GROUP GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING

The focus of this post is set to group guidance and counselling. Groups are so much a part of everyday living that people tend to take them for granted. All the things we learn about how to behave as human beings can be experienced and tested in group interaction. The individual’s psycho-social development can be attributed at least to a series of group interactions and group memberships.

Groups are natural phenomena which occur wherever people are brought together regularly. An individual chooses voluntarily to become a member of certain groups while he is born into others. The individual would normally choose a group if he agrees with the values such group support and the purpose the group I trying to achieve.
Several problems, whether vocational, educational or psycho-social can be talked through effective use of group counselling. Problems that can be handled in groups includes:

– Problems relating to fear, anxiety, phobia
– Poor study habits, poor academic performances
– Inferiority/superiority complex
– Juvenile delinquencies, pilfering truancy
– Drug addiction/abuse, alcoholism, smoking
– Frustrations, depression, helplessness
– Choice of school subjects
– Vocational choice
– Peer group pressure
– Family problems, separation, misunderstanding and divorce
– Shyness, timidity, poor self-concept
– School rules and regulations.

GROUP GUIDANCE

Group guidance refers to any part of a guidance programme that is conducted with more than one client. Provision of information is basically the focus of group guidance activities.

This term is frequently used to refer to any part of guidance programme that is organised with groups of students as distinct from that between an individual student and the counsellor. The approach of group guidance is preventive and is mostly directly concerned with acquiring information, gaining an orientation to new problems, planning and implementing student activities, collecting data for occupational and educational decisions.

Mahler (1977) defines group guidance as: a class or educational experience, mainly involved with giving out information. In schools, it is usually oriented towards encouraging students to know what the adults think the participants should know. Although the same topics discussed in group guidance may also be discussed in group counselling, the major responsibility in guidance remains with the teacher.

In group counselling the focus is upon each member, not the topic being discussed. Topics treated under group guidance include effective study habits, preparing for and taking examinations, and obtaining and using vocational information. The number of members here range between 20 to 30 persons and the setting is usually the classroom.

Group guidance activities are an integral part of an effective school programme. Within a well-articulated guidance programme, group guidance activities contribute directly to the goals of students and the school implementing and supplementing the counselling and consulting roles of the school counsellor.

The school guidance programme that contributes to each pupil’s positive use of the school facilities. The programme is also directed towards helping teachers and pupils to create a fertile environment in which children may feel and employ their development of those skills, knowledge and attitudes that are the pivot of well-adjusted personality. Within the context of the school guidance programme, group counselling captures the main essence of the guidance and portends an active in future in primary school education. Its success depends on the humility and caution with which the counsellor adapts it to the needs of school children.

GROUP COUNSELLING

Group counselling is a process by which one counsellor is engaged in a relationship with a number of counselees. Most authorities cite six as the optimum number, with a range from foul to twelve. Group counselling is usually concerned with developmental problems and situational concerns of members. The focus is on attitudes and emotions, the choices and values involved in interpersonal relationships.

Members, by interacting with each other, establish helping relationships that enables them to develop understanding, insight and the awareness of self as a first step to effective functioning. According to Sherterz and Stone (1981), the vehicle for achieving this goal in a group is that members discuss their personal emotional concerns and other members provide feedback about their perceptions of these experiences. Group counselling can be conducted for remedial, developmental and preventive purposes.

Group counseling simply defined, is an interpersonal interaction among individual with similar concerns in the presence of a facilitator who provides a suitable atmosphere for these individuals to explore with each other their feelings and attitudes about themselves or situations. In group counseling normal children talk about the problems that bother them and try to help each other learn to behave increasingly more effectively (Ohlsen, 1964). The inter¬personal interaction that goes on in the group enable the clients to learn to help others as well as obtain help for themselves.

Gazda (1978) defines group counselling as a dynamic and interpersonal process focusing on conscious though and behaviour and involving the therapy functions of permissiveness, orientation to reality, catharsis and mutual trust, caring, understanding and support. The therapy functions are created and nurtured in a small group through the sharing of personal concerns with both one’s peers and the counsellor(s). Group counsellees are basically normal individual with various concerns which are not debilitating to the extent that requires extensive personality change.

The group counselee may utilize the group interaction to increase understanding and acceptance of values and goals and to learn and/or unlearn certain attitudes and behaviours. He emphasized that group counseling is problem-centred and feeling-oriented. Reflection and clarification of feelings and modification of attitudes are its cardinal points. Here major effort is centred on helping members deal with their problems and experiences, and the emphasis is on growth and adjustment rather than on cure of deficit behaviour.

CHARATERISTIC OF GROUP COUNSELLOR

He goes to enumerate the characteristics of group counselling as follows:-

• All members focus on a common problem they wish to discuss.
• All members identity with this common element.
• A counsellor functions as a leader and must function from within the group.
• A permissive, safe atmosphere is provided that favours free expression.
• Interaction and natural helping among members are essential.
• Effective counselling stimulates participant by group standard to accomplish the generally accepted goal of individual counselling.
• Members find the group to be rewarding.

Some other characteristics of groups generally include:

Individuals affect groups: Since groups are made up of individuals, the personalities of such individuals would obviously affect the outlook of the group. A small committee that has an aggressive member may not be the same as it would have been without him. Also, some other individuals may bring into their group unique talents, abilities and interests which could affect the functioning of the group positively. People join groups for the satisfaction of some of their needs.

Groups develop structure

Groups develop their notions about how their activities should be conducted; who should be responsible for what. In momentary groups, members tend to enjoy the status they have brought with them from outside while in continuing groups members become differentiated by the amount of power and influence they exert upon the group. Such influence however is flexible rather than rigid as the members, over a period of time, become aware of these differences and could then estimate who has high prestige in the group.

Because each individual brings varied talents into the group, the tendency to fulfill those specialized roles and functions they can perform most efficiently. The group gains in efficiency because of division of labour. When a task is performed by a member it does not have to be repeated by another and when one member says approximately what another intended to say the other member need not repeat it, hence, the group also gains from a process of role sharing.

Groups develop standard

The development of standard norms or codes of acceptable behaviour forms part of the characteristics of groups and all members tend not to violate the norms in group situations. Also group pressures enforce conformity upon members. Members may choose not to deviate from the norms because it gives them solidarity with the group. According to Sherif (1952) “Every group, small or large, with the same degree of group and ‘out-group’ delineation has an organisation defining the roles of individual members and requires certain conformity in action and aspiration from the individual who belongs”.

Groups vary in cohesiveness and other qualities

Groups are different in the extent to which they exhibit certain vital qualities at a particular time. Among the most important qualities is cohesiveness which is a function of group sticks together that will determine the extent to which members would resist giving up membership. For example, a primary group such as the family would likely be more cohesive than others. Also, a conformity group would be more cohesive than a momentary group.

Attractiveness of a group would depend upon such properties of the group as its goals, programme, size of organisation and position in the community and upon the degree of the individual member’s needs for affiliation, recognition, security and other things that can be discussed in the group.

Groups establish their own goals

Groups are formed as instrument of satisfying members’ need and each group always has goals. The group would probably remain healthy to the extent that individual members feel they can embrace the group’s goals in relation to their individual needs. The group strives towards a group outcome of high quality arrived at efficiently. In public discussion for example, the outcome could mean a recommended decision for consideration by the audience to consider the recommendation.

Groups Seek to Win the Individual’s Commitment

The group also seeks to win the individual’s commitment to the outcome and the individual’s satisfaction with the understanding achieved. In problem-solving discussion, commitment means individual’s willingness to defend and to carry out decisions in continuing group, the group may seek to maintain itself as a group by promoting harmonies, interrelationship that would be lasting and to prevent the dissolution of the group.

DESIRABLE QUALITIES OF GROUP MEMBERS

(i) Objectivity.

Each member of the counselling group should be objective and open-minded toward the problem for discussion and should be ready to display objectivity and good will towards others in the group. Ideas should be considered solely based on their merit and not the emotional involvements and attitudes of the members toward the person(s) who advance them.

(ii) Enthusiasm.

The members should be enthusiastic in their collective search for understanding and for acceptable decision. Lively interaction stimulates the kind of creative thinking essential to high quality productivity. Where members appear dull, bored and indifferent, progress may be stifled.

(iii) Sensitivity to Interpersonal Relations.

Each member should view others as fellow human beings whose opinion should be respected. Each member has to be tactful because there may be good reasons for disagreement but others should not be put on the defensive unnecessarily. This would involve the evaluation of a member’s idea without attacking him as a person for having expressed it. It involves courtesy. Rude interruption should be avoided while others are talking and roles allotted to others should not be usurped. Each member should also show sensitivity to threat.

SOME AVENUES FOR GROUP GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING

1. Morning Assembly: since all students are expected to be involved during morning assembly, the counsellor with the principal’s permission may use a few minutes once a week for group guidance. Topics like the school rules and regulations, the problem of Aids, Drug abuse, cleanliness etc. could be discussed.
2. Career Week or Day: could be organised for the students.
3. Conferences could also be organised in such a way that the participants would benefit from the topic of discussion.
4. Excursion Programme: whereby student group can visit industries higher institutions, technical workshops etc to see what is happening in the world of work.
5. Regular Academic Classroom Environment can be used by the school counsellor to discuss certain topics of interest with the students.
6. School houses or hall of residence can be used for group counselling whose Audio Visual materials like film could be show to the group members.

ADVANTAGE OF GROUP GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING:

There are so many advantages which can be derived from the counsellor’s use of groups in guidance and counselling, some of these are:

1. Group counselling saves time and money. It is far more economical than individual counseling.
2. It provides the client the opportunity to understand himself and also understand others.
3. The clients are given room to develop position natural relationship with one another.
4. Group counselling offers the participants the opportunity of testing reality and gaining insight into their feelings and feedback from others.
5. Group counselling creates the avenue for the members to re-valuate their thoughts and behaviour patterns.
6. Group members receive comfort from other member who have similar problems as their own.
7. In the process of group counselling, the clients not only receive help from others but they themselves are a source of help as they show an understanding of their problems and accept one another in spite of these problems.
8. Group counselling can also arouse the client’s interest in guidance and counselling and motivate him to seek for individual counselling.

DISADVANTAGES OF GROUP GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING INCLUDE

• some members who are extroverts may dominate the whole discussion while the introverts keep quiet and withdraw more into their shells.
• Disagreement may arise within the group; thus, disrupting the whole group process.
• Some members of the group may find it difficult to open up their secrets among many people.
• Intense problems of the individuals may not be well addressed in the group.
• The counsellor may not be able to attend to all the group members effectively.

Adequate number of professional counsellors are trained and posted to schools.
The myopic conceptualisation and gross misunderstanding of guidance and
counselling are cleared.
The impact of inefficient guidance services will be on the quality of our school products and implicitly on the entire nation.

NATURE OF RELATIONSHIP

There is no agreement about the nature of group counselling relationship. In developing the relationship, the counsellor is responsible for getting the group organised. He starts by discussing the role of the counsellor and explains how the group should function if maximum benefits are to be achieved. He states that each member as well as striving to solve their own individual problems. Members are encouraged to share freely and try out new ideas.

The time of, place of meeting and the issue of confidentiality are usually addressed. Counsellors often have members draw up mutually devised rules and guidelines. This participation has been observed to be helpful in establishing a working climate. By words or action, the counsellor must help group members accept responsibility by developing and maintaining a therapeutic climate. Members should develop skills in deep listening, the helping another talk, discussing problem and concerns, expressing feelings, confronting (i.e. pointing out when what is said doesn’t seem right) and planning (i.e. proposing to do something).

Getting Discussion Started

Usually, the counsellor gives the lead. He can employ the technique of going around the ground and encouraging members to say why they are in it, what they hope to accomplish in the session or how they react to a particular matter. The counsellor tries to help members learn to interact with one another.

Maintaining the Relationship

The group members determine the topics and the pace at which discussions progress. Group members usually venture into personal problems and return to a central theme. Sharing of personal concerns often builds up. Gradually, members learn to be themselves, to discuss their concerns, and to identify their real feelings. By trusting, accepting and trying to understand each other they provide the mutual encouragement needed to struggle with problems and to try to change. As this becomes evident, members become more ego-involved and participate more meaningfully increasingly group members learn to play the counsellor’s role and if encouraged developed interpersonal skills and create feelings of mutual respect.

The Counsellor’s Responsibility

The counsellor’s skill and confidence are the keys to successful group counselling. Experience from individual counselling often provides a foundation for working with group. Here also, counsellors convey feelings of acceptance, warmth, and understanding. They can be aware of their own needs and limitations and try not to allow them interfere with the counselling situations. As the group proceeds, they give full attention to the members and their interaction, allowing them to express themselves.

Counsellors seek to communicate confidence in each member’s ability to solve his or her problems. As counsellors, they define the working relationship, display consistency, and an example in accepting and helping others. Unique to group counselling are the cross-currents that develop among members. The counsellor must handle them objectively, being sensitive to their purpose and usefulness. The way counsellors demonstrate their skills has considerable effect on how the group functions.

As in individual counselling, the counsellor can capture and reflect the feelings of clients, help them tell their story, and set the stage for desirable learning experiences. Their task is more complicated because they must be aware of group interaction and convey feelings of acceptance and understanding to members. It has been suggested that counsellors can build relationships in group counselling when their clients come to feel that counsellors care about them, seem to understand them, believe they can be helped, and are experts in helping people help themselves.

Responsibility of Group Members

By choosing to be in a group, members agree to share the challenge of helping to build a relationship. Through interaction each member helps to create and maintain a psychological climate that is conductive to sharing experiences and solving problems. This is difficult to develop but it can be done if the counsellor’s actions and attitudes set a good example.

Each member has the responsibility to listen and help others express themselves. They also encourage others to define their thoughts and goals and to think coherently. It is important to develop member to interact and depend less on counsellors. Commitment to change is enhanced by helping members discover affiliation with others who work to make similar changes. Members of any group enact different roles at different times during group sessions.

Factors that Determine Success in Group Counselling

In presenting children’s group counselling as an efficacious therapeutic strategy, it is essential to review the factors that influence success in counselling groups. Two significant influences determine the life of a group. These are identified as “disruptive forces form without and disorganising forces from within”. Of these two, disorganising forces from within constitutes the most significant threat in a school guidance programme in general and group counselling in particular since it is contingent upon the counsellor’s organisational leadership abilities.

In recognition of such potential dangers. Counselling psychologists have identified vital constitutional factors that must be considered before group counselling is introduced to the school setting. These factors include: Mutuality of problems, compatibility of group members, group size, age range, sex composition, length and qualification of the group leader. (Yunker, 1970).

Similarity of Problems

There is presently no argument among scholars on the nature of a group as regards the homogeneity or heterogeneity of problems. Some scholars recommend that counselling groups be composed of individuals who are confronting mutual problems. The argument lies in the fact that one wrongly placed member in a group can lead to the failure of the counselling objectives of that group. Is unnecessary for members to share the same diagnosis even though they may share common problems.

The trend among scholars in recent times is for a group to share mixture of wisely balanced members. For instance groups should be mixed in a way that some of the group members may have a motivating behaviour of some group members being copied by others. Specifies that “an optimal group arrangement calls for several quiet children and not more than two who are aggressive”.

Compatibility of Members

This issue centres on whether counselling groups should include well adjusted” participants among the participants that are experiencing adjustment problems in the school. Scholars have often in inclusion of one or two participants that are “normal”. The argument is that well-adjusted children are similar to those of the unadjusted children. Students that are considered “near happy” benefit from group counselling by helping themselves as well as helping others. Yunker (1970) suggests that more adjusted members in a counselling group tend to supply order to the group environment and usually provide the mode reinforcement desperately needed by participants lacking social competence.

A thorough review of literature by this write reveals that counselling psychologists involved in selecting members for group counselling should exercise restraint and hold an intake interview for desiring members of a group and supplement the information got with interview with teachers, parents and the clients cumulative records prior to making his final selection of group participants.

Group Size

Inappropriate size of a counselling group may ruin the outcome of group counselling. Too few or too many mar the venture before it actually takes off. Number of participants in group counselling varies according to members age, maturity levels and designated group tasks. Groups of about 5 to 10 may be adequately managed among secondary school groups, while 4 to 6 may be considered ideal for the primary school children.

Berelson and Steiner reported that “the larger the group becomes… the more impersonal it tends to become, the more formalised, the less intimate, the less satisfying to the members”. On the other hand, small “groups of two tends to be characterised by tension, groups oft here by power struggle”. The counsellors should appreciate the significance of group size in the outcome of group counselling.

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