Paper Example on New Group Formation: Trust, Mistrust & Anxiety

Introduction

The characteristics of groups at the initial stages after they are created include several aspects that define how most new people react when they meet for the first time. Periods of awkwardness and silence are experienced with members first unable to decide on the levels of information they can disclose to the other members while considering their safety. The central issues at this stage are a balance of trust and mistrust and anxiety that members face as to whether they will be accepted or rejected and their rate of fitting in.

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The groups help individuals to share personal experiences and expectations after they build respect and honesty. The best way that people utilize groups is through group counseling, where they express their problems and share their experiences. One trained professional conducts the process of helping them out. Groups have become popular, and they have been used on several occasions to meet the members' needs and agency demands. Groups offer support to new behaviors and encourage people to experiment with new ideas that add value to their lives.

Action Planning

What I want, to Remember and to do Differently

From a leader's perspective, I want to teach people, especially those suffering from drug addiction, to stop using drugs and adopt a positive life. I want to remember an instance where I will help the addicts change their bad behavior and adopt positive ones that will have a huge impact on their lives.

How I will Put the Concept into Practice

I will adopt a style where at the beginning of the counseling period, I will help the individuals connect with their past activities by using the rational emotive behavior therapy where I will use it to talk about guilt with the group members (Thompson, 2013).

They will talk about their past and the things they feel guilty of in their lives, which will act as a stepping stone to solving the issues that are affecting them. A different concept that I will use is the Adlerian concept, where the group members point out whether they are the oldest or the youngest and how that position in their families led them to behaviors that made them start abusing drugs (Thompson, 2013). The advice given following this concept will play a major role in explaining concepts that will be effective outside the groups.

Role-play will be an essential aspect for use among the group members as it will help them relieve stress and freely talk about their lives and addictions. They will also introduce themselves and explain what they do to relieve stress under challenging moments (Ferrell, 2016). I will facilitate a process where all group members will explain talk out their problems and how they wish to get help in making their habits better and improving their lifestyles.

I also will use reality therapy in the group where I will teach different tools that the group members can use after they leave the group to shape their lives positively. This therapy will include a list of things that the members want, what they are doing to achieve them, evaluating what they are currently doing to get what they want, and having a plan to get what they want in their lives (Thompson, 2013).

After this point in the group, I will conduct therapy in the group through outcome and process goals. The outcome goals will help the group members change their way of thinking, how they are feeling as well as how they are living (Thompson, 2013). Talking about how they feel about themselves and the other group members, giving them positive feedbacks will help them change any negative perspectives about themselves. Recovery and healing is a process, and I will teach the group members that they cannot eradicate their addiction at once; rather, it will be a gradual turn of events before the addiction is over.

Another way that I will put my efforts into helping the group members will be through a special therapy where I will work with one member at a time and involves the other members. One member will explain what they feel bad about themselves and why they might never forgive themselves, and the other members will give their ideas of how they feel about that member and proving to him that he is not terrible (Thompson, 2013). I will also use the unfinished business therapy in the group where all members will share all issues they feel are unfinished business with the others. Any negative self-talk that will emerge among any of the members will be solved through realistic talks that will help solve the issue.

Conclusion

Closing the group session will help in the summarizing and highlighting of the main points and focusing more on the commitments that the individuals will have made. I will use rounds to close the session where each member of the group will highlight one or two things that stood out to them and how the session has had an impact on them. I will also use the appreciations of all group members and wishes to close the session, especially if it has been productive. The members have supported each other from the beginning. In case any new information emerges at the close of the session, I will handle it and have the members discuss it before dispersing them.

References

Ferrell, S. (2016, April 27). Group facilitation role play [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y5Zu6Y2qmQ

Thompson, E. (2013, February 19). Group counselling video #1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYc_APlH7VY

Thompson, E. (2013, February 19). Group counselling video #3 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYHthbg1nmY

Thompson, E. (2013, February 19). Group counselling video #4 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziPuilrd4Xs

Thompson, E. (2013, February 19). Group counselling video #5 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Om3oRZM1X0