Chapter Five; Beginning Stage/phase

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The First Session

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The First and Second Session are often the most important and difficult to lead.
The first sessions is difficult because of the many different dynamics and logistics, group introductions the content to the members. Monitoring the members reactions to being in a group , starting it out, and introducing the content to the group

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The First Session Rules

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1. Beginning of the group.
2. Helping members get aquainted.
3. Setting a positive tone.
4. Clarifying the purpose of the group.
5. Explaining the leader's role.
6. Explaining how the group will be conducted.
7. Helping members verbalize expectactions.

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The First Session Rules Cont:

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8. Drawing out the members
9. Using exercises
10. Checking out the comfort levels of the members
11. Explaining group rules
12. Explaining any special terms that will be used
13. Assessing members interaction styles

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The First Session Rules Cont:

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14. Being sensitive to multicultural/diversity issues and any dynamic that may be present.
15. Focusing on the content
16. Cutting off members
17. Addressing questions
18. Getting members to look at other members.
19. Closing the first session

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Beginning the Group

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1.How the leader opens the group will have an important bearing on the tone of the group and the comfort level of the members.
2. The leader should convey warmth, trust, helpfulness, understanding and positive regard.
3. This is the time where the members form their impressions of the leader and assess whether or not they think the group is going to be helpful to them.

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Beginning the Group Cont.

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4. Some members quit groups at times because the opening few minutes were boring or intimidated so they tune out the leader.
5. Some leaders make mistakes by making too business like a manner approaches and the leader may be turned out.
6. Some leaders make the mistake of allowing the introductions do be too formal or too firm, which are uncomfortable for clients and can make members not want to come back.
7. Opening with a mini-lecture, discussions of rules, meeting time for each session and frequency of meetings. This bores members when going over this 15 minutes or more.

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Beginning the Group Cont

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8. Another common mistake is to allow members too much time to talk about themselves. (Some beginning leaders are afraid to cut members off and let them go on for 3-4 minutes and sometimes bores other members)
9.The opening few minutes of each session are very important.

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Options for Opening First Session

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Following are eight possible openings that include an overview of the group and the introducation of the members:

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Options for Opening First Session Example One:

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1. Start with a brief statement about the group and them conduct an introduction exercise.
2. This is the most frequenty used technique.
3. Leader gives a brief 2-3 minute, weel thought out opening statement and have participants participate in the introduction as well.
4. This prevents members from selling into a listening frame of mind; they become active almost immediately and quickly feel they are participants in a group rather than a listener in class.
5. This is a good way to start when members do not know each other.

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Example One Scenario

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A group for teenagers whose parents are divorced or separated within the past four months:
Leader: I'm really glad you are here. As you know this group is for sharing throughts, feelings and reactions to your parents divorce or separation. It is my understanding that each of you has experienced your parents divorcing or separating within the last 4 months, Through this group, I hope you will realize that you're not the only one feeling the way you do. Having your parents split up causes all kinds of feelings- chances are many of you are having a variety of those feelings. We'll explore this in the group. Tp get started,I thought we'd do some introductions. Share your name, how long your parents have been divorced or separated and with whom you are currently living. We'll go around the whole group, is there anyone who would like to start.

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Example Two of First Session

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Start with a long opening statement about the group and it's purposes, then conduct an introduction exercise. This introduction is used for educational or task groups although some leaders use a long opening statement for therapy and growth groups. The leader will spend the first 3-5 minutes describing the purpose and the format of the group in a pleasant, energetic manner and the be present an overview of the planned content for the next couple of minutes. During this opening, the leader will usually give some background information about himself and his experience in leading groups. A practical reason for using a long opening is to capture the interest. A practical reason for using a long opening is to capture the interest of the members who are present when other members have not yet arrived. It is important to understand that a long opening is to capture the interest of the members who are present when other members have not yet arrived. It was important to understand that a long opening statement

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Example Two Scenario

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The group consists of teachers in a large school district. It is the first session in a series of four on teacher burnout.
Leader: I'd like us to begin , I am Sarah Daniels and I am a counselor at North High Shcool. Over the last several years, I have been studying teacher burnout. As a result of my studies, I have developed what I think is a helpful way of understanding burnout. Over the next four weeks, I will be going over the material. Briefly I'd like to share what each session will be about. Today we will start by... After going over the material for the 3 to 3 minutes, the leader concludes the opening statement.
Leader: I hope you now have an idea of what will take place here and how this group can help. Now, before getting started with definitions of burnout, I'd like to take a couple of minutes and let you introduce yourselves. I'd like each of you to tell us your name, how long you have been teaching, what you teach, and a sentence or two about why you came.

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Example Three

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3. Start with an opening statement, then get right into the content of the group. The opening can be used in discussion, education and taskgroups where the members already know each other or in groups where personal sharing will be minimal. A long opening statement is used when the leader feels the members need an explaination or clarification of the group's content or purpose. The long opening statement would be similar to that in Example 2, where the leader outlines the content and shares some information about himself. It differes from example two in that the leader does not plan an introduction of the members because members know each other or the group is too large.

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Example Three Scenario

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The group is for helping 14 unemployed people find jobs. The leader opens the sessions.
Leader: I am glad you decided to attend the group . I think you will find the information helpful in getting you back into the workforce. The goal of these group sessions will be to give you information about finding potential jobs; interviewing for jobs; filling out applications, and keeping a positive attitude while looking. Before we get started, I want to tell you a little about myself and about each of the five sessions.....(After going over the proposed content of the five sessions, the leader continues).
Leader: Now let's get started on today's material. We've going to discuss how to find potential jobs. I want each of you to think of three ways that you go about looking for work.

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Example Four:

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4. Start with a brief statement about the group; then get into the content. This opening would be used when no introductions are needed (members already know each other) and the purpose of the group is already clear to the members. This is a good opening for many discussion, education, and task groups, especially if they are meeting for a shot period of time such as an hour.

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Example Four Scenario

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The groups purpose is to decide on policies for a new treatment unit for adolescents . The leader begins:
Leader: Let's get started. We have a number of policies to decide on regarding the new unit. The current plan is to met each Tuesday for an hour and a half at this time for the next 4 weeks or until we feel we are finished. Why don't we begin by listing the kinds of policies we think need to be written? I'll write them out as you call them out.

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Example Five:

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5. Start with a brief statement about the group; then thave the members form dyads. Leaders can use this opening when no introduction exercise is necessary. The leader describes the group briefly and then has members form dyads to discuss either the content of the group or why they have come to the group. This kind of opening is useful when the purpose is already clear to everyone and the members are reasonable when the purpose is already clear to everyone and the members are reasonably comfortable being in the group. It is also useful in certain kinds of tasks, education, discussion and support groups.

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Example Five Scenario

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The group is for parents who have learned that their children have been sexually abused at a day care center.
Leader: I am glad you came tonight. I think that all of you will benefit from sharing your feelings with one another. When something like this occurs a group can be helpful in getting support and exchanging ideas for helping your child. Because you all know each other, I want us tp start by pairing up. Do not pair it up with your spouse, if he or she is with you, or someone upi know very well. (Pause) Now that you have a partner, I want you to share the feelings that you have experienced since this incident and why you cchoose to come to the group- that is, what you hope to gain from being here.

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Example Six

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6. Start with a brief statement about the group: then have members fill out a short sentence completion form. When no introductions are neededusing a sentence completion form is an excellent way to open certain kinds of groups because it tends to help members focus. This kind of opening is helpful in leading task groups, discussion groups, and some education groups. It can also be used in growth and therapy groups when members already know one another.

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Example Six Scenario

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The group's purpose is to improve staff relations in a hospital unit.
Leader: As you know the purpose of this meeting is to improve working relations within the unit. I'd like to start by having you fill out this form, whcih consists of five incomplete sentences.

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Example Seven

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7. Start with an introduction exercise. Starting with an introduction exercise instead of a statement about the group should be done only when the members have a clear idea of the group's purpose. If an appropriate introduction exeercise is used, this type of opening can serve a dual purpose. Members can introduce themselves and begin immediately to focus on the content of the group.

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Example Seven Scenario

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The group is for single fathers. Leader: Why don't we begin? As a way of starting, I'd like each of you to introduce yourself and tell us the age of your child or children and in two or three sentences how you came to be a single father. Who wants to go first?

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Example Eight

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8. Start with an unusual opening =- one that grabs the members. There are times when the leader may want to use a creative beginning to get the members attention, especially if the leader believes that memebers may not be committed to being in the group. These openings can be interesting and can set a good tone for the sessions for those who may not be committed to the group. we have purposely been a little late and harried to start a group on the topic of time management. We have staged a brief, heated verbal exchange before the group began when we were going to teach communications. After the "fight" we get members to talk about what they saw and felt and then introduce the idea of people coming from different ego-states. Then we would do the more formal introductiion about the group, rules, names, and so on. The point is that leaders may want to use a creative opening to get members attention and hook their interest. These examples illustrate that there are a variety of appropriate ways to open a

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Helping Members Get Aquainted

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1. In the first session, the leader will consider how members wil be introduced to one another. If members do not know each other, it is usually beneficial to have them get aquainted soon after the sessions begins. Members tend to feel more at ease after learning each other's names and spending some time getting to know one another.

2. The amount of time spent on introductions varies according to the purpose. In groups where personal sharing will take place, more time should be spend helping members get to know one another because members are curious about those with whom they will be discussing personal issues.
3. In most education and discussion groups and in manu task groups, only a minimal amount of time needs to be spent on introductions because members either know one another or will not be discussing personal issues. In groups consisting of members from diverse cultural backgrounds, more time will probably be needed for introductions and getting aquainted.

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Helping Members Get Aquainted Cont.

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4. The size of the group can limit the options for the kind of introduction exercise chosen. If the group has more than 10 members, the leader will probably not want to use an introduction exercise involving each member sharing about himself or herself for 1 to 2 minutes because it would take too long. When groups are meeting for a rather short period of time ( an hour or less) the leader will not want to use any
introduction exercises that lasts more than 5 minutes. This applies especially to education, discussion and task groups, and to groups meeting for only one session.

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Helping Members Get Aquainted
Cont.

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5. The purpose of the groupd is probably the most important factor in determining what kind of introduction exercise to use. With groups meeting for educational or discussion purposes, the leader may want to use an exervise that helps people remember names.
In growth, task, support, and therapy groups the leader may choose an exercise that gets members to share relevant information about themselves. The leader may choose an exercise that get members to share relevant information about themselves.
6. The leader may also have members share relevant information about themselves. The leader may also have members share their reasons for attending the group and their expectations of the session.

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Helping Members Get Aquainted
Cont.

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7. For example, it would not be relevant for a leader of a group of cancer patients to have an introduction activity where members share their names, the names of their family members , where they work, and their favorite hobby. Instead the leader could have the members state their hobbies and what their expectations are. Instead, the leader could have the members state their names how long have they have been in treatment and one fear or feeling about having the disease.

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Descriptions of Several Introduction Activities:

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1. The Name Round: The most frequently used exercise for learning people's names. Members simply introduce themselves sometimes giving names only, but most of the time sharing additional information. Naturally, what is shared will depend on the purpose of the group. For instance in a parenting group, the leader would have members state the number of childdren they have and their ages and maybe one concern they want to address in the group; in a changing famiily group for children, members could tell how long their parents have been divorced, with whom they live, and could tell how long their parents have been divorced, with whom they live, and maybe a word or phrase regarding how they feel about their parents' divorce.
2. One common mistake of beginning leaders is to have members share irrelevant information. We have members share irrelevant information. We have heard stories of members being asked to introduce themselves and tell various irrelevant things about themselves. Most members of serious gro

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Introduction Activities Cont.

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1. The Repeat Round: The repat round is a name exercise, where the first person say the first member's name and then his name, and so on. THe exervise is good for helping members remember everyone's names. School kids tend to like this, and it does help with learning other's names.

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Introduction Activities Cont

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1. The Introduction Dyad:
The activity hconsists of two members pairing up and telling each other things about themselves, usually based on suggestions from the leader. Then all the members come back together in a group, and each one introduces his partner to the group. For example, in a group for children who have trouble making friends, a member may say, "This is Carlos. He likes football and fishing. He has two younger stepbrothers. His favorite subject in school is math. With this exercise, members focus on listening and getting to know one other member better.

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Introduction Activities Cont

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1. The Repeated Dyad:
Members pair up with every other member and spend 2 to 5 minutes sharing such things as why they are in thee group and what they hope to gain. This is good for certain kinds of support, growth, and therapy groups. This exercise should be used only when there are fewer than seven members and the sessions are at least an hour and a half long. Otherwise, it would take too much time to allow each member to form a dyad with every other member.

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Introduction Activities Cont

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1. Milling:
For large groups (12 or more members), we sometimes have members of the first group session. The instruction are usually quite simple, such as "To help you get acquainted, I'd like you to stand up and mill about the toom meeting the other group members. Try to learn everyone's names and why he and she is here." A simple activity like this provides an opportunity for members to have contact with one another speeds up the provess of getting acquainted. This is especially good when the leader is waiting for a couple of members to arrive and the others who are sitting quietly by themselves.
2. There are just some of the ways a leader can help members get acquainted. It is important that the leader always consider how introductions are going to be handled. A good introduction exercise is one that is appropriate for the kind of group and the amound of time the group is meeting. Using large name tags is probably the easiest way to help members remember the names of other members.

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Setting A Possitive Tone

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1. Another important task for the leader during the first and second sessions is to establish a positive tone for the group. The tone is the prevailing atmosphere; it stems from several sources, including the leader's enthusiasm and the member's comfort and trust. The leader can establish a positive tone by being enthusiastic and drawing out members, cutting off hostile or negative interactions, holding the focus on interesting topics, and shifting the focus when the topics are irrelevant or only interesting to a couple of members.

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Setting A Possitive Tone Cont.

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2. It is very important that the leader not let the group focus on negative members or negative issues for a major portion of the first session. A member who is complaining about being a in a group and questioning its value can establish a negative tone that may be difficult to alter. Allowing extended hostile or heated interaction between members also contributes to a negative tone. Certainly some time may have to be devoted to these dynamics, but the leader will want to make sure that most of the time is spent sharing and discussing in a positive way.
3. If a negative tone is set during the first two group sessions, members will usually never come to trust one another enough to share personal information about themselves. They may feel that the group is a place to "nail" other members, causing them to either focus on others or fear being attacked by the group.

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Setting A Positive Tone Cont.

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4. Setting a good tone for non-voluntary groups is very important. Leaders of nonvoluntary groups need to be prepared for uncooperative and hostile members who may try to set a negative tone for the group. Also, the leader may need to be rather firm but also show concern and understanding. WHen leading a nonvoluntary group, the leader will want to have an opening that gets the members attention and gets them interested immediately. One group leader we know put a garbage can in the center of the group for teenagers who have been caught using alcoholat schoool and said something like " I know you don't want to be here, so I want you to get out all of your complaints now then we'll put a lid on it." You have 10 minutes to complain, and when the 10 minutes ends put the lid on the trashcan. The leader then says "Lets name the group", which ends up being called "The Beach Group"; and they are no where near a beach! This got the group off to an interesting start and members got involved and interested. The

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Do's of Setting the Group Tone

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a. Get everyone to share
b. Be enthusiastic
c. Be warm and inviting
d. Be creative for nonvoluntary groups
e. Get control early and let people see you are in charge and you know what you are doing.

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Don'ts of Setting the Group Tone

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a. Let the group focus on negative issues at the beginning of the session
b. Let one member dominate
c. Start with boring group rules
d. Let members attack each other
e. Come on authoratarian or demanding