All mental health professionals will be working in a team or group environment at some point, even if they have established themselves in a private practice or run their own businesses. The coursework and experience provided through GRPL 6100 (group counseling lab), COUN 6320S (group course), COUN 6320S, Group Counseling and Guidance in Schools, and COUN 6250: Group Process and Dynamic, have provided insight and opportunities to learn most of the essential skills and competencies for mental health practice. Not only do these courses help mental health professionals build their group counseling skills and understand group dynamics better, they also prepare us for working with teams of other professionals whose ideas and views might differ from our own.
Being a member of a group is both challenging and also rewarding. The challenges are mainly those related to conflict resolution and communication. I learned how I react to various stressors such as feeling threatened, feeling ignored, or having to build the courage to speak up about something I feel strongly about. Diversity issues can also be challenging, particularly when a member of the group—myself included—is currently unaware of the role gender, race, or background might play in reactions or communication styles. The coursework also brought to light various approaches to specific dynamics and processes in group counseling such as systems theory (Brown, Janousek & Ashley, 2016).
From these challenges, I learned to become more self-aware and critical of my own responses to potentially adverse situations. Journaling about my experiences helped me to recognize the unhealthy or dysfunctional patterns in the way I respond to group members. Most importantly, I developed the confidence and leadership skills that will allow me to effectively serve clients and work with a team of mental health professionals in the future. No matter what type of clinical environment we are in, we all need to remember that we are on the same page, and can collaborate and cooperate with the best interests of clients and community in mind.
References
Brown, K.S., Janousek, T. & Ashley, J.L. (2016). Family counseling. Encyclopedia of family studies. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119085621.wbefs408
