The New Social Worker Vol. 20, No. 3, Summer 2013 | Page 14

Groups

Getting My Feet Wet in Group Work by (Rose) Rosalie J. Russo-Gleicher, DSW, LMSW
prepare everyone for working. I talked about confidentiality, and its limits if someone indicates harming him or herself or others. To convey empathy, I acknowledged that I was aware that they had not asked for counseling, might think they didn't have a problem, and might think they didn't need to be in the group. However, I told them that groups are helpful because everyone has experiences to share and can learn from each other. I gave my introduction first, modeling self-disclosure and hope, as I talked about my experiences working with youngsters in summer camp doing arts and crafts. Going around in a circle, I asked group members to introduce themselves by first name, stage in the program, and to mention possible topics they would like to talk about. I welcomed each person while modeling listening skills, eye contact, and hope. Client introductions were going smoothly until suddenly, Kate and Joan (all client names have been changed) shocked me when they displayed confrontation consisting of lots of questions to the group leader, which I later learned is typical for this stage. Kate asked me, “Is this going to be one of those groups that meets every week?” “Yes, for the next 10 weeks,” I answered. Kate had another question: “Is it going to meet here in this room?” I answered, “Yes.” Kate had another question about why she was put in a “group thing” again when she had finished the prevocational program. I explained that groups are helpful to talk about things, learn from each other, and help one another. Kate went on to make more comments about hoping that group members did not say the same thing every week. Soon after that, Kate, Joan, and the others expressed complaints