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Questions for Transitional Stage

1. Use information from Transition Stage of a Group under Groups Members who Pose a Challenge for leaders from your textbook and your knowledge from other courses: Groups: Process and Practice

Marianne Schneider Corey, Gerald Corey, Cindy Corey.

Can search for the 10th edition

A) The Silent Member: Rose rarely says much in her group. Other members have caringly confronted her about how they are affected by her silence. Rose eventually says, ” Everyone in here wants more from me than I am willing to give. It is not that I am not interested, but I have always been more of a listener than one to speak up. I figure that if I have something to say, then I will say it, but I don’t want to talk just to hear my own voice.”

List three ways you could respond to Rose. In what way does Rose control the group through her silence? List 3 strategies to help Rose explore her silence that would not lead her to retreat or create defensiveness.

B) The Storyteller: Mary has spent much of the last 2 group sessions talking at length about how her sister and herself have never experienced positive relationships. She has gone into great detail about their arguments and activities since childhood. Initially, members were supportive to Mary. You now observe, however, that they are becoming bored and restless. You realize you are losing the interest of the group.

List three strategies to deal with Mary’s storytelling. List 3 statements you could make to help the group explore their dynamics and to confront Mary in a constructive way.

C) The Questioning Member: Jeff is a member of your group. He keeps telling everyone he cares about how they are feeling and why. Jeff consistently interrupts when other group members disclose their feelings, asking why they feel this way. He also questions members why they make certain statements to others.

What do you think is motivating Jeff’s behaviours? List 3 strategies to deal with Jeff. How could you use the other group members to deal with Jeff?

D) The Advice Giving Member: Mary is making a statement in group about her feelings of guilt in giving her baby up for adoption a few years ago. Jane states that Mary shouldn’t feel guilty as she had little choice considering her young age at the time and the pressure from her parents.

Is Jane correct in giving Mary this support? Why or why not? What effect would this advice have on Mary? List 3 strategies to deal with an advice giver like Jane.

E) The Band-aiding Member: Anna is having difficulty dealing with the break-up from her boyfriend. One night in group, Anna breaks down and expresses her feelings of failure because she couldn’t keep her boyfriend and her fear of being along. Sara, who also split up with her boyfriend recently, goes to Anna and reassures her with a hug that she is a good person and not to worry. Sara continues to hug Anna until she stops crying.

What might motivate Sara’s response to Anna’s feelings? What responses might you make to Sara? To Anna? To the group?

F) The Hostile Member: Joe noisily walks in group 20 minutes late for the third time, saying sarcastically,” Oh sorry – ha ha- late again for another thrilling group meeting.” The other members immediately become silent. Joe continues, ” Oh please, carry on guy with your bitching and whining – don’t stop for me.” Jose sits down, stares at the ceiling and hums a tune.

What might be motivating Joe’s behaviour? List 3 ways you could deal with Joe. How might you encourage the group to deal with Joe? Should Joe be allowed to continue in the group?

G) The Dependent Member: Joanne is again relating the difficulties she is experiencing with her boyfriend. She says he treats her like a slave and doesn’t seem to care for her needs at all. Sara and Andria give Joanne several pointers on how to deal with her boyfriend. Joanne responds with, “yes but then he might not love me anymore, and if I confront him, he would be very upset.”

Describe what you believe to be Joanne’s problem. How would you deal with Joanne and what would you say? How would you encourage the group to deal with Joanne?

H) The Member who Acts Superior: Sonya always comes to group dressed in designer clothes and perfect makeup. She always chooses to sit slightly apart from the other members. When members are disclosing some difficult life situations, she regularly says that she is so glad that she doesn’t have those kinds of problems and condescendingly states how sorry she feels for the members. Sonya is becoming increasingly disliked in the group.

List three strategies you could use with Sonya. When Sonya says she feels sorry for the other group members, what responses could you make? How would you respond to the other group members to encourage them to deal appropriately with Sonya?

I) The Seductive Member: John is very good looking 20-year-old who has joined the group to work on relationships. He is the only male in the group and chose this one though he could have joined an all male group. John comes to group in tight jeans and with his shirt unbuttoned almost to his waist. You often see him smile and wink at the other members when he is talking about himself. John becomes very angry and defensive when one member confronts him regarding his flirtatious behavior. John states that he wants people to like him for himself and not his looks.

List 3 strategies for intervening with John’s seductive behaviour. How would you respond to John when he says he want to be liked for himself and not his looks? How would you encourage the group to deal with John despite his anger and defensiveness?

J) The Socializing Member: You have become aware that several group members are sub-grouping outside of the sessions. The core of the problem appears to be that these members are not saying what is on their minds in the group time. It is almost as though there is a conspiracy of silence among this clique. This is having a divisive impact on the total group.

What are your feelings about group members meeting outside of group time? When do you think this becomes counter-productive? List 3 things you could do to intervene in the above situation. How could you encourage those members not in the clique to deal with the sub-group?

K) The intellectualizing Member: Henry is an active participant in group and often self discloses. Unfortunately, even though Henry is talking about traumatic events in his life, he shows little emotion and seems distant or removed from these events.

How is Henry’s behaviour problematic to himself and the group members? As a group leader, how would you help Henry deal more on an effective level? How could you encourage the group members to help Henry?

L) The Overly Emotional Member: Scott appears to seize every opportunity he has in the group to ventilate. It appears that he never runs out of personal issues that result in anger, tears, resentment, or some form of catharsis. A couple of group members approach you out of the group and tell you that they are uncomfortable with Scott’s emotionality. They don’t want to confront him because they don’t want to hurt him. Although they feel compassionate at times, they are now beginning to distrust his continual display of emotion and see it more as histrionics.

What would you suggest to the two members who have approached you? What do you think is motivating Scott’s behaviour? List 3 strategies to deal with Scott’s emotional outbursts.

2. Which, of the problematic behaviours listed below, did you see in the group? How did you intervene and/ or how do you wish you had responded?

Examples of Problematic Behaviors in a Group:

-Silence-

-Monopolistic behavior

-Storytelling-

-Giving advice-

-Questioning-

-Dependency-

-Intellectualization-

3. Give three major goals you have determined to work on, two goals for your team to work on and one major goal for your clients to work on. Share this with your group.

4. Write two skill goals for yourself for next group.