Group Therapy

Answer

Group Therapy

It is observed that psych patients always get irritated very fast unlike other patients. When they get agitated, the patients can harm themselves. Accordingly, individuals handling the patients should conduct their activities in a way that does not affect their recovery process. The patients often feel hopeless; hence ignoring or being rude to them can lead to their agitation. These aspects necessitate a group psychotherapy process to help them control their behavior and enhance their recovery process. A group therapy leader should possess anger management skills when handling these patients to avoid any critical situation.

Leading the Initial Stage

The Initial Stage is meant to establish group expectations and identify what the group will be like. As a group leader, I will emphasize group goals, members’ roles, and trust. I will also address possible conflicts and confidentiality issues as soon as they arise. The group members may be from different regions and ethnicities; thus, I will identify and deal with any cultural concerns. Further, I will instruct counselors to explain this therapy’s process and support each member when dealing with confrontation. It is vital to ensure all group members participate and are involved in the process. Proper explanation to members about their roles and expectations will facilitate a smooth psychotherapeutic process.

Facilitating Trust in the Group

A strong therapeutic alliance is essential to group success. Accordingly, there are specific ingredients that I will exhibit to establish trust and a positive therapeutic relationship with group members. First, I will provide early evidence that the group will benefit all members. Clients can regard their therapist as helpful if the therapist allows them to view their situation in a non-blaming manner (Schaller et al., 2018). Zero tolerance for arguing or blaming during the session will elicit trust among the group members. The second approach is to enhance the clients’ self-esteem by allowing ample and constructive feedback. I will share positive comments, appreciations, and enjoyment to the clients to grow their self-esteem. Genuine acknowledgment, admiration, and gratitude will help the clients to relax and improve their trust in the therapeutic process. The other strategy is to keep the session emotionally safe. The group members can sniff out early in the session whether the leader is judgmental. This issue can cause distrust in the group. Therefore, it is essential to encourage respectful talks and elicit responsive talking to ensure the session is free from emotions. These approaches will cause mutual trust in the group. The leader will understand that there is trust if the members freely share their problems with the leader and other members.

Role in the Initial Stage

One of the primary roles of a leader during the Initial Stage of the therapeutic process is to build cohesion in the group. In this context, cohesion refers to the therapeutic relationship emerging from the leader-member and member-member interaction (Cruwys et al., 2019). Group cohesion is required to reduce members’ attrition and improve their outcomes. It also enhances a sense of belonging that the embers feel towards the group (Kivlighan, Ali & Garrison, 2019). To achieve cohesion in the therapeutic group, I will explore the balance between negative and positive feedback during the group sessions. I will balance the benefit and role of negative and positive feedback and explore members’ reactions accordingly. Besides, I will identify barriers that prevent the exchange of positive and negative feedback. These approaches will ensure that I understand the members’ perception of the therapeutic process; hence, improving group cohesion.

Evaluating Experience of the Group

The most suitable approach to measure the effectiveness of this therapeutic group is through pre- and post-surveys. Table 1 below illustrates the various evaluation questions to the group members.

Table 1: Evaluation Questions to Group Members