Chapter 4: Group Work: Theories and Applications

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Chapter 4 Group Work Theories and Applications

• Introduction to Group Work, 5th Edition
• Edited by David Capuzzi, Douglas R. Gross, and
  Mark D. Stauffer

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Adlerian Theory/Alfred Adler

• Major concepts
• Humanistic individual/society valued over the
  organization
• Holistic individual is indivisible
• Phenomenological focus on individuals
  perspective
• Teleological future orientation, goal attainment
• Field theoretical interaction of social and
  physical environment
• Socially oriented contribution to society
• Operational methodology

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Adlerian Theory/Alfred Adler

• Motivating forces influencing goals
• Fictional goals
• Birth order
• The family constellation
• Style of life

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Adlerian Theory/Alfred Adler

• Leader Behaviors
• Establish working relationship and member
  equality.
• Serve as models for members.
• Communicate mutual trust, respect.
• Help members to
• Explore goals, beliefs, feelings, motives
• Increase insight (fictitious goals,
  self-defeating behaviors)
• Accept responsibility
• Consider alternative lifestyles
• Enhance social interest
• Accept self
• Develop sense of community
• Explore alternative behaviors

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Adlerian Theory/Alfred Adler

• Group stages
• Develop the therapeutic relationship.
• Assess the dynamics that operate within
  individuals.
• Aid the individual to gain insight and
  self-understanding.
• Assist the individual to discover alternatives
  and new choices.

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Gestalt Theory/Fritz Perls

• Major concepts
• Holistic
• Field figure and background
• Individual responsibility
• Phenomenological
• Existential
• Five layers of neurosis Cliché, Phony, Impasse,
  Implosive, Explosive
• Open-ended approach
• Individual strives toward equilibrium

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Gestalt Theory/Fritz Perls

• Leader Behaviors
• Establish environment
• Leader/members share equally in process of change
• Supportive, compassionate, accepting, challenging
• Allow members to find own way in life.
• Here-and-now focus.
• Recognize members blocks and boundaries.
• Aid members in accepting all aspects of selves.
• Confront defensive structures.
• Address unfinished business.
• Help members try new behaviors and recognize
  splintered parts of self.

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Gestalt Theory/Fritz Perls

• Group stages through the group leader
• (Gestalt therapy does not lend itself well to
  stages)
• Help members become actively involved.
• Demonstrate the meanings of gesture, posture, and
  movement in communication.
• Conduct experiments.
• Demonstrate the ability to stay in the here and
  now.
• Apply active listening skills.

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Gestalt Theory/Fritz Perls

• Group stages through the group leader, continued
• Help members provide feedback.
• Model interpersonal interactions.
• Use confrontation to shock members into greater
  awareness of their self-defeating behaviors.
• Be a creative agent of change.
• Observe and give feedback on members nonverbal
  behaviors.

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Person-Centered Theory/Carl Rogers

• Major concepts
• Phenomenological
• Holistic
• Has an optimistic view of human potential
• The need for positive regard
• Conditions of worth
• Congruence/genuineness
• Empathy

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Person-Centered Theory/Carl Rogers

• Core conditions Necessary and sufficient to
  bring about change
• Psychological contact
• Incongruence
• Congruence/genuineness
• Unconditional positive regard
• Empathy

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Person-Centered Theory/Carl Rogers

• Leader Behaviors
• Establish facilitative climate (congruence,
  unconditional positive regard, empathic
  understanding).
• Provide safety and trust.
• Leader and members share equally in change.
• Be congruent (genuine) in relationships.
• Have unconditional positive regard.
• Have empathic understanding.
• Support members finding own way in life.
• Refrain from giving advice.
• Use ones being as a catalyst for change.

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Person-Centered Theory/Carl Rogers

• Group stages
• (There are no steps, stages, techniques, or
  toolsonly core conditions)
• Silence as a way of communicating
• Active listening
• Confrontation
• Attending behaviors
• Empathic understanding
• Self-disclosure
• Self-empowerment

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RationalEmotive Behavior Therapy/Albert Ellis

• Major concepts
• ABCDE Model
• Activating event
• Belief
• Consequence
• Disputing
• Effect
• Irrational patterns of thinking
• Actualizing potential of the individual
• Counselor is active, didactic, and confrontive
  and leads client to more rational ways of
  thinking and behavior.

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RationalEmotive Behavior Therapy/Albert Ellis

• Leader Behaviors
• Genuine, instructional, didactic, accepting,
  confrontational, challenging
• Teach members about faulty thinking
• Separate behavior from personhood
• Set aside own need for personal relationship with
  group
• Detect and confront members with irrational
  beliefs
• Dispute crooked thinking of members
• Teach principles of REBT (A-B-C-D-E model)
• Provide homework
• Use contingency management and skill training

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RationalEmotive Behavior Therapy/Albert Ellis

• Group stages
• (not presented in stages but in levels of
  perspectives)
• Cognitiveexplicatory
• Evocativeemotive
• Behavioristicactivedirective

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Transactional Analysis/Eric Berne

• Major concepts
• Designed specifically for groups
• Life scripts and rescripting
• Individual autonomy
• Redecisional model
• Ego states (parent, adult, and child)
• Strokes
• Life positions

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Transactional Analysis/Eric Berne

• Leader Behaviors
• Develop therapeutic contract.
• Instruct members in terminology of TA.
• Analyze at least 4 elements in groups
  communications structures, transactions, games,
  scripts.
• Establish working partnership.
• Enhance awareness of scripts.
• Provide positive strokes.
• Reinforce the redecisions.
• Function in cognitive and rational domain.
• Challenge members to change thinking, feeling,
  behaving.
• Enhance autonomy to reduce dependence on group.

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Transactional Analysis/Eric Berne

• Group examples
• (stages are not specified)
• Establishing a facilitative climate
• Providing instruction in TA concepts
• Developing contracts that identify goals
• Working through various analyses of group
  members structures, transactions, games, and
  scripts
• Terminating with specific directives for
  action-oriented change

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Psychodrama/Jacob L. Moreno

• Major concepts
• A group member acts out his or her problem
• Preaction, action, and integration
• Role theory and role playing
• Catharsis
• Insight

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Psychodrama/Jacob L. Moreno

• Leader Behaviors
• Establish relationship based on equality.
• Develop trust and spontaneity among members.
• Establish acceptance and tolerance of change.
• Establish format that allows members to work on
  significant life issues.
• Encourage risk in playing out psychodrama.
• Provide protection from abuse.
• Utilize creativity as a model for members.
• Utilize knowledge and skill in directing
  psychodramatic enactment.

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Psychodrama/Jacob L. Moreno

• Group stages
• Member scripts out a situation
• Preaction (warm-up)
• Action
• Integration (feedback, discussion, and closure)

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An Integration of Theoretical Approaches

• Relationship variables
• A working relationship is basic to all six.
• Leader role variables
• Leader is active in all six theoretical
  orientations.
• Member role variables
• Group members play an active role.

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An Integration of Theoretical Approaches

• Process variables
• This area has the most variability among all six
  approaches.
• Outcome variables
• This area has the greatest similarities among the
  six approaches.

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An Integration of Theoretical Approaches

• Implementation
• Be familiar with all theoretical approaches.
• Attempt to integrate various approaches in
  working with groups.
• Apply theoretical approaches as they were
  intended to be used.
• Do not rely solely on one approach to the
  exclusion of others.
• Experiment with many approaches until you find
  the combinations that fit your personal
  philosophy.