Group Processes- Group 5

FACTORS CONSIDERED IN APPLICATION OF GROUP

PROCESS TO SPECIFIC GROUPS E.G. CHILDREN,
ADOLESCENTS, ADULTS AND SOCIAL SUPPORT GROUPS
 In group psychotherapy, the term “process” refers to
the nature of the relationship between interacting
individuals, members, therapists, and the related
communication aspects (Lis et al., 2010).

Introduction A group process is one of the critical aspects of

human cooperation and it touches on the behaviour of
the people as they collaborate in decision making,
undertaking tasks and solving problems while
working in groups (Levi, 2015; Forsyth, 2018)
Why group process matters

• Group therapy not only saves on costs but has also

proven to be an effective mode of treatment.
• However, different types of groups require different
types of approaches depending on the reason for
therapy, the age group and the cultural setting among
others.
• One of the most important things that leads to the
success of group therapy is cohesion which is
determined by factors such as age, size of the group,
length of the therapy as well as the interventions used.
The following is research based on the factors
that affect different groups when it comes to
group processes.
Group
Process for
Children
Factors Considered in Application of Group
Process to Children
Group therapy is suitable for treating children
between the ages of 4 and 12, or until puberty

It is useful in the treatment of internalizing

disorders in children such as anxiety, social
inhibitions, depressive disorders and diminished
self-esteem

It is also useful for externalizing disorders such

as oppositional, aggressive or antisocial disorders
 Group therapy helps build self-
confidence and assertiveness and
empower children to sidestep negative
peer pressure.

Benefits of
It also equips children with the tools Group
they need to process and manage Therapy to
negative emotions and work through Children
stress and anxiety
 For a child to be admitted to group therapy, a thorough
diagnostic procedure has to be carried out.

It entails talking to parents, caregivers and teachers,

play observation with the child, as well as a behavioral
Selection and psychological diagnosis.
process
The child’s current state, his or her resources and
possibilities, as well as the context of his life with his
family and networks must all be included in the
diagnostic considerations.
  Therapy groups for children should have 4 to 6
members in number, either homogenous or
even mixed gender.
 A group that is composed of children who are at
a similar stage of development is more easy to
manage and provides a conducive learning
Size and environment for the group members.
 The particular strength of one child should
composition
correspond to the weakness of another, therefore
of the group select children with different symptoms and take
care to find the best possible balance between
inhibited and aggressive children
 A therapy group for children should be led by a
pair of therapists of opposite genders.

Therapist
selection This facilitates the transference and projection of
internalized object relationships onto the male or
female therapist and aids in the re-enactment of
early childhood fantasies and conflicts.
 This arrangement of the therapist pair and
the children represents a family-like
situation which fosters the emergence and
playing out of family-related scenarios.

Therapist
selection
Children project onto the therapists any
negative or traumatic experiences they
may have had with adults.
Purpose of  Before a child is accepted into a
group therapeutic group, the meaning and
purpose of the group therapy should be
discussed with the child and the parents/
guardian.

 The child should not be forced to

participate in group therapy, rather,
he/she should have an understanding of
why they need to be in the group.
Group Process
for Adolescents
Factors Considered in Application of
Group Process to Adolescents
• Adolescence is one of the developmental stages in humans
and it is highly relevant in that during the time, some highly
important psychological and physical changes in the person
occur (Smith, Cowie & Blades, 2003).
• The stage falls as an intermediate between the adult and
childhood stages
• Adolescents, just as the case with the other human groups
are social and they tend to cooperate with others for
survival or the purpose of flourishing (Levi, 2015)
 One of the most critical characteristics of adolescents is
that they are highly active and hands-on

The process of learning for adolescents, just as the case

with other children is highly dependent on the practical
doing
Incorporating
physical An ideal group for the adolescents is therefore where the
leader organizes the members into structures that
activity accommodate play and direct engagement during each
meeting
 Of importance in the incorporation of physical activities such as
games is the goal and objective of the group

Therefore, the purpose of the group should become the guiding

principle while deciding on the physical activities to be
Incorporating incorporated in the adolescent group
Physical
Activity Besides the structured physical activities, oral narrations and
cont’d… manipulative storytelling and reading could be pointed out as
important elements in the consideration of the active nature of
adolescents while in group contexts 
Adolescents’ Egocentric Nature
• It is a common observation in adolescents groups that
individual members tend to be highly opposed to other
people’s opinions (Frith & De Vignemont, 2005)
• They tend to emphasize their subjective worldviews as
the only valid opinions
• The observation could be the product of what
psychologists have called cognitive egocentrism and the
inability to develop own abstract reasoning about the
immediate environment
• Well organized groups for the adolescent children work to
help the individual members overcome the problem of
egocentrism.
 • From past studies, adolescents are known to be
naturally impulsive (Cumberland‐Li, Eisenberg &
Reiser, 2004)
• Impulsivity refers to the personality trait where an
individual fails to control own responses towards
an external stimulus
• In the case of adolescents, they are often shown to
Adolescent have rampant reactions towards environmental
Impulsiveness stimulation even without consideration of the
possible negative consequences
• Impulsivity in adolescents is largely dependent on
such factors as executive functioning skills,
temperaments and the developmental stage
(Trotter, et al., 2008)
 Just as the case with the adult groups, adolescent formations
constitute membership which portrays a significant level of
diversity especially on resourcefulness

It would be worth appreciating that individual members would

differ in abilities, skills, knowledge, and the general resources
one would bring on board whenever recruited into a group
(Chand, 2013)
Group
Member Differences in personality types and characteristics as depicted
by independence, sociability, and self-reliance are equal attributes
Resources to be noted whenever applying group processes for adolescents

Therefore, depending on the group task, assignment or objective,

the success could be largely influenced by the resources brought
on board by the members
Group Structure

The group structure can represent various aspects such as the size, the roles, the
norms and general cohesiveness (Chand, 2013)

The number of participating group members have a large impact on the general
performance and success of the group.

Often, groups of between two and ten persons are thought to be highly effective
as with the relatively small number of participants, each person would be given
an ample opportunity to contribute towards the objective or the task of the
formation
Group Structure

 On the other hand, relatively larger groups of

adolescents exceeding ten members are
criticized on time wastage and ineffectiveness
especially as observed in massive time
wastage during decision making
 • General processes such as conflict
management, communication, and leadership
are fundamental factors to consider in the
discourse of groups involving adolescents
(Chand, 2013)
• It is worth appreciating that just as the case
Group with adolescent groups, adolescents in a formal
Processes group setting face a reality of experiencing
interpersonal conflicts
• The misunderstandings would often be
associated with poor individual performance
and the failure of the entire group to realize the
set objectives
Group
process for
Adults
Factors To Consider When Working
With Groups Of Adults
 Group therapist determines the stage at
which the group has reached both
functionally and in terms of behavior
change.

Stage of
group The stages are; initial (storming), the
working (norming) and the termination
process stage (adjourning) stage.
reached
 • Group therapist is a member of a team
which may include working with
administrators of hospitals, schools,
churches or mosques Relationship with the
Administrative administrators is vital.
collaboration
• It also expands to companies and other
entities that refer clients to the group
therapist.
 Members of a group come from
different cultural backgrounds.

This can be religion, early

socialization and current lifestyle.
Previous
experiences
from This diversity can be very helpful in
members informing the type of group to be
joining the formed (Schlosser, 1993).
group
 Beliefs and attitudes affect how a group functions
from one session to another. As a result, there will
be differences and similarities in their perception,
attitudes and behavior

Beliefs and
attitudes This is more likely to be the case during the initial
storming stage of the group formation. Given this
among the scenario, it is important that the group therapist is
group aware of this as early as possible in order to plan
well on how to assist members sail through.
members.
 Some characteristics of adult learners:
1. Need to know why they are learning
something
2. Learn through doing
3. Are problem solvers
Knowledge 4. Learn best when the subject is of
of how adults immediate use
learn is 5. Prefer social interactions
important 6. Want to use their life experiences in
classroom
7. Want to integrate new ideas with existing
knowledge.
  This refers to the differences and
similarities among humans, such as gender,
age, ethnicity, language, religion, gender,
Multicultural ability or disability, sex orientation,
Factors spirituality, emotional stability, economic
status and social status.
Group
process for
social
support
Factors Considered in Application of Group
Processes to Social Support Groups
 A support group is an organized group of people who are
dealing with the same issues. It is usually nonprofessional and
nonmaterial, meaning it is free.

Support groups bring together people who are going through or

have gone through similar experiences.

Social
For example, this common ground might be cancer, chronic
support medical conditions, addiction, bereavement or caregiving.
groups
A support group among people with shared experiences may
function as a bridge between emotional needs and other various
needs.
 Social support groups help to connect with others,
build social skills and teach strategies to manage day
to day activities.

These groups can help in learning better life skills and

Social improving independence and motivation.
support
group Their main aim is to work with people to improve their
sense of feeling, belonging and connectedness with
others around them.
Assessment of group members

• Placement of individuals in social support groups

should begin with a thorough assessment of the client’s
needs, desires and the ability to participate in the group.
• This assessment can begin as part of a general
assessment of clients entering the program, but the
evaluation process should continue after the initial
interview and through as long as the first 4 to 6 weeks
of group.
Previous group experience

• Clients should be asked about the composition of their social

networks, types of groups they have been in, their experience
in those groups, and the roles they typically have played in
those groups (Yalom, 1995).
  Recent studies have shown that women do
better in women‐only groups than in mixed
gender groups (Stevens, Arbiter &Glider,
1989).
 The primary reason same‐sex groups are
more effective for women is that women
Gender have distinct treatment needs that are
consideration different from those of men. Women are
more likely than men to have experienced
traumatic events, which often lead to
depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress
disorder (Roberts, 1998). 
 If the purpose of the group is for example to help
fellow members take some control over their
problems, meetings should be at least every other
week.

If the group will be informational, such as hosting a

speaker at each meeting, then monthly meetings are
Logistics sufficient.

In general, a meeting that includes both discussion and

goal-planning should be about two hours long.
 To guide discussion around a specific topic, you
might invite a professional to give a
presentation during the first part of the
meeting. 

How the
meeting Plan for goals that are SMART in order to be
should run able to assess when they have been achieved.
  The primary factor to consider regarding
continued participation in group should be
the client’s ability to get something out of
Motivation the group experience. How the client’s
and participation affects other group members
expectation should also be assessed
of success
  Members’ emotional stability should be
assessed prior to placement in a group in
Stability and order to know the appropriate group to
associate them with.
stage of
recovery
  Age, gender, cultural background,
language, sexual orientation, social class,
education level, religious background,
Diversities parental status, justice system involvement
should be well assessed prior to placement
in a social support group.
 Group therapy can be done for various reasons.
One of most obvious ones is that it helps to cut
cost and also reduces the time a therapist would
have spent on each individual in separate
sessions.
From the research shown above it is evident
Conclusion that group therapy can be used to help all kinds
of people including children.
The one thing to remember it that every type of
group has its own considerations which the
therapist needs to understand in order to have
successful group sessions.
Thank you!
THE END
References
• American Psychological Association. Managing Stress: Strengthen your
support network. Updated October 2019.
• Comas-Diaz (2011) as quoted in Corey, G., Theory & Practice of Group
Psychotherapy.,eighth edition (pp.11).
• DeLucia-Waack (1996). In Corey, G. (2012). Theory & Practice of Group
Counseling.(8th ed.)(pp. 11).
• Lis, A., Sambin, M., Ferruzza, E., Marogna, C., Rocco, D., & Salcuni, S.
(2010). Filoni di ricerca in psicoterapia nella Facoltà di Psicologia
dell’Università di Padova. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology,
Process and Outcome, 13 (2), 168-190.
• Roberts, A. (1998). Battered Women and Their Families: Intervention
Strategies and Treatment Programs. New York: Springer.
References
 Safran. J. D. , & Muran, J. C. (2000). Negotiating the therapeutic alliance:
A relational treatment guide. New York: Guilford Press.
 Scholesser,B. (1993). A group therapy needs assessment survey. In L.
VandeCreek,S. Knapp, &T.L. Jackson (eds), Innovations in clinical
Practice:Vol.12. A source book (pp. 383-385). Sarasota, FL: Professional
Resource Press /Professional Resource Exchange.
 Stevens, S.J., Arbiter, N. and Glider P. (1989).Women residents:
Expanding their role to increase treatment effectiveness. International
Journal of Addictions. 24(5):425 - 434.
 Yalom, I.D. (1995).The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy. 4th
ed. New York: Basic Books.