Group Therapy:Working Stage

Answer

• Group Therapy: Working Stage

  A group undergoes various stages in its development. These include the early stages such as formation, orientation, and exploration, and the later stages, such as the working sage, final stage, evaluation, and follow-up (Corey, 2016). The working stage is the fourth phase of a group and is characterized by an in-depth exploration of significant problems in a group and the adoption of effective actions to attain the desired behavioral changes (Fehr, 2014). A group leader would identify the problems of the group in the working stage and employ strategies such as fostering cohesion, trust, and hope to ensure the attainment of the group objectives.

  A group leader would recognize and identify characteristics of the working stage within a group by initiating open conversations with the group members. In the working stage, group members would normally have developed relationship skills; thus, they have a greater degree of autonomy and less dependency on their leader (Corey, 2016). As such, engaging in meaningful interactions would enable the group leader to determine the level of trust of the group members as well as their acceptance (Chen & Rybak, 2017). During the conversations, the leader will understand the participants’ attitudes of acceptance and their willingness to take any risks to change their conduct. Also, the leader would observe the empathy and caring characteristics of the group members. For instance, by bringing up a sensitive topic, the group leader would recognize how the group members feel towards others (Fehr, 2014). Also, it will be easier to establish their levels of loneliness, joy, and enthusiasm. Also, the level of genuine intimacy, which is expected to grow in the working stage, would be established (Corey, 2016). Moreover, by allowing participants to express themselves freely, the group leader would decide on which behaviors need to change to ensure an effective group. An evaluation of the characteristics of the working stage within the group leads to the adoption of appropriate interventions to improve participants’ behaviors.

  Some of the interventions a group leader might employ during the working phase of the group include using techniques that bring out emotions and issues faced by the participants. For instance, the group leader would want to ask provocative questions, which would make the participants come out and show their levels of trust through verbal and non-verbal language (Fehr, 2014). Also, the group leader would encourage open conversations to allow the participants to be honest about their feelings and not get afraid about speaking their minds (Chen & Rybak, 2017). The group leader would desist from judging and criticizing the issues raised by the group members but rather listen carefully while encouraging the participants to talk. Also, the use of role-playing would allow the group members to expose their concerns and make the leader understand the most appropriate therapeutic measures that can be used to address them. Furthermore, the leader must express the importance of commitment to change for the participants by guiding them into formulating a plan of action (Chen & Rybak, 2017). Moreover, the leader must set an environment where members will believe that change is possible and show empathy and care towards the members so that they feel confident about the importance of the group.

  One of the therapeutic factors of the group, as discussed by Corey, is confrontation. The confrontational characteristic provides that participants, especially the confronters, normally share their reactions to the person being confronted as opposed to judgment. According to Corey (2016), without confrontation, stagnation is likely to occur because group members will be unaware of other persons’ insights and views towards their issues. Confrontation invites the participants to explore deeply the specific issues they face in their lives, especially when it is well-timed. However, Corey (2016) warns that if the group leader challenges others in a harsh and uncaring manner, then confrontation would not have a beneficial impact. Also, therapeutic confrontation may also not be appropriate for participants from cultures that place a high value on authority. One of the processes in a group that would illustrate confrontation is when one participant brings out his/her issue, and the other members react to it by either supporting or showing empathy towards that person (Corey, 2016). Also, when group members challenge each other, the characteristics of confrontation are illustrated. A proper working stage in a group paves the way for a successful final phase.

  In sum, allowing open conversations would allow a group leader to identify the characteristics of the working stage in a group and adopt appropriate interventions to make the stage successful. Conversations allow group members to express their views and share their experiences, which enables the group leader to measure the level of trust, hope, empathy, and acceptance of the participants. Some of the interventions that can be used in the working state include actions that bring out the emotions of the participants. For instance, provocative phrases would allow the group participants to air out their concerns. One of the therapeutic factors of a group is being confrontational. Confrontational conversations can when used properly, unlock the participant’s potential and share their reactions towards issues in the group.