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Parkinson's Support Group Paper

Decent Essays

While attending the Parkinson’s Support Group, I observed and took note of many occurrences throughout the group. There were 18 caregivers/individuals with Parkinson’s in attendance, along with 3 students, the director, and the group leader (a counseling student intern). Each individual diagnosed with Parkinson’s, except for two, was accompanied by their spouse/caregiver. Members of this group sat around a rectangle table with the group leader at the front. The purpose of the group, on that particular day, was to discuss challenges that individuals with Parkinson’s and or caregivers face, activities and ways to cope, and some positive gains after the disability. The type of group that was ran was a support group, as compared to having guest speakers as usual. The Parkinson’s group was open to the …show more content…

The group leader facilitated the discussion that way, which seemed to flow appropriately. Steps 6-7, application and summary, also seemed to be completed simultaneously as well. The wrap-up included a recap of the session and helpful strategies shared. For the Parkinson’s group, there was no specific activity done during the session. The format of the group was an open group discussion where members were encouraged to participate. If anything, members needed the cognitive ability and working memory to engage in conversation. Also, adequate communication and social skills were required. There were many main ideas presented during the Parkinson’s discussion, but the two that were significant to the group were medications, and losing the ability to drive. The most common coping strategy amongst the group was exercise. Many of the members also expressed their medication concerns and side effects specifically. The most common coping strategy was exercise and being outdoors. Many of the members also expressed how they have become more grateful for the support of their spouses and or

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