Testing+Copying

Therapeutic Use of The Group Series 1

Workshop Day

5th July 2009

Online Group Tutorial 1

Wednesday 19^th August 2009 8pm – 10pm

Online Group Supervision

Wednesday 2^nd September 2009 8pm – 10pm

Online Group Tutorial 2

Wednesday 9^th September 2009 8pm – 10pm

Action Learning Set Submission Date of Group Presentation

20^th September 2009

Personal Learning Journal Final Submission Date

4^th October 2009

Therapeutic Use of Groups

Summary

This module introduces the participants to the therapeutic use of groups. Group work has been recognised as a therapeutic procedure for decades. A vast number of groups in a wide range of diverse settings are now available to cater to those seeking help and support for minor and serious psychological/emotional problems, to those requiring psycho-educational input, to those experiencing situational crises, and to healthy individuals who wish to expand their self-awareness and increase their level of interpersonal functioning and personal effectiveness. The skills of the group facilitator are an essential ingredient in ensuring the achievement of its therapeutic intentions. This module hopes to afford the participants opportunities to augment their skills repertoire in bringing the benefits of therapeutic group work to their clients and organisations.

This is a six weeks learning cycle module and commences with a day workshop in week one. The workshop provides participants with an overview of the area of study as well as outlining the associated basic skills. Participants will be invited to formulate their questions relevant to their clinical context. This provides the focus for their own individual action learning. The individual will be allocated to an action learning set (ALS). A problem scenario pertinent to achieving the module outcomes is presented to the ALS. The ALS engages as a learning team in organising themselves to enquire, research, discuss and formulate their solutions to the presenting problem scenario. The ALS present and publish their group findings and receive feedback from the facilitator and from the other ALS by week six. The learning activities are supported by two 2-hourly online group tutorial session for each set during week two and week five. An online group supervision is provided to each ASL in week four/five to facilitate skills implementation and evaluation. The individual participant is expected to keep a personal learning journal of their learning experiences throughout the six week cycle. This is to include an evaluation and the learning acquired from their efforts in implementing the skills relevant to the module in their own respective work environment.

Aims

This module is designed to enhance participants understanding and skills of therapeutic group work theory and practice. It is aimed at participants who may have a limited or rudimentary understanding of group dynamics and group processes. The module hopes to offer relevant, contextual skills in group work and group facilitation to the participants own unique work settings. It is aimed at those who may be currently employed in the education, social, health and voluntary sectors who may be working or intend to work with groups to bring about potential change, transformation growth or healing.

This module is one of the many supporting modules of creative arts therapy which participants may decide to subscribe to in their CPPD, especially if they are intending to use creative arts therapy in groups. Other related areas of the creative arts therapy pathway are the use of small world play, use of stories, role playing, puppets and masks etc. etc.

Intended Outcomes

At the end of the this module, the participant will be able to

• Consider the viability for using groups to achieve specific therapeutic intentions
• Prepare, plan and evaluate group sessions, setting up of group overall aims, membership selection, group management and process documentation.
• Reflect and evaluate on their practice as therapeutic group work facilitators
• Utilise creative groupwork methods and interpersonal skills relevant for effective group facilitation

Indicative Contents

*The specific contents of each respective module in the CPPD programme is dependent on the baseline knowledge and skills of the participants of the cohort. As the programme adopts an action learning approach to learning, the problems and challenges of practice that participants bring to the module will to a large extent determine the contents of the module. The content will be pertinent to the necessary relevant skills and knowledge required to address the issues brought forth. The indicative contents listed below provide a suggestive area of focus and is negotiable with each cohort.

· Key principles of the therapeutic variables of group and group facilitation

· Significance of verbal, non-verbal signals and the unconscious life of the group

· Roles in groups, how they arise and interact and influence the group

· Co-facilitation, having more than one facilitator

· Observation, reflection, assessment, evaluation and analytical skills of the group processes

· Documenting the group management and the therapeutic process

· Theoretical underpinning of the group process, group dynamics and group development

· Working with the strengths and resources within the therapeutic group

· Using creative arts therapy structure and process in group work

· Socio-cultural aspects of therapeutic group facilitation

· Strategies for dealing with challenging situations in therapeutic groups

Assessment

· Attendance of the module workshop

· Satisfactory participation and contribution to the action learning set which is peer evaluated and assessed.

· Provide satisfactory evidence of critical self-reflection, analysis, evaluation and synthesis in their personal learning journal

Reference

Specific references, reading lists or bibliography will be provided as the group progresses in their engagement with their action learning sets and determine by direction and area of their learning interest and research. The reference below is intended to provide a brief introduction to area of study.

· Douglas, T., (2003) Basic Groupwork - Second Edition, Libra Publishers, Inc.

· Drost, J & Bayley, S., (2001) Therapeutic Groupwork with Children Speechmark

· http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_therapy