Group work in counsellor training: Research and development in one programme

Five models for using the experiential group in the preparation of group counselors

“…(For a more extensive definition, see Merta and Sisson, 1991. ) To protect students from unethical practices, various alternatives to the instructorled, traditional experiential group have been advocated (a) eliminating the experiential group altogether and relying instead on didactic instruction or limiting student participation to only simulated exercises (Corey, 1990;Corey et al, 1988;Goldberg, 1982 (b) having someone other than the instructor lead the group (Small & Manthei, 1988;Yalom, 1985); (c) having a leaderless or selfdirected group (Eldridge, 1982;Green, Stone, & Grace, 1983); or (d) having the leader observe but not lead the group (see Merta & Sisson, 1991). In addition to these alternatives, various safeguards in use with the experiential group have been advocated: (a) making the group voluntary instead of mandatory (American Association for Counseling and Development, 1988;Small & Manthei, 1988); (b) providing informed consent prior to enrollment in the counseling program (AACD, 1988;Patrick, 1989); (c) limiting student disclosure (Association for Specialists in Group Work, 1989;Pierce & Baldwin, 1990); or (d) ensuring that performance in group (i.e., attendance, skill proficiency, group process awareness, or self-awareness) not be used as a basis for evaluating students in terms of a course grade or promotion through the program (AACD, 1988;ASGW, 1989).…”

The good, the bad and the uncertainty: Trainees' perceptions of the personal development group

“…The findings from these studies, all of which were conducted during or after the group experience, suggest that while most trainees find such groups positive (e.g. Fairhurst & Merry, 1999; Ieva et al, 2009; Small & Manthei, 1988), others may experience ‘general discomfort’ (Anderson & Price, 2001, p. 114), ‘an uncomfortable level of anxiety’ (Kline et al, 1997, p. 164), ‘forms of psychological damage’ (Hall et al, 1999, p. 99) or become ‘casualties’, experiencing enduring negative effects (Bates & Goodman, 1986, p. 241) with this type of learning. Robson and Robson (2008) highlight most succinctly just how divergent trainees' experiences can be: ‘For some students, the PD group appears to be the most powerful experience of their counsellor training.…”