The Practical Handbook of Group Counseling

The Practical Handbook of Group Counseling is written mainly as a primer in group work with children, adolescents and parents. The first edition was used by over 300 colleges and universities in the United States. Its’ unique design allows the reader to use it as a ready reference for practical information. It is presented as a text that can challenge the individual’s ideas and upon which the counselor can develop techniques that will fit his/her personality and meet the needs of the group. The text was the first comprehensive practical book in this field. The book is a synthesis of the various problems and successes that the counselor may encounter and offers one model that may be useful in resolving and/or enhancing some of these issues. The author utilizes the public school setting as the vehicle for presenting his material. Since the school is a cross-section of the population, the model proposed by Dr. Glass can be adapted to other social agencies which utilize group counseling techniques. Theoretical concepts of group dynamics are discussed only when they can be functionally applied. The skills necessary to know how to use group counseling, when to use it and when not to use it are emphasized. SHELDON D. GLASS has a significant background in group work and in child and adolescent development. He is one of the few people in the nation to have completed formal training in education, adult psychiatry, child psychiatry, and pediatrics. He is Board Certified in four medical specialties. He is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University Medical School and taught in the Department of Education for twelve years introducing their first formal course in group counseling. He has helped to develop a systems-wide training program in group counseling in the Baltimore City Public School System, the first of its type in a large urban area and the first statewide training program in group counseling for the State of Maryland. He has been a consultant to the State Departments of Education in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland. He has conducted several practical group training programs, including workshops with educators, clergymen, social workers, nurses, industrialists, juvenile justice counselors and public school Superintendents. The following is the Table of Contents I INTRODUCTION Group Identity II HOW TO ORGANIZE A GROUP Group Goals, Group Size, Selection Of Group Members, The Neighborhood Effect, Physical Setting, Length Of Time For Sessions, Frequency Of Meetings III THE ROLE OF THE GROUP LEADER The Organization Of Group Leadership, Counselor’s Personality, The Leader’s Influence, The Counselor and Group Discussion, The Counselor Can Make Mistakes, Control Of The Group By The Leader, Testing The Leadership, Student Exclusion From A Group, Questions Asked The Counselor, Relationship Between The Counselor And The Group Members, Transference, Optimum Performance By The Leader, Task-Oriented Leader Versus Relationship-Oriented Leader, When In Doubt, The Dropout Counselor, Transfer Of Leadership, How To Reprove A Group, The Leader’s Silence, The Leader Can Enjoy The Group, The Counselor’s Role, The Female Counselor And Male Youngsters, Comfort Of The Inexperienced Counselor, When The Leader Threatens To Withdraw, Co-Leadership Of A Group, When The Leader Comes Late IV THE MECHANICS OF GROUP COUNSELING Group Spontaneity, Spontaneity Accentuated By Anger, The Isolated Member, Student Members Who Are Absent, Increased Group Anxiety, How To Handle Silent Periods, Group Dropouts, The Member Who Reveals Too Much, When Student Members Argue With Each Other, Physical Threat To One Of The Student Members Of The Group, The Late Question, Questions Asked After The Group Terminates, A Question The Group Expects To Discuss, The Tape Recorder, What Constitutes A Poor Session, Phases In Group Work, The Third Meeting, How A Group Complains, Visitors To The Group, How To Evaluate Group Counseling, The Admission Of New Members V TECHNIQUES TO STIMULATE GROUP INTERACTION Reinforcement or reward technique, Summarization technique, Pick-up technique, Comparison technique, Probing technique, Direct question technique, Didactic technique, Interpretation technique, Confrontation technique, Problem oriented technique. Summary VI THE IMPORTANT GROUP SESSIONS The First Session, Confidentiality, The Establishment Of Rules, Setting Limits, Group Identity, How To Start The First Session, The Last Session VII GROUP COUNSELING IN THE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS The Elementary School, The Immature Child, The Passive Child, The Hyperactive Child, The Secondary School VIII GROUP COUNSELING AS AN ADJUNCT TO THE TEACHER The Learning Process, The Novelty Effect, The Expectancy Effect, The Socialization Effect, Working With Inexperienced Teachers, The Teacher Working With Aides IX GROUP COUNSELING AS AN ADJUNCT TO THE ADMINISTRATOR Group Work With Teachers, Practical Group Techniques, The Chicken Stories X THE PROFILE OF SPECIALTY GROUPS The Leadership Group, The Under-Achiever, The Potential Dropout, Special Education Students, The Adolescent Pregnant Female, The Behavior Problem, Warning Signs of Youth Violence, Career Planning, Student Teachers, Charm Groups, Anonymous (Students Who Approach The Counselor), Psycho-Drama And Role Playing, Foster Children, Audio-Visual Aides, Interracial Group Counseling, Clubs And Student Councils, Classroom Counseling, Substance Abuse, Community/National Disasters XI PLANNED GROUP COUNSELING MODULES Anger Management, Study Skills, Art Counseling Techniques XII GROUP THEORIES Behavior Modification and Group Counseling, Adlerian Theory and Group Counseling, Existential Theory in Group Counseling, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy in Group Counseling, Gestalt Theory and Group Counseling, Person-Centered Therapy and Group Counseling, Psychoanalysis in Group Counseling, Choice Theory and Group Counseling XIII GROUP COUNSELING WITH PARENTS How To Get Parents Into The Schools, Group Interaction, Conflict Between Parents, Parent Profiles, The Recalcitrant Parent, The Over-Helpful Parent, The Professional Parent, The Guilty Parent, The Disinterested Parent, The Perfectionist Parent, The Positive Parent, The Optimistic Parent, The Pessimistic Parent, Summary XIV GROUP SUPERVISION A Supervisory Session GLOSSARY INDEX