GROUP

COUNSELLING &
GUIDANCE
UNIT 4
Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology
 GROUP COUNSELLING
• Group counseling is a form of therapy, which posits that people benefit from shared
experiences.

• Usually group counseling is focused on a particular issue, for example anger

management.

• While a therapist usually manages group counseling, contributions from other

members in the group are considered valuable since all in the group share similar
issues

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

• One of the main principals behind group counseling is the idea that dealing
with specific issues may cause isolation, and a feeling that one is alone in
facing one’s problems.
• Group counseling attempts to counteract this isolation by assembling
people with similar issues to enforce that difficulties are not singular to one
person.
• Knowing other people with similar troubles can be comforting to each
individual, who may not have access in their own family and friends to
people with the same problem.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

Learning About Yourself:
• A counseling group consists of between five and eight people, supported by a facilitator.
• Members meet together regularly to learn more about themselves and how they relate to others.
• Self learning and Experimenting
• Group counseling is an valuable tool for self-learning and experimenting with different ways of
behaving.
Sharing Experiences:
• Group counseling is a form of therapy, which posits that people benefit from shared
experiences.
• Usually group counseling is focused on a particular issue, for example obsessive-compulsive
disorder or anger management.
• While a therapist usually manages group counseling, contributions from other members in the
group are considered valuable since all in the group share similar issues.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

People gather. work, play and share, naturally.
1. SH Pratt (physician) started counselling groups in Boston and TB patients, sharing
helped in groups during information on therapeutic
2. SL Moreno (1920s) introduced the term group psychotherapy (socio-therapy
techniques)
3. Wolf or Schwartz started certification Programme in group therapy in NY
4. Important steps in group counselling - The counsellor has to decide about when,
where with whom to use groups. Specific areas can be as follows
1. Groups to motivate low-performing students.
2. Learning groups gear towards cooperative sharing studies
3. Job groups can assist in midlife career change or crisis
4. Structured groups for catching disorders
5. De-addicted groups for Alcoholism or drug abuse4
6. Career counselling in schools and colleges
7. Pre- and post-operative patient groups or terminally ill patients
Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology
Limitations Of Group Counselling
• Counselling is not suitable for all subjects and for all situations.
• It is advisable not to use with persons who have deep unconscious
conflicts.
• It is not suitable or psychopaths and person with high levels of anxiety.

Assumptions Of Group Counselling

• Individuals should possess the necessary latent capacity to trust and be
trusted by other group members.
• "Each individual has the potential to responsibility for self-change“.
• Group members can learn and understand from the objectives ad
methodology of group processes.
• Learning Problem solving skills.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

MECHANICS OF GROUP COUNSELLING
• Appointment
• Introduction of members
• opening statement for discussion
• Interaction
Group counselling the size of the groups is usually small.
The criteria normally employed in the selection of members are
(1) The subjects have a common goal.
(2) They belong to the same age group.
(3) They have similar, if not identical problems
(4) They have a capacity for self-direction .
The other types of groups include guidance groups, family groups. T-groups,
special therapy, group marathon groups.
Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology
Types of Group Counselling

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

Advantages of groups
• Groups provide a social atmosphere that is similar to the real world
• Groups provide more opportunity for social learning
• Members can practice new interpersonal skills on each other
• Particularly developmentally appropriate for adolescents
• Groups are cost effective
• Groups provide commonality
• Group experiences help members become aware of how others view them and what
impact their behavior has on others
• A group member makes public statements regarding change and thus is more likely to
follow through with stated behavior
• Members receive feedback/support/challenge that encourage or facilitate change
• Groups offer diversity of perspectives

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

Disadvantages of groups
 Not everyone can be in a group (e.g., issues, interpersonal skills)
 Confidentiality more difficult to maintain
 Harder to build trust and safety
 Group leaders are not always properly trained
 Not enough time to deal with each person thoroughly
 Group leaders have less control than in individual therapy
 There are concerns with conformity and peer pressure
 Scapegoating may occur
 A disruptive person can cause more harm
 Casualties are more likely to occur

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

 Group Counselling and its Value

• Group Counselling helps in learning, sharing, listening, and interacting socially.

According to Mahler (1969), group counselling is important to
1. Learn to understand other people and their viewpoints.
2. Develop a deeper respect for other people, particularly those who are different
in many ways from oneself.
3. Gain greater social skills in dealing with peers.
4. Learn to share with other people a sense of belonging by participating in group
activities.
5. Clarify one's own concerns, problems, values and ideas through discussion with
others having similar problems.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

• Groups can provide a realistic social setting.
• Provide the sense of security.
• Yalom (2005), in discussing the group as a social microcosm, stated that “a freely
interactive group, with few structural restrictions, will, in time, develop into a social
microcosm of the participant members”
• Clients Gain insights into his or her own feelings and Behaviour, that may help them
to change the behavior.
• Provides clients with an opportunity to develop positive, natural relationships with
others.
• Developing sensitivities to the needs and feelings of others.
• Group counseling offers opportunities for clients to learn responsibility to themselves
and others.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

In the educational setting group counselling is of great value in
1. Exploring oneself.
2. Developing greater confidence in one's own perceptions,
3. Learning to understand other people
4. Integrating one's feelings and thinking
5. Becoming more effective in social situations.

 Group counselling helps in re-examining one's present values and trying out new values.
 It develops insight and make a healthier adjustment.
Note:
Group therapy is not suitable for seriously disturbed people and persons having
personality issues.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

Group Counseling Process Group
Counseling ordinarily involves five stages namely
1.The formation of the group
2. The involvement stage
3. The transition stage
4.The working stage
5. The ending stage

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

• Selection of members
• Size of the group
• Frequency of sessions
• Duration of session
• Setting
• Preparation of members for group participation
• How to get started
• Open or closed group
• Voluntary or involuntary participation
• Overcoming resistance
• Ending the group

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

 Similarities of individual and group counselling
1. Achieve self integration, self direction and responsibility
2. Counsellor accepts the client for all his nature
3. Both techniques aims at clarifying feeling, thought and problem.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology
 Guidance and Counselling in Educational Setting

“Educational guidance is a conscious effort to assist in the intellectual growth of

individual- anything that has to do with instruction or learning may come under the term
of guidance.” ~Brewer

“Educational guidance is the assistance given to the pupils in their choices and
adjustments with relation to schools, curriculums, courses and school life.” ~ Jones

Educational Guidance is a cooperation that counselor offers to students in improving

their life view point, decision making and taking responsibility.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

Guidance needs related to education
The counsellor can help teacher, parent and pupil regarding
educational and other related problems.
1. Learning
2. Preparation for vocation
3. Physical and sexual changes
4. Social and interpersonal relations.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

 GUIDANCE AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL

• Emphasis on school counselling' was started in 1950s became essential part

of Education system by the 1970s, in America with American school
counsellors association (ASCA).
• Muro (1981) feels school counselling to be essential for 'mental health' and
'personale development of school children.
• Wilson and Rotter (1980) emphasize on counsellor's role for Holistic
development of children', more so for 'Special children' (challenged ones)
and High Risk' children.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

 The first experience of attending school is very important stage in their lives.
 Develop the fundamental skills knows as the three R’s in children.
 The development of creativity, initiative and leadership qualities in children.
 It is during the crucial years that a child's self-concept develops.
 School has to take responsibility to make children comfortable like home.
 Promotion of social and emotional maturity in children.
 Early guidance of the child helps to adapt to new situations and develops the
ability to face problem and resolves them.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

In order to provide guidance to the pupils one has to appreciate three points:
1. The child is flexible in his early years and any problem(s) of the child
has (have) less time to become deep-rooted to resist modification.
2. Parents are keenly concerned about their young ones in school and
their cooperation and help can be easily obtained.
3. Many years of adjustment lie ahead of the child to grow and develop.
• Readiness to learn
• Attitudes and Behaviour such as sulking, temper tantrums, aggressiveness,
withdrawal. And so on need to be checked and corrected at home and
school.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

 Guidance towards Life Goals

• Goal setting is important for those who want to improve their life.
1. Facilitating behavioral change.
2. Helping improve the client’s ability to both establish and maintain
relationships.
3. Helping enhance the client’s effectiveness and their ability to cope.
4. Helping promote the decision-making process while facilitating client
potential.
5. Development towards life goals

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology
 Educational Counselling

• The term educational counselling has been rooted deeply with the problems
& conditions of school & college going students.
• A major area of educational counselling basically comprises of school
counselling.
• The school counsellor or educator is one who works in school and historically
been referred to as ‘guidance counsellor ‘ or ‘educational counsellor’ because
he/she helping the students through guiding them in their profession.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

Framework of Educational counselling
 The major attention of these counsellors is focused on the developmental stages of
the student’s growth including the needs, tasks and the interest of the students
related to those stages.
 To promote & enhance student achievement through a guidance curriculum,
individual planning strategies, responsive services.
 The counsellors mainly attend to the needs of the students and take care that these
need are met in the 4 basic domains; Academic development, Career development,
Personal and Social development.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

 Need for counselling in education setting

Infatuation or love affairs Self identity

Stress management Impatient child
Depression Domestic violence
Anger management Substance abuse
Child abuse/ Harassement Bullying
Memory & Concentration Gambling
Adjustment with the parents Eating disorder
Adjustment in school Truancy
Adjustment with peers Self harm

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

 The Role of Teachers in Counselling

• The role of teachers in Counselling is that they use cumulative record

information.
• Teachers assist in the identification of exceptional children.
• Teachers help children in exploring the work arena.
• Teachers assist children in resolving learning and adjustment problems.
• Teachers assist in developing special interests and aptitudes.
• Teachers enable students to analyze their attitude and feelings towards
others.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

Teachers are expected to help in the counselling services through
1. Studying and diagnosing children.
2. Identifying and referring pupils needing special assistance.
3. Preparing and maintaining guidance records
4. Helping pupils develop effective study habits
5. Contributing to pupils' educational and vocational planning and
placement

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

EDUCATIONAL COUNSELLING AND CURRICULUM
• The school curriculum is a systematic organization of courses of study and
activities designed to further students knowledge and competencies.
• The curriculum is designed to help the individual pupil achieve his potentialities
and become capable of self-direction.
• Educational Counselling is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness with which pupil
profits from the curriculum.
• The systematic planning of curricular opportunities helps the pupil by providing
experiences which strengthen the feelings of adequacy and belongingness.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

Educational counselling contributes
to curriculum development
• To make the curricular activities meet with the
needs of people.
• To enable testing, planning follow up and other
counselling activities for development.
• Help pupil to understand and choose the
course which suits his requirements.
• To develop social and vocational competencies
for better life in society.

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

 EVALUATION OF PROGRAMMES OF EDUCATIONAL COUNSELLING

1.One of the important criteria of a good system is a desirable counsellor student ratio must be reasonable.

2. The counsellors should be qualified for their positions.They should be personally inclined and professionally
prepared to be counsellors. A master's degree in counselling is an essential qualification.
3. Necessary physical facilities should be available

4. Adequate financial support should be provided

5. The personnel should be self-evaluative and research oriented.

6. Counselling services should be available throughout the academic year and throughor the pupils' academic
lives.
7. Counselling services should provide for the appraisal of students and help them adjust, plan and develop

8. Updated informational materials should be available and accessible

9. Necessary records should be maintained which could be used to help pupils' understanding and development
Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology
Limitations Inherent in Evaluation

• School counselling personnel do not have time for evaluation.

• They are not trained to conduct evaluative studies.
• Owing to the lack of better techniques and tools, most of them depend upon subject
approaches determine the adequacy of their services
• The necessary data for evaluation is often not available.
• The required funds for evaluation are not available.
• The administration is not very keen about evaluation.
• The necessary cooperation from the teaching personnel, administration and parent
often difficult to enlist

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology

Sindhulakshmi.B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychology