Copyright 2012 Brooks/Cole, a division of Cengage Learning, Inc.

Early Stages in the

Development of a Group

Stage 1: The Formation Stage

Pregroup issues:

Announcing a group and recruiting members

Rationale for screening group members

Practical matters to consider in forming a group

Use of a pregroup meeting

Multicultural considerations in preparing members

Guidelines for orienting members to a group

Theory and Practice of Group CounselingChapter 4 (1)

Copyright 2012 Brooks/Cole, a division of Cengage Learning, Inc.

Copyright 2012 Brooks/Cole, a division of Cengage Learning, Inc.

Stage 2: Initial or Orientation Stage

A time for orientation and exploration

Characteristics of a group at the initial stage

Primary tasks of stage: inclusion and identity

Trust: the foundation of a group

Group leaders role at the initial stage

Theory and Practice of Group CounselingChapter 4 (3)

Copyright 2012 Brooks/Cole, a division of Cengage Learning, Inc.

Stage 3: Transition Stage

A time for dealing with resistance

Characteristics of the transition stage

Difficult group member or difficult group leader?

Group leaders role at the transition stage

Theory and Practice of Group CounselingChapter 4 (4)