Group counseling is a practical approach that enables healthcare professionals and counseling specialists to provide adequate information and solutions to individuals, thus allowing them to make informed decisions. Group counseling is an integral part of the psychotherapy interventions provided to individuals with mental health issues and altered cognition, reasoning, and critical thinking to restructure their thinking, feeling, and behavior (Burlingame et al., 2018). To effect the intent of group counseling, counselors need to have higher levels of leadership, management, and communication skills to aid in forming an effective group. The paper reflects on my experience in group processes and leading a group.
I believe storming is the most intimidating stage of the group process; storming is the second stage of group development and is characterized by power struggles among the group members. It occurs following comprehensive orientation in the forming stage. The rationales for my stance include; the loose politeness by members in this stage, incompatibilities in ideologies, views, and perspectives towards the group objectives and measures to accomplish them, and competition for various roles and responsibilities (Cresswell-Yeager, 2020). In this stage, a power struggle arises since it is the beginning stage of the real action of the group. In addition, all the group’s activities, roles, and work plans are developed. In the process of making the group work in this stage, struggles and incompatibility would arise that impede its progress unless the leader has effective decision-making and problem-solving skills to alleviate the tension.
Norming is the stage of group process that I believe and feel I am confident in leading. Norming stage is characterized by deep engagement of the group members in the group objectives, and everyone works towards accomplishing the goals within the stipulated time. The rationales for my choice include enhanced cohesion, cooperation, availability of clearly outlined roles and responsibilities of the members, and minimal conflicts (Cresswell-Yeager, 2020). In this stage, the power struggles previously encountered in the storming stage have been effectively addressed, and the group members have developed maximal cohesion and cooperation, thus easy management. In addition, the availability of clearly defined roles and responsibilities limits conflicts and disputes as every group members understand what is expected of them.
I am confident in my ability to lead groups and enable them to accomplish their objectives. The essential abilities that make me sure include practical communication skills such as active listening, openness, and readiness to be corrected. Active listening is a crucial element in being an effective group leader. It enables me to engage all the group members in shared discussions actively and in decision-making, have an efficient information flow, and increase trust with the group members. Openness and readiness to be corrected enable me to be an effective group leader, as they promote cohesion and information sharing, which is the pillar for group performance.
An aspect I need to be more confident in leading groups is higher problem-solving and decision-making skills. Problem-solving and decision-making is my weakness and predisposes me to encounter challenges, mainly when intergroup conflict occurs. Therefore, I must explore and benchmark strategies to develop good problem-solving and decision-making skills. The course has been an interactive and educative one. An important aspect I learned from the course is the significance of having higher soft skills. Soft skills that incorporate communication, problem-solving, decision-making, and interaction skills promote trust and reduce conflicts among individuals.
In summary, group counseling is a practical approach that enables healthcare professionals and counseling specialists to provide adequate information and solutions to individuals, thus allowing them to make informed decisions. Counselors need to develop higher competency skills in communication, leadership, and managerial roles to promote the development of influential groups. Effective communication, administration, and organizational skills aid in minimizing intergroup conflicts and encourage efficiency in working and accomplishing the group objectives.
References
Burlingame, G. M., McClendon, D. T., & Yang, C. (2018). Cohesion in group therapy: A meta-analysis. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 384–398. Web.
Cresswell-Yeager, T. (2020). Forming, storming, norming, and performing: Using a semester-long problem-based learning project to apply small-group communication principles. Communication Teacher, 35(2), 155–165. Web.