Chapter 1: Group Work: An Introduction

1
Chapter 1 Group Work An Introduction

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

2
The History of Group Work

• Beginnings
• Joseph Hersey Pratt ? Tuberculosis
• Cody Marsh
• Edward Lazell ? Psychotics
• Alfred Adler and Rudolph Dreikurs
• ? Families and children

3
The History of Group Work

• Beginnings
• Jesse B. Davis ? Vocational guidance
• Frank Parsons ? Vocational
• Trigant Burrow ? Group analysis
• Jacob L. Moreno ? Psychodrama

4
The History of Group Work

• 1930s
• Louis Wender ? Family transference manifestation
• Loretta Bender ? Children
• Betty Gabriel ? Adolescents
• S. R. Slavson ? Activity therapy groups
• Alcoholics Anonymous

5
The History of Group Work

• 1940s
• WWII (Samuel Hadden, Harris Pick, Irving Berger,
  Donald Shaskan, William C. Menniger, Joshua
  Bierer, S. H. Foulkes, and Wilfred R. Bion)
• Kurt Lewin ? Field theory and Gestalt Psychology
• T-groups (training groups)

6
The History of Group Work

• 1940s
• American Society of Group Psychotherapy and
  Psychodrama founded by J. L. Moreno
• American Group Psychotherapy Association founded
  by S. R. Slavson

7
The History of Group Work

• 1950s
• J. J. Geller ? Elderly
• Family Counseling (Rudolph Dreikurs, John Bell,
  Nathan Ackerman, Gregory Bateson, and Virginia
  Satir)

8
The History of Group Work

• 1960s and 1970s
• Community mental health centers
• Nontraditional groups
• Transcendental meditation
• The encounter group

9
The History ofGroup Work

• 1960s and 1970s
• Fritz Perls ? Gestalt therapy
• Eric Berne ? Transactional analysis
• William C. Shultz ? Nonverbal communication in
  groups
• Jack Gibb ? Cooperative vs. competitive behavior
  in groups
• Carl Rogers ? Encounter group

10
The History ofGroup Work

• 1960s and 1970s
• Association For Specialists in Group Work (ASGW)
• American Psychological Association (APA)
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW)

11
The History ofGroup Work

• 1980s
• Groups for specialized populations (e.g.,
  alcoholics, incest victims, overweight people,
  grief and loss, etc.)
• ASGW ethical standards for group work
• Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and
  Related Educational Programs (CACREP)

12
The History ofGroup Work

• 1990s and Beyond
• ASGW
• Core competencies and specialization requirements
• Four types of groups
• Supervision
• CACREP
• Revised accreditation standards
• Identified essential curricular elements

13
Goals for Groups

• General goals for groups
• Goals for specialized groups
• Goals based on theoretical perspectives
• Goals developed by group members

14
Types of Groups

• Task/work groups
• Guidance/psychoeducational groups
• Counseling groups
• Psychotherapy groups
• Other models for group work

15
Composition of Groups

• Heterogeneous or mixed-gender group composition
• Social microcosm
• Confrontation of self-defeating behavior
• Focus on the present
• Reality testing
• Generation of gender-based anxiety

16
Composition of Groups

• Homogeneous or same-gender group composition
• All-female groups
• All-male groups

17
Therapeutic Factors in Groups

• Yaloms curative factors
• Instillation of hope
• Universality
• Imparting of information
• Altruism
• The corrective recapitulation of the primary
  family group
• Development of socialization
• Imitative behavior
• Interpersonal learning
• Group cohesiveness
• Catharsis
• Existential factors

18
Personal Characteristics of Group Leaders

• Presence
• Personal power
• Courage
• Self-awareness
• Belief in the group process
• Inventiveness

19
Personal Characteristics of Group Leaders

• Stamina and energy
• Goodwill and caring
• Openness
• Awareness of ones own culture
• Nondefensiveness in coping with attacks
• Sense of humor
• Personal dedication and commitment
• Willingness to model
• Willingness to seek new experiences

20
Myths Connected with Group Work

1. Everyone benefits from group experience.
2. Groups can be composed in a way that assures
   success.
3. The group revolves around the leaders charisma.

21
Myths Connectedwith Group Work

1. Leaders can direct groups through structured
   exercises or experiences.
2. Therapeutic change in groups comes about through
   here-and-now experiences.
3. Major member learning in groups is derived from
   self-disclosure and feedback.

22
Myths Connectedwith Group Work

1. A leader does not have to understand group
   process and group dynamics.
2. Changes made by group participants are not
   maintained.
3. A group is a place to get emotionally high.

23
Myths Connectedwith Group Work

1. A groups purpose is to make members close to
   every other member.
2. Group participation results in brainwashing.
3. To benefit from a group, a member has to be
   dysfunctional.