Group Attendance Reflection-3
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Group Attendance Reflection
Jean Blankenship
University of Tennessee at Martin
COUN 740: Group Dynamics
Dr. Tabitha Cude
November 29, 2023
One of the groups I attended in this experience was Alcoholics Anonymous. This group was hosted virtually online. With this group members were given the support and provided with a safe environment to share their personal experiences. This group allowed members to relate to one another and
their journeys. Attending this group it is can seen the impact that these meetings have on members and the
success of their journey. Focus, Purpose, Mission
This group was titled Alcoholics Anonymous otherwise known as “AA.”. The focus of this group is to serve as a support group for members to gather and share their experience and journey with one another. The purpose of this group is to provide a safe environment to allow members to share their common problems while providing support to members recovering from alcoholism. Type and Format
The only requirement to join this group is for the individual to have a desire to be sober. This type of group serves as a support group for individuals who have a desire to recover from alcohol and share the goal of being sober.
Description of Clientele, Setting, Location
The clientele in this group is from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. This group clientele consisted of males and females of various race and ethnicity. This group took place in an online forum setting. Members participate in the physical setting of their own home through the utilization of an app or website. Group Dynamics
Prior to attending the online group, I assumed the group dynamics I would be observing would differ from that if the group were in person. Although the group was conducted virtually
rather than in person the group interaction and relationship building were still maintained in the group meeting. Group members were able to receive encouragement from the leader and members. The group leader was able to provide support for members by providing feedback and support after they shared their experience. After sharing their experience, the leader was able to display active listening and feedback to members. Group members were also allowed to interact with one another as well as by utilizing the chat and messaging option, if they did not take the opportunity to speak. Leadership
In the group the group leader utilized theoretical perspectives. The group facilitator practiced a person centered approach within the group. The facilitator was present, authentic, and empathetic towards
group members. During the group session the facilitator attended to what was occurring within the group moment by moment. Group Stage
Group members in the Alcoholic Anonymous group are not all at the same stage. This is an open group; therefore, members are allowed to enter at any time. There are members in the group who are in the beginning stages of recovery and there are some members who have been recovered for years. In Alcoholic Anonymous there are twelve stages that members work thru. In
this group, there are members who are just starting the twelve stages and some who are currently working through them. In the group session one comment that stood out specifically to me was when a member mentioned how there is some members who are early in the process, some who are experiencing cravings, and some who are going through bad things at the moment, but all are
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in need of support. This shows how all members are going through the same journey, even if they are at different stages of time. Critique
From attending this group there can be positive and negative aspects that can be seen. Some of the positive aspects of the group are the support that can be seen from the chairperson, or facilitator. During the duration of the sessions the facilitator, while encouraging participation, managed to appropriately navigate the tendency of some members of the group who dominate the conversation. The facilitator displayed active listening to the group members who shared their journey and experience but provided a friendly reminder of time. Another positive aspect I enjoyed in one of the sessions was the facilitator shared her personal experience in the beginning.
The leader provided an accurate and appropriate amount of self-disclosure. I feel this allowed the
members to feel a connection to her and her experience. The biggest positive aspect I enjoyed was that the leader provided a reflection of members’ feelings. This set the tone for the group sessions by showing that the leader displayed an active role within the group through their significant presence. There are cons that can be seen from attending this group as well. The biggest facilitation con that can be seen from this group is the abrupt closing. Given that large population of members attending the group time management appeared to be an issue. As a facilitator of a group this size I would strive to manage time better. Another con that stood out was lack of direction. At times members required redirection to stay on topic in order to ensure everyone had a chance to speak. This can be an issue given the time allotted may not be enough for everyone to have a turn. Personal Reflection
Upon participating in the group, I can see the significant meaning that these meetings have for these individuals. Although the meetings were virtual, they provided a safe community outlet to allow members to have share their own personal challenges, journeys, and experiences. Although many of these members are at different stages of the program, they all share a common
goal of seeking to achieve sobriety. From a client perspective it can easily be seen the hope and connection that these meetings provide to its members. These meetings provide members with the opportunities to share their struggles and gain support from members who have or are going through the same situation as them. Often these members spoke of the mental health problems they suffered from and how they utilized alcohol as a coping mechanism. For me personally, attending these groups as a member was a very eye-opening experience. Growing up as a young child my father was a recovering acholic. I can recall being very young and him participating in an inpatient program for alcoholics. As I grew older, he went on to attend AA meetings. Although at the time I had no knowledge of what this entailed I feel as though attending these meetings provided me with a new perspective of what it is like from a client’s perspective. I felt this experience was enlightening and made me feel such empathy for the group members. These individuals strive daily to overcome their addiction one day at a time.
One of the groups I attended in this experience was a support group for therapeutic foster parents. This group was hosted in person. With this group members were given the support and provided with a encouragement to share their struggles and challenges as foster parents. This group allowed members to relate to one another. Attending this group, I was able to see the cultural implications that can influence parenting styles and the challenges that therapeutic foster parents face. Focus, Purpose, Mission
The purpose and mission of this group is to serve as a support group for therapeutic treatment foster parents. The members of this group were provided with support and encouragement. Members were also provided with psychoeducation during these group sessions.
Type and Format
This group was formed as an open group for those who are therapeutic treatment foster parents. Since new foster parents are constantly applying and accepting roles as foster parents this group is open. New members can join the group at any time. Description of Clientele, Setting, Location
This group consisted of members from various cultural backgrounds. Members were from all different races and ethnic groups. There were male and female members in this group who’s age ranged from 25 and older. The cultural makeup of this group consisted of foster
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parents from Caucasian, Native American, and African American backgrounds. This group meeting occurred at a local Youth Villages office every first and third Thursday of the month.
Group Dynamics
Interaction was a key role in the group dynamic. Group members interacted well with one
another and provided support while sharing their own experiences and unique challenges of parenting foster children who have endured trauma. Group members were also able to interact with the facilitator while in session. The facilitator provided feedback to group members within the group who shared their experiences. Culture had an effect on the group dynamic given that each member came from a different background and shared their on ideas on parenting the youths based on the way that they had been raised. Leadership
Within this group the facilitator provided feedback to the group members. The group facilitator was present within the group and presented with empathy towards members. Group Stage
The group stages observed in this group varied. Due to this being an open group not all members were on the same stage. Some members had been attending group meetings for a longevity of time, while there were some members who were new and in the beginning process. Critique
Within this group there are several pros and cons that can be seen. One pro that could be seen was that during the group sessions the facilitator interacted well with the members by providing them with support and active listening. The facilitator also did a good job of setting and identifying goals for the members. The biggest con that I feel the facilitator displayed was the lack of self disclosure. I feel that by providing more self disclosure this could have further
developed the interaction between the members and the facilitator. Another con that can be identified in this group was the leaders lack of effectivley opening the group. The opening sets the tone for the group. When the facilitator lacks providing direction or summarizing the purpose
of the group this can lead to a lack of tone. Personal Reflection
Attending this group was an enlightening experience. I was able to see firsthand how cultural implications can play a part in group counseling. These treatment foster parents are faced with various challenges and struggles from caring for children who have endured trauma. This group provided members with psychoeducation and assisted them in being trauma informed. From a client perspective this experience made me more empathic for these members and what they go through on a daily basis. This experience made me feel grateful that there are individuals out there who are willing to step up and take on the responsibility to raise these children and provide them with safe homes, even though this can personally be a challenging experience.
Name: Acholics Annonymous (5 hours)
November: 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
location: https://www.intherooms.com/member/home
https://www.intherooms.com/livemeetings/view?meeting_id=14
https://www.intherooms.com/livemeetings/view?meeting_id=29
https://www.intherooms.com/livemeetings/view?meeting_id=16
https://www.intherooms.com/livemeetings/view?meeting_id=14
https://www.intherooms.com/livemeetings/view?meeting_id=14
Name: Foster Parent Support Group (5 hours)
Youth Villages Office September 21
October 5, 19
November 2, 16
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