This topic pertaining to Socio Versus Psyche Groups in Counselling explores the major relationships between the two types of group counselling. The establishment of goals is the essential characteristics of the socio-group. Members in this group are often voluntary, but there may be those for whom membership is not by personal inclination but drive’s from serving as representative of some organisations. The purpose of socio group is to reach some defined goals expressed by the group. Membership in this group is more heterogeneous in respect to age, status and vocation. Examples are action groups, government groups and industrial groups.
In the psyche groups there is no visualised goal. The structure is informal, there are few rules and regulations. Membership here is voluntary. The group’s purpose is to satisfy the emotional needs of its members and this hardly made explicit. This group has a high degree of homogeneity. Examples of this group are informal play groups, gangs and therapy group cliques.
It has to be pointed out that the socio and psyche groups do not present a true dichotomy, but rather separate ends of a continuum of group process. They rarely exist in pure forms, for most groups, are a mixture of these two forms. To be on the safe side therefore, we think of the socio-group process and the psyche group process. However, we bear in mind that the psyche group is typified by the boy’s gang or the pre-adolescent girls’ clique. It is at these groups that important issues of child development with respect to peer-group status, social skills and personal security are worked out.
And the socio group on the other hand may be illustrated by the committee which seeks to deal with the problems of juvenile delinquency in a community.
But in many situations, in the family, recreational groups, or under informal conditions, w see the psyche process at work. In the same way socio group elements are not limited to adult activities. Teenagers may also exhibits skills in community work or objectives.
The T-Group
Tin this group, which is often unstructured, members learn from their behaviours. The stress is on interpersonal relations and behaviour patterns. Group members learn to recognise the effect they have on others and how others see them. They probe the strength and weaknesses of each other’s personalities in an unstructured atmosphere.
Frequently-groups are task oriented, resolving organization problems. Their objective is to learn by use of group process rather than facilitating personal growth. According to Colembiewski and Blumbeig, (1977) the T-group as a learning laboratory, focuses on learning how to learn, and places emphasis on immediate ideas, feelings and reactions. It is usually composed often to twelve members.
Personal Growth Groups
This is the group in which personal growth is facilitated. Many other names such as encounter group, sensitivity group, human awareness group, human potential group have been used to identify this group. Membership here is usually between eight to twelve. The focus is on members interaction within the group with attention to its implication for behaviour outside the group.
The goals of such groups include facilitating personal growth, increased sensitivity to the feelings of the individual and others. Personal growth groups are usually led by facilitators who are sometimes trained psychotherapist and others are led by individuals who lack professional counselling or clinical preparations.
Family Group Consultation
Under this group, three or four families made up of about twenty individuals meet together weekly with three or four counsellors. The typical procedure employed is that, during the first hour, all family members are together with all counsellor in one large group. During the second hour adult family members and children meet with one or more counsellors assigned to each of the two groups.
Some of the principles on which the family group consultation are based according to Fullmer (1978) include:
- That the individual’s personality is formed within the family’s social system
- Behaviour or knowledge (as well as gaps or void in behaviour) are perpetuated on a generation basis because of the family social system
- Each family develop unique characteristics, including beliefs, personal meanings and restricted codes, and
- The character of a child is formed in the family group by the reinforcement schedules created and maintained by parents, siblings and significant others. He stated that counsellors assess the involvement of each individual in the family group, learn the patterns of interpersonal loyalties, alliances, and contrasts used in the family, joint up inconsistencies and discrepancies, so that clarification by each family member is possible and teach person how to assess their input, the input of others and to analyse accurately the relative meaning for each person involved.
Conjoint Family Therapy
This was formulated and practiced by Satir, (1967). The theory and techniques are based on the assumption that successful intervention with individuals is contingent on understanding their role and position within the family. The individual who seeks help is referred to as “identified patient” because according to Satir, he or she is the one most affected by the troubled family unit individual behaviour occurs within a family context consisting of interacting roles, rules and values. In this approach the focus is on developing family members’ ability to send and receive clear, functional communications.
Marathon Groups
This is the group that meet in continuous session longer than the usual one or two hours. During such saturation sessions often lasting fifteen to twenty hours or more, members explore thoroughly their view about themselves and others, their relationship with others, their aspirations and goals, and other ways of reacting to threat, disagreement and prejudiced. By confronting and challenging social pretentions, yet accepting each other, members strive to open, authentic, self-responsible behaviour.
Closed or Continuous Group
The group may operate as closed or continuous groups. The closed group is made up of only those who were present when the group started. No one else joins. This is the most common. The continuous group allows others to join at almost any stage. This open policy often creates problems of communication, acceptance etc among group members.
Task group
These are groups which can also be referred to as task force, planning committee, etc. the membership could be voluntary or selected according to the expertise needed for the task to be performed. They are usually given a time limit to complete their assignment. The size of the group varies from between 5 to 16. Attention of the members is concentrated on their common task rather than on their individual personal problems.
Training Groups
They are also called T-group and they are basically formed to improve the quality of the individual relationship and skill of interaction to achieve the right behavioural adjustment. The members are self-directed to learn in the group skill and their attention is usually focused on self-disclosure and feedback. Membership may be between 8 to 12.
Psyche Groups
These groups are usually set up to satisfy the emotional needs of their members. They tend to have informal structure with just few rules and regulations. Membership is usually voluntary and homogenous (members of the same group) and their purpose is rarely made explicit.
1. Case centred groups
These are groups which have similar case list and they are formed to find solution to their common problems. The counsellor is usually the group leader and the membership ranges from 5 to 12.
2. Psychodrama groups
These groups make use of play modelling and imitation in shaping their behavioural pattern. Membership could be voluntary and some selected. The number of members depend on the problem at hand.
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