COUN 634

Group Counseling
Dr. Sasse
December 14, 2022
Ashley Shultz

Overview
In working with many of the honors, dual credit, and AP teachers this semester, a

common theme has developed with regards to concerns about students. Teachers are worried

that some students are struggling with the mental and emotional stress and anxiety of these

types of courses. At the high school I currently teach at, school students have little exposure to

honors, dual credit, or AP courses until their sophomore year. At that point students have the

option to take an advanced course (AP or even dual college credit) in most core classes -

English, math, science, and world history and even some additional elective courses such as

speech and career-technical education (CTE) courses. While some choose to take a single

advanced course, many students have more than one advanced course and struggle with the

change of rigor involved.

This group will focus on study habits, organizational skills, and problem solving over a

period of six weeks as a short term support group. The goal is that participants will learn other

soft skills that will help in reducing the anxiety and stress many feel when taking advanced

courses. This group will also serve as positive peer assistance where students can use each

other to learn from and find support. As a number of students struggle in these areas, a group

setting will help the most number of students, while still creating a confidential and safe space

for members to learn from the leader and each other.

As this group is within a school setting, the group sessions will take place during the

school day, specifically during the homeroom portion of the day which runs from approximately

11:15 to 11:55. This group will meet weekly for six weeks with session topics and formats to be

discussed further into this proposal. One of the most important pieces of this group will be to
evaluate student progression towards goals and make changes necessary to help ensure

student success. Students will complete a study skills self assessment that evaluates six key

areas: studying, managing time, note taking, reading textbooks, memorization, and preparing for

tests. This same self assessment will be given at the end of the six week group as well as at

the four week follow up session. Students will also complete an exit ticket at the end of each

group session listing one new skill they learned or would like to try out that they learned that

session. Based on exit ticket information, session topics or techniques may be altered.

Membership
As the focus of this group is on students taking advanced level courses a variety of

recruiting and screening techniques will be used. Initially the group leader will solicit

recommendations from the advanced sophomore level teachers on students who are struggling

in their classes, not because of a lack of content knowledge, but rather are struggling with the

rigor and study skills needed in that course. Students will also be given information about the

group in the advanced courses and invited to participate in a screening to determine if they

would be a fit for the group. All members (those self-selected to participate and those who have

been recommended to participate) will go through a screening process in which they will be

asked about their current study habits, time management skills, and goals for the advanced

class. Some of the same student skills self assessment that will be used to evaluate the

effectiveness of the group will be given to students for screening. Students who score low in all

areas of study skills, time management, etc, will be considered first priority for the group.

Parents will be sent a consent form in order to participate in the group which details the goals

and weekly session topics.

The desired size of the group will be up to 10 students, so those who are showing the

highest need during the screening process will be offered a spot first, but an additional group

can be put together for the second quarter as the group is set to run 8 weeks. Every attempt
will be made to create a diverse group that reflects the population of the school as a larger

whole.

Leadership
As this group will be with students, during the school day, the group leader will be a

school counselor who has a background (if possible) in working with high achieving students.

This leader should also have a background on being able to share educational pieces with

group members about different types of study skills, organizational skills, and time management.

As some members may have already had individual sessions with the school counselor, there

may be a more open and willingness to participate in the session because a rapport has already

been built. It will be important that the counselor share that any individual sessions with students

while the group sessions are still going on should focus on outside group issues such as course

changes or college and career selections, rather than concerns from the group. If a student

does bring up group concerns during an individual session, the leader will encourage the

student to work through those concerns during the group session.

Session format and flow

Group sessions will start out weekly with a reminder on confidentiality and the norms

(once they have been established in week one/session one). Sessions will also start out with a

chance for every student to share their feelings and thoughts from the previous week, especially

when participants have been asked to complete any homework or journaling.

● Week One:
○ Setting the confidentiality and norms of the group.
○ The purpose and goal of the group.
○ Setting individual goals for the following week.
During week one, the leader will focus specifically on informed consent, confidentiality, group

norms, and individual member goals. It is important, especially in a school setting, that students

are informed of consent and understand the pros and cons of entering into this group
counseling. Students will also learn about confidentiality and how that may change within a

group setting compared to any other type of individual confidentiality they have had with a

counselor or therapist in the past. The leader will hold a discussion with students about their

concerns with confidentiality and help encourage members to talk only about themselves or use

pseudonyms for others outside of the group. The group will also help create group norms with

regards to how participants share, interact, and give feedback to each other. It is important that

members take some ownership of the group so having set the norms will allow them that

ownership. Finally, each group member will take the study skills self assessment and work to

complete goals based on their feedback. Members will be encouraged to share their goals as

well as track those goals throughout the week.

● Week Two:
○ Study skills/habits.
Having already taken a study skills self assessment, the students will have an idea of some

current study skills that they are either using currently or could use in the future. Group

members will share what has worked for them and any challenges they face when using these

study skills. The group leader will do some educational components and share different types of

study skills and how they can be incorporated. For homework, group members will be

encouraged to find one new study skill that they would be interested in using and try to

incorporate that into their current study routine. Members will be asked to either track or journal

how that experience went throughout the week.

● Week Three:
○ Problem solving and decision making.
During week three, students will focus on any problem solving or decision making struggles or

successes they’ve had, especially in regards to academics. Students will complete an activity in

which they are to create a scenario or problem that they are currently encountering or have

recently encountered. In this activity students will work through a problem solving model.
Students will list the possible solutions/alternatives, evaluate those solutions/alternatives,

choose one and make a plan, and then create a plan to evaluate the effectiveness of that

choice. If possible, students will complete role play scenarios and rely on the group to help

them think of alternative solutions and evaluate those solutions.

● Week Four:
○ Goal setting
While members have already worked a little in week one one goal setting for this group,

students will focus on goal setting for academics in week four. In knowing the study,

organizational, time management skills they already may have, students will create a goal for

one of their advanced courses. This does not need to be a grade goal, but rather should be

connected to the academic course. Students will be introduced to the idea of SMART (Specific,

Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound) goals. Working both individually and within

the group, students will create and share these goals. Participants will be encouraged to help

each other refine and narrow down goals.

● Week Five:
○ Time management & organizational skills
During week five, students will evaluate their time management and organizational skills.

Students will focus on their values and what is important to them to help make connections

between those values and time management. Students will be given an opportunity to share

what struggles they have had with time management and organization and other members will

be encouraged to provide feedback. Student planners will be available to any/all students who

are interested in using them and a quick session on ways to use a planner will be shared by the

leader, but it will not be a requirement.

● Week Six:
○ Setting future goal(s) and finding accountability partners.
○ Wrap Up
In week six, students will be given the same study skills self assessment and compare their first

results with this follow up survey. Students will look back through their initial goals for the group

as well as the SMART goal set in week four. Students will share their successes from the group

and concerns they have going forward. As group members are likely to see each other

throughout the day in school, they are encouraged to find an accountability partner from within

the group that will be a check in on skills and goals. Students will be given additional resources

from the leader as the school counselor on who to contact if they are struggling once the group

has ended. Information will also be handed out about the follow up session that will occur four

weeks later.

While it is expected to have some hesitation on sharing out within the group initially, this

group may work together better than some as students may already be familiar with each other

from previous or current classes. This group is most likely to encounter the transition stage

around week two or three and be within the working stage by session three or four. During the

working stage, the leader will play less of a role (beyond some of the educational components of

the group) as group members will be more helpful and supportive of each other. While the

leader will work to prepare the group for termination during each session, particular attention will

be paid to weeks five and six for the final phase. This means that members will be given a

chance to assess their progress in group and share what worries them about continuing

individually. The leader will also need to make sure that students are given adequate resources

about where to go for help if they are struggling.

During the follow up session students will share their continued success and struggles

since the ending of the group. Additional feedback will be solicited from members about what

they believe was the most helpful and things that could be changed for upcoming groups in the

future. The leader/school counselor will again share resources for students who need them.

Overall, the goal of the group is to give students additional positive habits while both giving them

positive peer support and helping them be more effective independently.