4 hours/week
The course will involve a number of instructional methods, such as the following:
- Lecture
- Skills demonstration/practice of specific group counselling skills
- Small group activities
- Group discussions
- Computer simulations
- Video/DVD Case Studies
- Guest lectures
- Group stages and processes
- Group goals, purpose, and therapeutic forces
- Planning and early stages of groups
- Basic group leadership skills
- Ethics and dealing with problem situations in group contexts
- Establishing focus in groups
- How to use and debrief exercises
- Middle stage of groups
- Major group counselling theories
- Group counselling and psychotherapy
- Closing groups
- Ethics and expectations for working with specific populations and within a variety of settings
At the conclusion of the course, the successful student will be able to:
- Determine appropriate purposes and goals for various types of counselling groups.
- Discuss group dynamics and processes inherent in groups.
- Outline group stages and describe the tasks in each stage.
- Discuss basic group leadership styles and approaches.
- Discuss the characteristics and functions of effective group leaders.
- Synthesize strategies to effectively and appropriately employ group selection criteria and methods.
- Discuss a range of group types and analyze factors that influence groups in diverse settings.
- Plan a skills counselling group with clearly defined outcomes.
- Demonstrate the ability to introduce, conduct and debrief a group exercise.
- Discuss the ethical issues involved in conducting groups with diverse client groups.
- Analyze how major counselling theories apply to group counselling processes.
- Illustrate common group processes and problematic behaviours.
- Discuss the importance of cultural awareness and competency and its application in a multicultural context.
Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. The specific evaluation criteria will be provided by the instructor at the beginning of the semester.
An example of a possible evaluation scheme would be:
Assignments/reflection papers on group work – 10%
Exams - 30%
Group skills participation - 30%
Group facilitation skills demonstration -30%
To attain a passing grade in this course, students must demonstrate professional conduct and complete the group facilitation demonstration within the semester and as outlined in the course syllabus. To attain a passing grade, students must also complete 90% of in-class experiential group activities to successfully recognize and apply skills.
Total – 100%
Textbook(s) such as the following, the list to be updated periodically:
- Jacobs, E.E., Schimmel, C.J., Masson, R.L., & Harvill, R.L. (2016). Group counseling: Strategies and skills (7th Ed.). Belmont, California: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.
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