Summary: <div>Group Therapy (TIP 41)<br> Chapters 3-5<br> Stages of Treatment and Process Issues<br> Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes PhD, LPC-MHSP, LMHC, NCC<br> Executive Director, AllCEUs<br> Module 3 Goal and Objectives<br> Goal:<br> Provide an overview of how to match clients with groups, depending on clients’ readiness to change and their ethnic and cultural experiences.</div> <div>Objectives:<br> ~ Match clients with substance abuse treatment groups.<br> ~ Assess clients’ readiness to participate in group therapy.<br> ~ Determine clients’ needs for specialized groups.<br> Matching Clients With Groups<br> ~ The client’s characteristics, needs, preferences, and stage of recovery<br> ~ The program’s resources<br> ~ The client’s ethnic and cultural experiences<br> Clients Who May Be Inappropriate<br> ~ Clients who refuse to participate<br> ~ Clients who cannot honor group agreements<br> ~ Clients in the throes of a life crisis<br> ~ Clients who cannot control impulses<br> ~ Clients whose defenses would clash with the dynamics of the group<br> ~ Clients who experience severe internal discomfort in groups<br> Primary Placement Considerations<br> ~ Women<br> ~ Adolescents<br> ~ Level of interpersonal functioning<br> ~ Motivation to abstain (if an addiction group)<br> ~ Stage of recovery<br> ~ Expectation of success<br> Preparing the Group for New<br> Members<br> ~ Integrate new clients into the group slowly, letting them set their own pace.<br> ~ Be aware of signs of transference and countertransference between<br> ◦ Clinician and clients<br> ◦ Clients and other clients<br> ~ Watch for signs of increased participation and comfort</div> <div>Module 4 Goal and Objectives<br> Objectives:<br> ~ Distinguish the differences between fixed and revolving membership groups.<br> ~ Prepare clients for groups.<br> ~ Describe the tasks for each of the three phases of group development.<br> Fixed Membership Groups<br> ~ Members are prepared and stay together for a long time.<br> ~ Membership is stable.<br> ~ Groups are either:<br> ◦ Time limited. Members participate in a specified number of sessions and start and finish together.<br> ◦ Ongoing. New members fill vacancies in a group that continues over a long period.<br> Revolving Membership Groups<br> ~ New members enter a group when they become ready for its services.<br> ~ Groups must adjust to frequent, unpredictable changes.<br> ~ Groups are either:<br> ◦ Time limited. Member attends a specified number of sessions, starting and finishing at his or her own pace.<br> ◦ Ongoing. Member remains until he or she has accomplished his or her specified goals.</div> <div>Pregroup Interviews<br> ~ Begin as early as the initial contact between the client and the program.<br> ~ Strive to:<br> •Form a therapeutic alliance between the leader and the client.<br> •Reach consensus on what is to be accomplished in therapy.<br> •Educate the client about group therapy.<br> •Allay anxiety related to joining a group.<br> •Explain the group agreement.</div> <div>Preparation Meetings</div> <div>~ Explain how group interactions compare with those in self-help groups.<br> ~ Emphasize that each person may be at a slightly different place in recovery<br> ~ Let new members know they may be tempted to leave the group at times.<br> ~ Recognize and address clients’ therapeutic hopes.<br> Group Agreements<br> ~ Establish the expectations that group members have for one another, the leader, and the group.<br> ~ Require that group members entering a long-term fixed membership group commit to the group.<br> ~ Inspire clients to accept the basic rules and increase their determination and ability to succeed.<br> Elements in a Group Agreement<br> ~ Communicating grounds for exclusion<br> ~ Confidentiality<br> ~ Physical contact<br> ~ Use of mood-altering substances<br> ~ Contact outside the group<br> ~</div>
