The Pros And Cons Of Specialty Groups

Many people attend counseling for a variety of reasons. What would happen if all of those people went to the same counseling session regardless of their problem? Would it seem likely that their problems would be addressed and resolved? Most likely the answer is no. Specialty groups allow counseling to focus on a “specific population and or problem to tailor the counseling sessions to what a specific group needs.
Specialty Group
A specialty group addresses the problems of a specific population of people. Some examples of specialty group include: “veterans, new mothers, unemployed people and people suffering from addiction” (Gladding, pg. 189). The people who lead these groups “must have specialized knowledge and expertise” (Gladding, pg. 189). They may be “open and psychoeducational or closed and psychotherapeutic” (Gladding, pg. 189). Most importantly a specialty group can be tailored to any group and their specific problems.
Differences …show more content…
190). Members of specialty groups are much more “unpredictable and group moments may be filled with surprise” (Gladding, pg. 190). While a general group can “promote career development a specialized group does much more for group members” (Gladding, pg. 190). A specialty group looks much deeper into the problem people are having and include “emotional support, as well as a safe place to release feeling about their employment status” (Gladding, pg. 190). A study conducted in 2009 concluded that members of a specialty job seeking group benefited from group learning, networking opportunities and emotional support” (Gladding, pg.