Group Therapy Disadvantages

The overall purpose of group therapy is to assist clients in emotional growth and personal problem solving. The basic principles of group work are; stages of group process development, groups dynamics at each stage, and leader tasks and techniques. As a leader of a group it is important to convene the group, model appropriate behavior, focus on the present, and use professional support. When working with children certain aspects of group work practice must be adjusted to account for the fact that children organize, process, and respond to information differently than do adults. A group leader must determine the best motivation style to use with children in order to have the most powerful influence on them. Children don't get influenced by a leader because of their words but rather because of the energy that is associated with their words. One important role of a leader when working with children is to engage members in activities or structured play during each meeting. As a group …show more content…
In a single sex groups, it can be easier to create an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable and free to speak out, without having to defend their points of view against others. The main focus is on shared experiences.
Males and females think differently, so the conversation will have a completely different dynamic. Prescribed roles dictated by society can cause negative tension in mixed gender groups (Gladding, 2016). In a mixed gender group, the conversation can more easily turn into a debate. However, mixed groups may spark conversation that otherwise would not be brought up. Group leaders and members may hear a wider range of positions and find more diversity in the answers to certain questions.
Mixed gender groups can be beneficial because as a counselor you may notice in therapy that something is important to one gender, even though they would not have thought to bring it up