Introduction
This paper revolves around a case study involving a 13-year-old woman, Sarah, who requires psychological interventions to avert her undesirable behaviors. Sarah is a schoolchild whose grades have fallen tremendously prompting her mother to seek psychological interventions to save her daughter. The initial analysis of the case reveals that Sarah may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the controversial lynching of her father who was discovered dead after a short period of disappearance. The condition is compounded by the fact that the woman has a poor complexion not to mention that she is obese. The two listed conditions may be closely linked to her low self-esteem and her reluctance to engage in social relations.
Group counseling for Sarah
Group therapy refers to the organization of individuals into groups for counseling. A group is comprised of between 6 to 10 members with similar issues (Gilbert & Procter, 2006). However, the number of group members may be higher depending on the similarity of their problems and the ability of the counselor to deal with a large group.
Group therapy brings together people with similar issues to deliberate on the best course of action to mitigate the undesirable behaviors among them. Friedman (2013) argues that group therapy may produce better results than individual counseling since it brings together individuals with similar interests hence motivating the participants to adopt the desirable behaviors. Thus, Sarah may benefit more from group therapy as opposed to individual therapy. By introducing Sarah into a group of children with similar issues, Sarah’s self-esteem shall be boosted allowing her to share her experience with the other group members.
Additionally, Sarah shall realize that her issues are not unique since other group members will tend to have even more difficulties than she does. However, privacy is not guaranteed since each participant’s issues are discussed with the group members. Sarah may not be willing to share her issues with other members due to her low self-esteem. Going by the mentioned view, individual counseling may be more beneficial to her than group therapy.
Group therapy can be either open or closed. An open group refers to a counseling group whereby all the eligible candidates are enrolled at any stage during the continuance of the therapy. In other words, the presiding counselor may bring in new members to the group at any time. On the contrary, a closed group denotes an arrangement whereby the counselor cannot introduce new group members at any stage of the therapy. In closed group therapy, only the members recruited at the beginning of the sessions are allowed to continue with the training until completion. Open group therapy would fit Sarah whereby I would introduce her to a group whose members have undergone some interventions. Sarah would benefit from such a group since the existing members may pass coping skills to Sarah more efficiently.
At the initial stages of the therapy, Sarah might find it hard to interact and share her issues with the other group members. Gilbert and Procter (2006) state that group therapy tends to be more effective when participants share their issues freely. In that regard, Sarah’s reluctance to share her problems may cause disruptions in the intervention. To mitigate the identified challenge, I would start the session by describing the importance of sharing information with the group members. Additionally, I would emphasize that each member has his/her issues that are similar to that of Sarah. In case Sarah does not feel comfortable sharing her problems with all the members, I would encourage her to share her issues with her desk mate and me before communicating the same to the other participants.
In helping Sarah cope with her undesirable behavior, one must consider the ethical provisions that govern the counseling activities. Counselors are obliged by the law to obtain informed consent from the participants before the commencement of the counseling. Children below the age of 18 years cannot make a binding contract with an adult, and thus the consent must be sought from the parents. In that regard, Sarah’s parents must submit written consent to the counselor acknowledging their approval of the intervention. Besides, the law requires that the privacy of the information given by the client be guaranteed at all costs. In group therapy, maintaining such privacy may be a hectic task since all the participants share their issues with each other. The court may also compromise confidentiality ethics by ordering the release of the participants’ information.
In group therapy, the beneficiary is required to share his/her issues with other members of the group. In most cases, the participants shy off from disclosing certain information regarding their problems. Sarah is a minor hence she is prone to influence by the counselor and the parents. In that regard, her mother and I shall easily influence her to share her problems with the members to facilitate the intervention.
Additionally, in a group setting, Sarah shall be driven by the desire to fit into the group and she will be motivated by the other recovering members to communicate her issues. Communication is essential in a group setting, and the participants must be encouraged to communicate their problems with each other. To cause Sarah to participate in the group, I would cite the benefits of communication in solving the problem at hand. Sarah has poor self-esteem that may prevent her from sharing her issues with the counselor and the other participants. Therefore, I would advise her of what to expect when in the group before introducing her into the group.
Apart from the acquisition of informed consent from both the participant and the parents, other ethical issues may affect Sarah’s case. The ethical issues that may affect the case include personal bias and beneficence principles. In most cases, counselors experience bias due to the physical and emotional status of the client (Friedman, 2013). Additionally, the counselor’s views may differ from those of the clients causing disagreements.
The beneficence ethical provision requires the counselor to do everything possible to provide a viable solution to the client’s problem. In a group setting, the counselor may not be in a position to address the individual’s problems due to the huge number of members. To mitigate the identified ethical concerns, I would give enough attention to each member. This goal would be achieved through listening and responding to each case and helping the non-cooperative members to participate. Moreover, I would drop my view regarding the various issues in favor of the client’s view.
Conclusion
Group therapy refers to a situation whereby the counseling is administered to a few clients contemporaneously. In group therapy, the clients are encouraged to share their issues with each other in the presence of a counselor. Group therapy is said to have better outcomes than individual counseling due to the interaction between persons with similar issues. However, there are ethical concerns associated with this type of therapy among them being confidentiality and personal bias. The law requires that the privacy of the client’s information be guaranteed. In this paper, all the concepts of group therapy have been explored regarding a case study involving a 13-year-old girl who is struggling with poor self-esteem due to her overweight and poor complexion. The paper proposes an open type of group therapy for the girl to facilitate quick recuperation.
References
Friedman, R. (2013). Individual or Group Therapy? Indications for Optimal Therapy. Group Analysis, 46(2), 164-170.
Gilbert, P., & Procter, S. (2006). Compassionate mind training for people with high shame and self-criticism: Overview and pilot study of a group therapy approach. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 13(6), 353-57.