Group Therapy Interventions: Trust, Culture, and Stage-Based Leadership

Introduction: Brenda's Trust Issues and the Individual Session

During group meetings, Brenda, a Pakistani woman, calls and requests a private session. When asked why she wants an individual session, she explains that she is having trouble trusting most of the members of the group, and that this is keeping her from participating. When suggested that she bring up this matter in the group first, she states that she is simply not willing to take that risk.

Yes, it would be appropriate to see Brenda for one session, as this would provide an opportunity to understand the roots of her trust issues and further gauge her suitability for the group (Spitz, 2013). The session would not be geared toward counseling, but toward obtaining first-hand information from her about what she expected of the group and its participants, why she feels those expectations are not being met, and what she thinks could be done to improve the situation. Based on the information obtained from this individual session, appropriate measures could then be devised to address her concerns.

There are multiple factors that could be responsible for Brenda's lack of trust. To begin with, given her inclination toward Islamic culture, there is the possibility that Brenda may not be comfortable with the American style of group leadership, in which the group leader and participants interact freely as relative equals and members feel free to challenge the leader's direction. Islamic cultural norms tend to emphasize a clear separation between leadership and followership, where followers are expected to treat leaders with considerable respect and not openly challenge their views. Brenda could therefore be struggling to identify with the rest of the group because she perceives their behavior toward the leader as disrespectful.

Moreover, it is possible that Brenda does not trust the group members because they do not recognize or appreciate her cultural background. For instance, she may feel out of place because her culture or religion is never acknowledged during group activity, making it difficult for her to establish a sense of identity within the group. A third possible reason for Brenda's lack of trust is the fear of being judged. Islamic culture often encourages women to be submissive and may discourage them from pursuing education, careers, or leadership roles. Brenda's participation could therefore be inhibited by the fear that other group members would unfairly judge her as uneducated or incapable of independent thought. Meeting Brenda for one informal session would help identify her specific areas of dissatisfaction, providing the information needed to determine what corrective action to take.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Meeting Brenda Individually

There are several advantages to organizing a meeting with Brenda. The first and most obvious is that it provides an opportunity to obtain first-hand information from her about her expectations of the group, why she feels those expectations are not being satisfied, and what she believes ought to be done to address the situation. This would allow the group leader to know exactly what changes are needed within the group to address Brenda's specific needs. Additionally, the group leader has the opportunity to learn about Islamic culture — its values and expectations — directly from Brenda. This enriches the leader's multicultural sensitivity, enabling them to better serve the psychological needs of other Muslim participants in current or future groups. In other words, such a meeting contributes meaningfully to a process of continuous learning.

However, the decision to meet Brenda individually is not without its disadvantages. The primary limitation is that other members may come to view individual private sessions as their default mode of conflict resolution. This could result in unnecessary disruptions and delays that might otherwise have been avoided if members chose to resolve concerns through alternative means, such as consulting with each other directly. All the same, the benefits — in terms of the valuable knowledge gained — far outweigh the limitations.

Interventions When Brenda Raises Trust Issues in the Group

If Brenda agrees to raise her lack of trust in the next group session, the leader must be prepared for a range of reactions. One can reasonably expect some group members to become defensive once Brenda discloses her trust issues. Some may become angry, particularly if they feel that Brenda is seeking sympathy or special attention on account of belonging to a marginalized minority. The group leader should therefore anticipate scapegoating tendencies, in which the rest of the group aligns against Brenda, casting themselves as the victims and her as the problem (Moreno, 2007). Scapegoating can be seriously detrimental to Brenda's self-esteem and could further inhibit her ability to participate (Moreno, 2007).

To prevent this, the group leader can employ several interventions. At the beginning of the session, for instance, the leader should notify group members that a sensitive issue will be discussed and clearly lay out the ground rules that will govern the discussion (Moreno, 2007). The leader could specify explicitly that no insulting language or hostile behavior toward Brenda will be permitted during the session (Moreno, 2007). The leader should then actively block any individual or collective attempt to belittle or attack Brenda. Additionally, the leader could assume a gatekeeping role — managing the flow of conversation to ensure that Brenda and the rest of the members have a balanced exchange of ideas, and that neither side is overshadowed or diminished.