Essay On Group Observation

637 Words2 Pages

Group Observation
In this paper, I will identify and describe a group I recently observed. The description will include information about the group process and an evaluation of the effectiveness of the leader’s style. I will also consider what I might do differently if leading the group and think about how I could apply what I learned from this observation into my own work.
Group Type and Group Process
I observed an ongoing open opiate maintenance support group at the community mental health clinic where I am an employee. The group is best described as a counseling group because it uses interactive feedback to process conscious thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to being on opiate maintenance therapy (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2010, …show more content…

The group therapist was very content oriented and I would be equally focused on the group process. Yalom and Leszcz (2005) note that in order to use process, a therapist must accept that they too effect process and are affected by it. The authors feel that this is one of the most helpful and powerful aspects of group therapy. I would utilize the unconscious dynamics and most likely turn the group into a psychotherapeutic group (Corey et al., 2010). I did not know the group therapist very well and I really appreciated how much the patients were willing to lean on her. They verbalized feeling safe and thankful to have a place to come and talk about their issues. The therapist formed the group to meet the need of patients who didn’t fit well into clinic programming. The therapist’s willingness to go out of her way to create unique programming resonated with me well. I hope to be able to establish strong therapeutic alliances like those I observed between the leader and group members. I think she is successful because of a most sincere and authentic care and concern for her patients. This is what I would like to take from this experience and apply to my own

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