Programme Aims will be to develop

• Mature and professional practice in the role of group facilitator
• The ability to compare and evaluate different theories and models of groups and group processes
• The ability to analyse critically research based evidence relating to group work
• Effective group work practice requires a sound underpinning of theoretical knowledge that informs practice and is in turn informed by that practice. With complex and changing environments it is essential that practice be informed by the best possible information

Overall Course Objectives

• To provide participants with a framework and understanding of group work theory
• To develop an understanding of the reflective relationship between theory and practise
• To provide an opportunity for critical reflection of how theories may inform working practise
• To develop the appropriate skills for facilitating / leading groups
• To enhance personal and professional problem solving skills
• To develop the ability to identify organisational dynamics pertinent to groups
• To identify specific ethical considerations in working with groups
• To develop an awareness of ones own values and needs and the potential impact they have on the interventions likely to be made
• To evaluate how to assess and intervene in cases in which group participants pose a threat to themselves or others

The process of training will require

• Reflection on experience
• Collaborative sharing of insights in group work
• Exercising personal and professional skills

Experiential Group Process / Personal Development

There will be a strong emphasis placed on experiential work throughout the programme.

Group process involves the stages that groups tend to go through. Each stage will have its own distinct unconscious dynamics and members will have certain thoughts, feelings and behaviours characteristic to each stage. The only way of learning about this process is to engage with it in an experiential way. A vital component of the training will involve student participation in a process group that will run for the duration of the course. The aim of the group will be to deepen student’s capacity for self reflection and awareness and to gain an insight into group dynamics in the “here and now”. Students will be expected to reflect on their own process and to work with issues arising within the group setting.

Specific Group Specialisations

• Task / Work Groups
• Psychoeducational Groups
• Counselling groups
• Psychotherapy Groups

Theory Content

• Stages of Group Development
• Group Planning and Development
• Leadership in Groups
• Special Considerations for Working with Different Types of Groups
• Models of Group Facilitation
• Systems Theory and Groupwork
• Psychodynamic Theory and Group Work