When counseling such a group of adult patients, several key factors must be considered to ensure the most productive and effective care. One of the main criteria is to ensure the highest level of engagement. In this kind of procedure, it is critically important to use various theoretical approaches to improve patient care and ensure the most expected and satisfactory outcomes. This aspect requires the counselor to have certain knowledge and effort; therefore, studying this topic will be valuable for future professional practice.
When watching the video “Leading counseling groups with adults: A demonstration of the art of engagement” by the American Counseling Association, the most impressive aspect for me was the focus on ways to ensure the involvement of all participants. Hence, one of them is asking a question that all participants can answer. On the one hand, there is an opinion that the simplicity and obviousness of this criterion; however, this action may not always be as obvious and easy as expected. This is because it is not always possible to immediately find a topic relevant to all adults participating in a group activity.
This became interesting to me because, in addition to finding a common topic, the professional faces the need to sustain the conversation and raise further questions in a way that attracts all participants. In addition, it is important to ensure that the communication process involves not only the counselor and the patients, but also that individuals interact with each other. In this way, positive conditions for the exchange of experience and mutual assistance will be created, which are especially valuable in such interventions as group counseling.
While watching the video, I didn’t find any aspects I completely disagreed with. The counselor’s work seemed quite successful and informative within the group therapy framework. However, I would introduce an additional theoretical approach to work with individuals. I believe that cognitive-behavioral therapy would be particularly effective in this context.
There are several reasons cognitive-behavioral therapy could be beneficial for group counseling. First of all, this approach focuses on individuals’ awareness of their own feelings and experiences, which are reflected in their behavior. In particular, this aspect is important in processes such as self-talk. In addition, this theoretical intervention provides an opportunity to replace people’s possible negative thoughts and ideas with more positive ones. It also helps to understand the main reasons why they are formed, which contributes to their prevention.
Although the counselor’s approaches, such as rational emotive behavior therapy, also yielded results, introducing elements of cognitive behavioral therapy could improve the effectiveness of working with patients. Thus, I would implement this part in the caring situation to make the process more effective and impactful for individuals’ involvement. This criterion is the only aspect of the reviewed counseling process I would change, as I believe it primarily provides useful educational information.
Reference
Schimmel, C. & Jacobs, E. (2014). Leading counseling groups with adults: A demonstration of the art of engagement. American Counseling Association.