Strengths

I redid the strengths assessment form, and I was not surprised at what I found to be my strengths.  As interesting as it would be to have them always changing, I've found that the strengths I have and the skills I am most comfortable are thus far very consistent.  This is likely due to the fact that I have not had the opportunity to go into the field and practice them, which could potentially lend itself to the development of different strong points.  For now, I am comfortable with the strengths I have, and am confident they will be sufficient to get me started as a group facilitator while I'm still learning new ones.
One strength I know I have is empathizing.  I think this skill is part instinct and part learned behavior, but I think that anyone could be taught empathy.  As a social worker, I've had multiple opportunities to respond to life situations with empathy, which makes me very comfortable in this ability.
The next skill is Clarifying.  It can sometimes be intimidating to stop someome when they are talking to clarify something they said, but I can appreciate how extremely important it is.  It's much better to stop and clarify than to not know what they are really trying to say.
Active Listening is extremely important to make the patient feel cared about and attended to.  If you do not do this, they will likely think you aren't paying attention and will be hesitant to continue telling you important details or emotions.
Lastly, I think I'm very effective at summarizing.  If you are a good listener and are engaged in the conversation, then you can attest to this by summarizing with your client.  This, again, will show that you are giving them 100% of your attention and care about what they are saying.  It also helps to clarify for the clinician.  I have found that I am very comfortable summarizing, and use this skill all the time.

Blog 12/5/13

I'm going to use this blog post to talk about the experience I had working on this group project.  I have to start by saying that I was much closer to my group members before we even started (as opposed to the role-play group) and I think that was very beneficial to how we worked together.  I've had groups in other classes recently, and one of my professors said that our presentation felt scattered and disjointed.  While our presentation could have been better, I felt like that was a silly observation, because we didn't get to pick our groups, which caused a lot of difficulty trying to coordinate everyone.  This is a nice way of saying that many of my group members simply never showed up.  Anyway, I'm glad that we were able to pick our groups, because it really did seem to help our sense of teamwork.  Everyone worked really hard with our presentation, and we were able to basically finish everything way ahead of time, which was a huge relief with all the other work we had to do this week for other classes.  I'm confident that our presentation will be informative and will flow well.  Additionally, and most importantly, I think this protocol will actually end up being very useful to Von, who we are giving it to.  I'm proud of what we created, and I hope it proves to be relevant and effective for the kids that participate in the group. 

Blog 11/14/13

          Doing the role-play last week brought forward a lot of feelings for me, and I'm assuming probably for everyone else.  But, I'll speak for myself.  Looking back, I primarily feel a sense of relief; it took much more planning and preparation than I originally anticipated, and when that happens, the final product is usually something you can be proud of. Overall, I was proud of our work, and I think my team was as well.   I was especially impressed with Jill, who did a fantastic job facilitating the group and keeping the ball rolling.  I was a little disappointed in some of the group members who seemed less than enthusiastic about participating.  In the practice run, they did the same thing and we really had to push them to talk more and participate, which was frustrating.  Even though I think they could have made the role play better, I think it was overall successful and we used all of the skills we were trying to demonstrate.
          The other groups also did very well, and the role plays were very entertaining to watch.  I almost wish my group had the energy of the psychodynamic role-play, because their performance was completely enviable.  
          On another note, I'm thankful that we had the chance to demonstrate the skills we learned.  Like many other situations (ESPECIALLY in social work) the academic learning can be hard to grasp until you actually apply it.  Once you see it or experience it firsthand, the knowledge becomes much more relevant and applicable.  I think this definitely occurred for me doing this exercise.  I feel a LITTLE bit more comfortable with the material and the skills that we learned, which is a big step.

Week 8

This week, we were asked to fill out group leadership questionnaires.  These definitely were effective on getting my mind going regarding group leadership styles.  Many of the self- rating scales that were asked were things that I hadn't even really thought about before.  Being confronted with giving my opinion about power that the group leader should have, how much they should guide the group, how much of an "expert" they should be, etc, made me have to consider exactly what kind of leader I need to be.  I think that there wasn't necessarily a correct answer for the questions, but the questions were useful in showing my own attitudes that I hold about leading groups. 

The next section was a tool assess your own skills as a leader.  This tool could also be useful to use regarding compatablitiy among co-leaders in groups.  I feel very confident in many of the skill areas, like reflecting, active listening, empathizing, etc.  However, I don't feel as confident in other areas like interpreting, diagnosing and evaluating.  This was a helpful tool because it helped me identify areas that I'm not as strong in or as confident in, which gives me a lot of helpful direction and focus.  If I were ever trying to find a compatible co-facilitator, this could be a very useful tool to have on hand.  Even if we are not strong in the same areas, there are some where it would be useful that your partner may have a strength that you struggle with, or viseversa.  Using a combination of your skills and strengths could be very advantageous.

Week 7

              I honestly thing that I have to begin by addressing my genuine feelings of surprise when we had the discussion about race in our last lecture.  I think that was the first time that I had even considered how much race could play a part in group therapy dynamics and how much it had to potential to affect the members.  It's really easy to assume that either 1) people in groups are likely going to be adults, and would therefore have gotten past their feelings about race and other parts of their identities, or 2) people would be too fearful to address things like race.  However, I know that these assumptions are absolutely inaccurate and based on nothing more than my personal speculation. What I'm trying to say is that I really had given little to no thought as to how race could play out in group therapy.  Maybe, thus far, we really haven't been given enough training about racial differences in our Social Work education.  It is certainly surprising, but I'm glad we're going a little more in-depth now.

           The article about race was very interesting and allowed for more specific examples of how issues of race and ethnicity can play out in a group.  The vignette about the African American woman and her internal conflict about the SHADE of her skin color was very interesting.  Something that to me would be seemingly insignificant played a huge role in her identity.  Even though it could make for some very difficult conversations or uncomfortable moments, I guess group could almost be a perfect place to address these internal conflicts.  If the group was made up of racially diverse members and the facilitator was competent, group would be a very useful place to work through some of these feelings.

Week 6

        I really connected with Chapter 13, which outlined different types of problematic group members.  I think the the idea of running a successful group can be intimidating, even assuming that all of the members were cooperative and helpful.  In class, a lot of our training has centered around how to guide the group through certain types of issues, and group members that monopolize conversations, that are boring to the rest of the group, or members with personality disorders are certainly avenues to which problems in the group could potentially arise.  I've always been taught to plan for the worst, hope for the best, and I think that attitude is absolutely useful in this case; I feel grateful that this class and our guest speakers have given us so many contingency plans in the event that our groups go awry, which they almost certainly will at some points.

       Also, now that I feel more at ease to speak freely, I need to touch on the group that happened last week.  I still have very mixed feelings about our more recent guest lecturer.  My reaction, which so many people decided would be a good idea to touch on, was much more intense than I anticipated.  I got very angry with him, because I felt as though he was pushing Cameron way too far, and at one point, I literally wanted to jump up and physically come between them.  This might have just been a trigger because Cameron is a close friend of mine, and in that moment I felt very protective.  Also, I have no idea if he was genuinely interested or if he was just trying to get us riled up for the sake of having a good demonstration.   In all fairness, and giving credit where credit is due, it was a very effective demonstration.  I think he just managed to trigger us much more than we anticipated.  The therapeutic style was also very interesting, but definitely seemed like you need to know exactly what you're doing, given that it really LOOKS like you have no idea what you're doing.  I think it would be really great to be able to run the same groups with more or less the same people for years and years.  It probably fosters some really important relationships for everyone involved.  Plus, it seems like something that may be difficult to establish, but once you do, it can run more or less on autopilot. 

Week 5

        I really wanted to take this blog post as an opportunity to speak about how impressive the CBT lecturer was.  It was an interesting experience, because I am currently taking a CBT class, but i really have not been enjoying the material.  I found it to be abrasive and offensive to clients.  We keep having to listen to lectures by Albert Ellis, and I personally would never speak to clients the way that he does.  However, he is brilliant and helped create one of the most widely accepted forms of therapy.

        I don't know if it was the speaker's approach to this technique or the facts that it was in a group setting, but I found it to be much more natural and much more effective.  The challenge in implementing the therapy was certainly present, but I'm confident that will come with practice, practice, practice.  As far as I understood, he's centered his career around CBT, which might feel a little restricted for me, but he is clearly very effective at what he does.  I'm confident that with experience and practice, I'll be able to be an great therapist.
  
       In terms of future learning, I find the idea of transference overall very daunting and also very fascinating.  I am familiar with the concept and have been for a while.  In my first  field placement, my supervisor helped me identify transference with some of the students I was working with.  I had found myself at a loss as to why some of them related to me in certain ways.  I think that the dynamics of transference in groups will be much different, but I'm glad I have a little experience under my belt.

        

Week 4

       Jack Nowicki paid our class a visit last week and gave a lecture on his methods and theories of Solution-Focused Group work.  During his lecture, he gave us a number of "nuggets of information" that are essential to successfully facilitating a solution-focused group.
       There were many strategies and skills that he brought forth, and many of them will certainly come with practice.  I feel like a lot of the skills have a lot to do with knowing the right comments to make and questions to ask.  As with any group facilitation, timing seems to be everything.  That is one area that definitely intimidates me.  I worry that I might feel rushed or flustered, and might interject at the right time.  Facilitating a group must be like playing a game of double-dutch; the timing has to be precise and deliberate for the group to go smoothly.  Another skill that might pose a challenge is the necessity to find positive spins on presenting problems.  I think that finding strengths is wonderful and useful, but I worry that there may come a time when I simply cannot find a way to take a positive spin.  What if I ask someone about exceptions to the event, and they don't have any?  What if i simply do not have the skills to help certain individuals?
        I understand that the concerns above are, for the most part, illogical.  I also understand that much of my clients' success is dependent on their personal efforts, in and out of session.  I just worry sometimes that I won't be able to help my clients, or that I'll hit a roadblock.  Leading a group, especially a solution-focused group, seems like much more pressure.  It's that many more opportunities to succeed, but that could go the other way as well.
        We participated in an activity that required us to think of creative, encouraging names and slogans for groups that might otherwise have a negative connotation.  I really enjoyed that activity, and I felt like it was something I was good at.  Even though this is simply the planning stage of a group, I like to think of it as something I can scratch off the list.  Perhaps being creative and honing skills like that will motivate me to be more excited about running groups.

Week 3

           I think that group work requires a certain skill set that is almost completely unique to the work.   I just finished observing children for another class, and just being there made me realize how very uncomfortable around small kids, and I always felt like I would not be very good at working with kids.  I worry that the same anxiety associated with the unfamiliar might come up when I have to work with groups.
         I think that one strength I have is simply being approachable and like-able. I feel like a lot of people trust me and can sense overall benevolence, which is good for me as a therapist, but is also true.  I have very good intentions, especially professionally. Another strength I have is that I am able to listen to people speak and actually take in everything they are saying, and I'm getting good at reflecting back to people.  I think that is really important to show clients that they have your attention, and I feel proficient at doing that. 
         One of my biggest worries, based on previous experiences, is being able to keep a group under control and efficient.  In the past, I had to lead these awfully planned groups of young adults, and the chaos was absolutely horrifying to me. I felt helpless at some points, and I would really like to develop skills that would help me gain confidence, which in turn would help me gain control of the groups.
         I feel like solution-focused groups might be a little more... focused.  Naturally.  So I'm hoping that maybe my listening and clarifying skills might be helpful and put to use,  and that maybe I wouldn't have to do as much crowd control and refocusing with my constituents.

Week 2

            One thing that the reading provided in terms of planning a group is hints about the process of selecting the constituents for each group you facilitate.  Yalom talks about how deselection is much more effective and time-efficient than pure selection.  Even though this method seems slightly harsh, it does make a lot of sense.  Instead of trying to find all these people to fit into a certain mold, you can simply remove people that do not fit the characteristics.  I think this method would also give you more options and allow you to be as specific or general as you need to be when forming a group.

            A second useful tip I learned was the idea of having a preparation session for clients before the group begins that involves more than history-taking and all of the usual questions.  When I was in group therapy, the facilitator began by extensively screening me and my objectives as well as giving me an overview of how the group would operate and rules to follow.  Unfortunately, that specific group never came to fruition, but I felt, after that, that I would be very comfortable within the group.  Or, I at least felt prepared for what was in store if the group ever happened.  I think this is a great way to foster comfort and trust, which are very important for group members, before the group even begins.

            One aspect that seems very daunting when I consider facilitating my own group work is the chance of my participants dropping out.  Even though high drop out rates are fairly common, and there are a number of reasons for participants to do so, I can’t imagine that I wouldn’t take it personally if my group began to shrink.  Actually, I have been told many times by many professional social workers that very often, things might not work out for your clients, and you may have to fail many times before you gain success with a client.  The idea of this is understandable, because there are always going to be a number of factors at play. However, I can imagine that, if I’m not prepared to take some hits, I could take that pretty hard.  Perhaps my attitude will have to adjust if and when participants drop out of my groups.  As long as I feel that I am doing the absolute best job I can do, then I’ll just have to roll with the punches.

Week 1

I personally feel very intimidated by the idea of working with groups.  I understand the efficiency of the idea, but I anticipate feeling a lot of pressure to produce results with group work, which is intimidating regardless of the circumstance.  Basically, I would probably be more confident with so much responsibility once I had more experience.  If I could get to a place where I was completely confident running groups, I think I could do very well and be successful.

The students in the Sweifach/Heft-LaPorte study were motivated to do group work by a number of factors, including perceived self-efficacy, prior experiences, the expectation to succeed and be successful as a facilitator, and the intrinsic satisfaction that they found in their work.
The finding implicated that the field and job opportunities are requiring more and more group work based on factors like cost efficiency, and even though social group work education has declined, it is necessary to maintain a solid base of group work in education, because it will still be needed in the future.  Perhaps if students felt more confident in their skills as facilitators, they would consider investing more in group work.

As I mentioned about, I find groups to be very intimidating, but I would like very much to be able to confidently and effectively run my own groups.  I personally see a lot of value in this skill, and even though my main interest is working with individual clients in a 1-on-1 setting, I would still like to be able to work well in any circumstance.

I honestly do not remember very much from my undergraduate group work course, so my hope is that this class will provide more lasting information and skills that I can directly translate into my field work and career.