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We’ve all heard the same message: drinking makes you more fun, more social, more confident. It’s sold to us as a key to fitting in, relaxing, or escaping stress. But here’s the hard truth—alcohol sells a lie, and believing it comes with real consequences.

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                                           Wisdom

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                                           Wisdom

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"First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you." — F. Scott Fitzgerald

"Drinking alcohol is like borrowing happiness from tomorrow." — Unknown

"You’re not you when you’re drunk." — Unknown

"Sobriety is a journey, not a destination." — Unknown

"The best way to avoid a hangover is to stay sober."

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Joining a counseling group isn’t about giving up fun or socializing—it's about finding healthier ways to enjoy college and ensuring that drinking doesn’t hold you back from the opportunities you came here to pursue.

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College is a time for new experiences, friendships, and opportunities, but it can also bring pressures—one of the most significant being the culture around binge drinking alcohol. We get it, drinking often feels like a way to socialize or relieve stress, but it can also lead to health challenges that make your college experience harder, not easier. It takes a toll on you physically, mentally and hits you in the pocket book.

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After participating in the Freshmen Focus Counseling group, the participating college students will have learned tools and options to avoid binge drinking. The following mindsets are just some of the few that participants will learn to develop and eventually master.

1. Self-Empowerment
Participants will gain a strong sense of personal control, understanding that they have the power to make their own choices, regardless of peer pressure or social expectations.

2. Resilience to Peer Pressure
They will develop the confidence to say “no” to drinking in social situations without feeling guilty or out of place.

3. Healthy Stress Management
Instead of turning to alcohol to cope with stress or unwind, participants will learn and embrace healthier coping strategies, such as exercise, mindfulness, or creative outlets.

4. Mindfulness and Self-Awareness
Participants will cultivate a heightened sense of awareness about how their actions affect their well-being.

5. Balanced Social Life
Participants will shift their perspective on fun and connection, realizing that they can enjoy themselves and foster meaningful friendships without relying on alcohol. They will understand that meaningful experiences come from connection, not consumption.

6. Long-Term Thinking
Binge drinking often provides short-term satisfaction but can result in long-term consequences.

7. Personal Accountability
They will internalize a mindset of responsibility, owning their actions, and understanding that they are in control of their health and future.

8. Self-Worth Beyond Alcohol
Participants will learn to value themselves and their time without needing to use alcohol as a crutch. They will embrace the idea that their worth isn’t tied to drinking or keeping up with party culture, but to their talents, ambitions, and personal growth.

9. Community and Support Seeking
They will understand the importance of seeking help and relying on others for support when needed. This mindset allows them to be more open to seeking guidance or advice from trusted friends, counselors, or mentors when facing challenges.

10. Commitment to Healthy Living
They will develop a lasting commitment to physical and mental health, seeing the avoidance of binge drinking as one piece of a larger lifestyle aimed at wellness, productivity, and happiness.

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Plans to Inform Group: Everyone who submits an inquiry or is referred to the counseling office for an alcohol-related incident will be evaluated for entry into the Freshmen Counseling Group.

The first contact will be via a quick phone conversation to schedule an in-person visit.

Each person will be evaluated individually on their specific needs, preferences, and stages of recovery. In some cases, the individual may need more intensive therapy and would be referred to a specialized clinician or an inpatient facility.

Each participant will be given a small survey which will determine if they are binge drinking and the amount of alcohol consumed on a daily/weekly basis.

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Before starting in the Freshmen Focus, each

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Ground Rules for The Freshmen Focus Counseling Group

All group members must respect these ground rules to create a supportive and productive environment. These guidelines are in place to ensure everyone feels safe, valued, and heard throughout our sessions. Ultimately, the counselor will have the final say; every participant should understand this policy and remember that these rules are designed to facilitate a constructive counseling experience.

1. Confidentiality: What is shared here stays here. This rule is the foundation of our trust and security in this group.

2. Respect for others is a must. Your respect for others' opinions, even when you disagree, is crucial. This is not the time to argue about who is right, but to listen and understand.

3. No Interruptions; please allow everyone to speak their mind without interruption.

4. Share only what you are comfortable sharing.

5. No Judgment; this is a safe place to speak openly.

6. Be Mindful of Time and refrain from dominating the conversation.

7. No cross-talking; please avoid side conversations while someone else is speaking.

8. Honesty: Be truthful with yourself and the group.

9. Be open to growth.

10. Cell phones on silent and stay present in the conversation.

11. Support your group participants do not give advice.

12. Take responsibility for your journey.

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•       Stage 1- During the first session, the counselor will explain informed consent and what is covered and what is not. What is not covered are situations where a participant plans to hurt themselves or others. The disclosure of a crime is not covered against vulnerable populations. Aside from the above disclosures, group members are expected not to share any details about what happens in the group.

•       Stage 2- To create a cohesive process towards informing and empowering group members the counselor will need to set the expectations for the group with the learning objectives. The counselor will explain the safe zone for the group and encourage open and honest communication. Throughout the sessions, participants will self-report on any progress or milestones they have reached. Additionally, members will report any relapses and will be met with support not criticism.

•       Stage 3- The end of a group can be a stressful time for some and a relief to others. Counselors must prepare and evaluate if all the participants are ready to end the therapy.  Each member should be allowed to express their feelings at the end of the group. For those who are willing to continue with a less structured format, these participants will be given the option to meet once a month as a follow-up plan to ensure they are meeting their goals.

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Slide 8: Leadership Style for The Freshmen Focus

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Slide 8: Leadership Style for The Freshmen Focus

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The type of group will determine the type of leadership that will be used.  In group counseling, leadership can be authoritarian, it can be democratic, or even supportive (Capuzzi & Gross, 2002). The counselor needs to be skilled to use the type of leadership necessary for the moment.

For example, in a situation where the group is getting out of control, they will have to be authoritarian. If the group members are having trouble expressing themselves, the counselor may change to being more supportive. Ultimately, the counselor will have the necessary skills and background to adapt their leadership style for the benefit of the group.

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Yalom's Therapeutic facors will be instramental in highlighting mechanisms of change in the Freshmen Focus Counseling Group. While there may be more, I believe that all of Yolom's factors could be seen during the life of the grouop. Yalom's 12 factors are listed below (Hauber et al., 2019).

1. Altruism

2. Cohesion

3. Universality

4. Interpersonal learning input and output

5. Guidance

6. Catharsis

7. Identification

8. Family re-enactment

9. Self-understanding

10. Instillation of Hope

11. Existential factors

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Understanding Psychology with Dr. Daniel Kaplin

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Legal and Ethical Considerations for Group Counseling: What You Need to Know

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AGPA and IBCGP Guidelines for Ethics

Guidelines of Group Psychotherapy Practice

The following guidelines of group psychotherapy practice shall serve as models for group therapists' ethical behavior.

Responsibility to Patient/Client

1. The group psychotherapist provides services with respect for the dignity and uniqueness of each patient/client as well as the rights and autonomy of the individual patient/client.

1.1 The group psychotherapist shall provide the potential group patient/client with information about the nature of group psychotherapy and apprise him or her of the risks, rights and obligations as a member of a therapy group.

1.2 The group psychotherapist shall encourage the patient/client's participation in group psychotherapy only so long as it is appropriate to the patient/client's needs.

1.3 The group psychotherapist shall not practice or condone any form of discrimination that includes, but is not limited to nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, size, disability, age, religion, socioeconomic status or cultural background, except that this guideline shall not prohibit group therapy practice with population specific or problem specific groups.

2. The group psychotherapist safeguards the patient/client's right to privacy by judiciously protecting information of a confidential nature.

2.1 The group shall agree that the patient/client as well as the psychotherapist shall protect the identity of its members.

2.2 The group therapist is knowledgeable about the limits of privileged communication as they apply to group therapy and informs group members of those limits.

2.3 The group psychotherapist shall not use identifiable information about the group or its members for teaching purposes, publication or professional presentations unless permission has been obtained and all measures have been taken to preserve patient/client anonymity.

2.4 Except where required by law, the group psychotherapist shall share information about the group members with others only after obtaining appropriate patient/client consent. Specific permission must be requested to permit conferring with the referring therapist or with the individual therapist where the patient/client is in conjoint therapy.

2.5 When clinical examination suggests that a patient/client may be dangerous to himself/herself or others, it is the group psychotherapist's ethical and legal obligation to take appropriate steps in order to be responsible to society in general, as well as the patient/client.

3. The group psychotherapist acts to safeguard the patient/client and the public from the incompetent, unethical, illegal practice of any group psychotherapist.

3.1 The group psychotherapist must be aware of her/his own individual competencies, and when the needs of the patient/client are beyond the competencies of the psychotherapist, consultation must be sought from other qualified professionals or other appropriate sources.

3.2 The group psychotherapist shall not use her/his professional relationship to advance personal or business interests.

3.3 Sexual intimacy with patients/clients is unethical.

3.4 The group psychotherapist shall protect the patient/client and the public from misinformation and misrepresentation. She/he shall not use false or misleading advertising regarding her/his qualifications or skills as a group psychotherapist.

Professional Standards

The group psychotherapist shall maintain the integrity of the practice of group psychotherapy.

1. It is the personal responsibility of the group psychotherapist to maintain competence in the practice of group psychotherapy through formal educational activities and informal learning experiences.

2. The group psychotherapist has a responsibility to contribute to the ongoing development of the body of knowledge pertaining to group psychotherapy whether involved as an investigator, participant or user of research results.

3. The group psychotherapist shall accept the obligation to attempt to inform and alert other group psychotherapists who are violating ethical principles or to bring those violations to the attention of appropriate professional authorities.

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Copy of Chapter 3 Ethical Issues in Group Counseling

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American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA code of ethics. https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/ethics/2014-aca-code-of-ethics.pdf?sfvrsn=55ab73d0_1

American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA). (n.d.). Ethics in group therapy. AGPA. https://www.agpa.org/home/practice-resources/ethics-in-group-therapy

American Psychological Association. (2019). Group therapy. https://www.apa.org/topics/psychotherapy/group-therapy

Capuzzi, D., & Gross, D. (2002). Group counseling: Elements of effective leadership. In D. Capuzzi & D. R. Gross (Eds.), Introduction to group counseling (3rd ed., pp. 57–88). Love Publishing Company.

Deblinger, E., Pollio, E., Dorsey, S.  (2016). Applying trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy in group format. Child Maltreat, 21(1):59-73.

Hauber, K., Boon, A., Vermeiren, R. (2019). Therapeutic factors that promote recovery in high-risk adolescents intensive group psychotherapeutic MBT program. Child Adolescent Psychiatry Mental Health, 10;13:2. doi: 10.1186/s13034-019-0263-6.