaches to group therapy. ideas for treatment improvement, 4. Regehr, V. (2005). Emotional Well-Being- Approaches to Therapy. Retrieved April 30, 2011, from our bodies our selves: http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/companion.asp?id=6&compID=78 Read More