Introduction
You have decided to start a new psychotherapeutic group and need a manual. Instead of finding one, you are going to write your own! Decide on a focus for your new group, considering age, type of group work, mental health issues to be addressed, and so on. You can choose any type of group you want, be it process, self-help, psychoeducational, or any other.
Ideas for coming up with a group:
What’s missing in your community?
What kind of group do you wish you had as a parent or caregiver?
Ask your preceptor if they conduct group therapy and know of any group therapy needs in the community.
What kind of patients does your preceptor specialize in (such as eating disorders)?
What is something you are interested in that you could see yourself conducting a group in after graduation?
What vulnerable populations are in your community?
Over the next nine weeks, you will develop a comprehensive manual detailing your development of this group. This is an opportunity to be creative while grounding your proposed group in the established research and literature on group work and your target population.
The manual should be functional and appropriate for eight one-hour sessions. For this assignment, each stage will last for two sessions, although in practice, groups typically last longer, with the middle stages taking up a lot more time. Information should be practical and written in an explicit manner so that others could facilitate the group.
Information on each session should be detailed. Explain how each session’s activities or process is relevant to the given stage of group formation and development. Create at least two tools for your members to complete at the beginning and at the end of your group to evaluate the effectiveness of the group experience. You can also create other tools and activities.
Sample Solution