Aspects of Group Counselling

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject Pedagogy - Pedagogic Psychology, grade: 1,5, Karlsruhe University of Education (Psychologie), language: English, abstract: This work deals with group counselling, its benefits and limitations, its types of groups, its requirements for leaders, and its realisations - especially the realisation in a school context with a focus on psychoeducational groups. The main source in literature will be Gerald Corey, and Gerald Corey & Marianne Schneider Corey respectively, as the two psychologists have published many books about counselling in the USA and give a broad overview on this field in America. The focus does have to be on the situation in the US since this kind of group counselling at schools is not used in Germany yet, as current research pointed out. Therefore, it always has to be kept in mind that the essay reflects an American point of view. Additionally, the types of groups presented in this work only include participants who take place in group counselling voluntarily. For further readings on how to deal with members who are e.g. court-referred, please see Corey and Schneider Corey 1997, 331ff. Table of Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Different kinds of groups in counselling practice 2.1. Definition of the term 'group' 2.2. Groups in counselling practice 3. Group therapy versus group counselling 4. Qualities of a successful group leader 4.1. Personal traits 4.2. Professional traits 5. A practical example of group counselling at secondary school 5.1. In general: Problems and special needs of adolescents 5.2. Formal and organisational work in setting up a group 5.3. 'Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACAs)': Group counselling for adolescents at school 5.3.1. Problems of adolescents with (an) alcoholic parent(s) 5.3.2. Description of the group experience 6. Limitations of group counselling 7. Future prospects 8. Works Cited