GUIDE FOR GROUP THERAPY ASSIGNMENT
Introduction – will set the scene, such as how you will address the assignment question, what you propose to discuss and why is this significant to the assignment question
The main body of the assignment what is group therapy – how and why is this consider a psychotherapeutic approach, what are the advantages in using this approach when therapeutically addressing the needs of people who present with mental distress/illness/disorder. You must discuss these points making reference to the literature to support your knowledge and your understanding. Remember it is advisable to use literature from a wide variety of sources (psychology, sociology, social work, psychiatry and counselling also national and international). You must consider the underlying theory, who are the relevant theorists, why, how and why do they support group therapy as a form of psychological therapy what are their underlying ethos/philosophies. Again, making reference to the relevant theorists who support and promote group therapy such as for example, Harry Stack Sullivan; Irvin Yalom, Rogers etc how does their theory and group therapy approaches enlighten and guide group therapy.
Then consider the practicalities of group therapy – group criteria (how is this decided, how do you prepare group participants what is the inclusion and exclusion criteria for participant selection) group dynamics (Tuckman stages discuss the relevance of this, what are the factors that can impact positively and negatively on the group preforming) , group process, and leadership skills (what are the core skills of the group lead and the co-lead).
Consider the qualitative impact of group therapy – describe experiences in terms of the meanings people bring to them. This relates to the evaluation of group therapy from the participants perspective i.e. how the group therapy helped participants explore, express, and connect through emotional engagement in the group – find literature that explores this issue (I have given you an example on the next page). But also, you can give your own evaluation of group participation (hopefully we will be able to schedule the small group work in Sep/Oct).
Concluding – briefly revisit your initial thinking about what group therapy is/is not. What you perceive as positive/negative about group therapy, how might you apply this to your developments as a mental health nurse, what do you understand from the qualitive evaluations from individuals or you (if we are able to get the small group activity in Sep/Oct) that suggest group therapy is useful/challenging
