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Many college students face stress due to their busy schedules, constant deadlines, personal hardships, and extracurricular programs. This program is meant to help new and experienced students identify, understand, and learn to manage their anxieties. Through this program, students will learn methods and practices to help manage both academic and personal hardships while providing them a safe and accepting environment to share their experiences.

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Specific mindsets that students will master upon completing this group are:

M1. Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental, social/emotional and physical well-being

M2. Sense of acceptance, respect, support and inclusion for self and others in the school environment

M4. Self-confidence in ability to succeed

Specific behaviors that students will master upon completing this group are:

B-LS 4. Self-motivation and self- direction for learning

B-LS 7. Long and short-term academic, career and social/emotional goals

B-SMS 1. Responsibility for self and actions

B-SMS 5. Perseverance to achieve long and short-term goals

B-SMS 6. Ability to identify and overcome barriers

B-SMS 7. Effective coping skills

B-SMS 9. Personal safety skills

B-SS 2. Positive, respectful, and supportive relationships with students who are similar to and different from them

B-SS 4. Empathy

B-SS 6. Effective collaboration and cooperation skills

American School Counselor Association. (2021). ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success: K‑12 college‑, career‑, and life‑readiness standards for every student. Alexandria, VA: Author.

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The publicity and outreach of this program will happen in many different forms. Flyers will be shared on each campus building's bulletin board, students will receive an email regarding the program offered, Professors will receive a separate email asking them to share this resource with their classes and with any students who they may feel are heavily struggling with stress, and the counseling page will also have a section sharing information regarding this program. Counselors who are already meeting with students may share this resource for those they believe may benefit, and weekly meeting reminders will be shared on the campus calendar.

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Students who initially sign up for the program will schedule a meeting with the group worker to discuss information regarding what the group is about, their experiences with stress, their expectations and goals for the program, the ethical and confidential expectations and limitations of group counseling, and their feelings about group counseling.

Students will also complete a survey to measure the stress they experience, their confidence in their ability to achieve their goals, their prior experiences with group counseling, and how likely they are to participate in the group. This will help determine the readiness of the student and if this program fits their needs.

Attached above is a questionnaire with questions that will be incorporated into the survey.

Southern Utah University. (n.d.). Stress questionnaire [PDF]. https://www.suu.edu/caps/documents/stressquestionnaire.pdf

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I plan to implement these guidelines by establishing these ground rules at the first group session. They provide a strong foundation for a safe, structured, and open environment for students to share their thoughts, feelings, and expectations. The guidelines will also be shared at the beginning of every session to remind students of the expectations and requirements for being able to participate in the sessions.

Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators. (2015). Professional school counselor small group counseling guide: A professional school counselor’s guide to planning, implementing, and evaluating school-based counseling groups.

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At Angelo State University, each student looking to participate in counseling services is required to sign an informed consent form.

Students will receive consent forms that discuss different aspects of what counseling is, the process of counseling, and confidentiality limitations within counseling. If there are any minors attending the group, parent consent forms will also be required before the student is allowed to attend the group sessions.

At the beginning of each session, students will be encouraged to keep confidentiality and be reminded of limitations within confidentiality.

Rochester Institute of Technology. (2020, June). Student Consent Form: Counseling and Psychological Services. https://www.rit.edu/counseling/sites/rit.edu.counseling/files/documents/CaPS-Student-Consent-Form-June2020.pdf

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1. During the first stage, the focus will be on establishing trust, boundaries, connections, and expectations of the students participating. Limitations of confidentiality will be discussed, and questions will be answered to ensure students are aware of any breaches that could occur. Confidentiality between what is shared will also be highly encouraged to help create a safe and open environment for students to share in. Another important factor of this stage is establishing the goals students may have for this group. Lastly, helping the students connect by helping them identify similar struggles they may face and helping them establish a sense of understanding amongst themselves.

2. The second stage will focus on reviewing group engagement and progress. At this stage, I believe it is crucial to listen to the input and feelings that the students may have regarding their personal progress. It would also be helpful to gauge and ask about how each member feels regarding their group and if it is an environment in which they feel they are learning and growing.

3. The final stage will be reviewing the goals that the students had and whether they felt as though they met them, discussing the lessons that were taught and what the students were able to learn from them, and whether they felt that a group setting was beneficial to their experience. It is also important to remind the students of their expectation of confidentiality after the group ends. Lastly, for students who feel as though they are still in need of guidance and help, connecting them with another counselor and other resources can be beneficial for their growth and meeting their expectations.

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Establishing a participative leadership style would be the most effective in this counseling group. Cherry (2023) shares that "participative leaders encourage group members to participate, but retain the final say in the decision-making process. Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative. Democratic leaders tend to make followers feel like they are an important part of the team, which helps foster commitment to the goals of the group". This form of leadership would help establish a safe and welcoming environment for the students, while helping them understand that their participation is a choice throughout the program, even though it is very highly encouraged.

Cherry, K. (2023, June 27). How to Lead: 6 Leadership Styles and Frameworks. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

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Leadership styles are classifications of how a person behaves while directing, motivating, guiding, and managing groups of people. There are many leadership styles. Some of the most widely discussed include: authoritarian (autocratic), participative (democratic), delegative (laissez-faire), transformational, transactional, and situational.

Great leaders can inspire political movements and social change. They can also motivate others to perform, create, and innovate. As you start to consider some of the people who you think of as great leaders, you can immediately see that there are often vast differences in how each person leads.

Fortunately, researchers have developed different theories and frameworks that allow us to better identify and understand these different leadership styles.

Lewin's Leadership Styles

In 1939, a group of researchers led by psychologist Kurt Lewin set out to identify different styles of leadership.﻿﻿ While further research has identified more distinct types of leadership, this early study was very influential and established three major leadership styles that have provided a springboard for more defined leadership theories.

In Lewin's study, schoolchildren were assigned to one of three groups with an authoritarian, democratic, or laissez-faire leader. The children were then led in an arts and crafts project while researchers observed the behavior of children in response to the different styles of leadership. The researchers found that democratic leadership tended to be the most effective at inspiring followers to perform well.

Authoritarian Leadership (Autocratic)

Authoritarian leaders, also known as autocratic leaders, provide clear expectations for what needs to be done, when it should be done, and how it should be done. This style of leadership is strongly focused on both command by the leader and control of the followers. There is also a clear division between the leader and the members. Authoritarian leaders make decisions independently, with little or no input from the rest of the group.

Researchers found that decision-making was less creative under authoritarian leadership.﻿﻿ Lewin also concluded that it is harder to move from an authoritarian style to a democratic style than vice versa. Abuse of this method is usually viewed as controlling, bossy, and dictatorial.

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Authoritarian leadership is best applied to situations where there is little time for group decision-making or where the leader is the most knowledgeable member of the group. The autocratic approach can be a good one when the situation calls for rapid decisions and decisive actions. However, it tends to create dysfunctional and even hostile environments, often pitting followers against the domineering leader.

Participative Leadership (Democratic)

Lewin's study found that participative leadership, also known as democratic leadership, is typically the most effective leadership style. Democratic leaders offer guidance to group members, but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members. In Lewin's study, children in this group were less productive than the members of the authoritarian group, but their contributions were of a higher quality.

Participative leaders encourage group members to participate, but retain the final say in the decision-making process. Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative. Democratic leaders tend to make followers feel like they are an important part of the team, which helps foster commitment to the goals of the group.

Delegative Leadership (Laissez-Faire)

Lewin found that children under delegative leadership, also known as laissez-faire leadership, were the least productive of all three groups. The children in this group also made more demands on the leader, showed little cooperation, and were unable to work independently.

Delegative leaders offer little or no guidance to group members and leave the decision-making up to group members. While this style can be useful in situations involving highly qualified experts, it often leads to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation.

Lewin noted that laissez-faire leadership tended to result in groups that lacked direction and members who blamed each other for mistakes, refused to accept personal responsibility, made less progress, and produced less work.

Observations About Lewin's Leadership Styles

In their book, The Bass Handbook of Leadership: Theory, Research, and Managerial Applications, Bass and Bass note that authoritarian leadership is often presented solely in negative, often disapproving, terms. Authoritarian leaders are often described as controlling and close-minded, yet this overlooks the potential positives of stressing rules, expecting obedience, and taking responsibility.

While authoritarian leadership certainly is not the best choice for every situation, it can be effective and beneficial in cases where followers need a great deal of direction and where rules and standards must be followed to the letter. Another often overlooked benefit of the authoritarian style is the ability to maintain a sense of order.

Bass and Bass note that democratic leadership tends to be centered on the followers and is an effective approach when trying to maintain relationships with others. People who work under such leaders tend to get along well, support one another, and consult other members of the group when making decisions.

Additional Leadership Styles and Models

In addition to the three styles identified by Lewin and his colleagues, researchers have described numerous other characteristic patterns of leadership. A few of the best-known include:

Transformational Leadership

Transformational leadership is often identified as the single most effective style. This style was first described during the late 1970s and later expanded upon by researcher Bernard M. Bass. Transformational leaders are able to motivate and inspire followers and to direct positive changes in groups.

These leaders tend to be emotionally intelligent, energetic, and passionate. They are not only committed to helping the organization achieve its goals, but also to helping group members fulfill their potential.

Research shows that this style of leadership results in higher performance and more improved group satisfaction than other leadership styles. One study also found that transformational leadership led to improved well-being among group members.

Transactional Leadership

The transactional leadership style views the leader-follower relationship as a transaction. By accepting a position as a member of the group, the individual has agreed to obey the leader. In most situations, this involves the employer-employee relationship, and the transaction focuses on the follower completing required tasks in exchange for monetary compensation.

One of the main advantages of this leadership style is that it creates clearly defined roles. People know what they are required to do and what they will be receiving in exchange. This style allows leaders to offer a great deal of supervision and direction, if needed.

Group members may also be motivated to perform well to receive rewards. One of the biggest downsides is that the transactional style tends to stifle creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.

Situational Leadership

Situational theories of leadership stress the significant influence of the environment and the situation on leadership. Hersey and Blanchard's leadership stylesis one of the best-known situational theories. First published in 1969, this model describes four primary styles of leadership, including:

1. Telling: Telling people what to do

2. Selling: Convincing followers to buy into their ideas and messages

3. Participating: Allowing group members to take a more active role in the decision-making process

4. Delegating: Taking a hands-off approach to leadership and allowing group members to make the majority of decisions

Later, Blanchard expanded upon the original Hersey and Blanchard model to emphasize how the developmental and skill level of learners influences the style that should be used by leaders. Blanchard's SLII leadership styles model also described four different leading styles:

1. Directing: Giving orders and expecting obedience, but offering little guidance and assistance

2. Coaching: Giving lots of orders, but also lots of support

3. Supporting: Offering plenty of help, but very little direction

4. Delegating: Offering little direction or support

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It seems like there are as many different styles of leadership as there are leaders. Discover some of the most common leadership style frameworks.

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Therapeutic factors that I may potentially see in my group are:

Instillation of Hope: While practicing new methods for managing their stress and anxiety, students may feel as though they can overcome their stressors.

Universality: Students may come to an understanding that they are not alone in their experience with stress and anxiety.

Altruism: When new students may be joining for the first time, students who have actively been participating and showing up to the group may be able to share methods and techniques they have learned with the newcomers.

Interpersonal Learning: Through lessons and discussions, students may use the lessons to reflect on their experiences and thoughts to help them find new ways of thinking/coping.

Yalom ID. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (4th ed.). New York: Basic Books.

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Yalom's Curative Factors of Group Treatment

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The 2014 ACA Code of Ethics shares a strong foundation for the values, principles, and standards that each counselor should hold. It shares how counselors should uphold ethical counselor-client relationships while also sharing how different situations should be handled to ensure the safety and integrity of the counseling space.

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

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ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors

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Although my group will be held in a university setting, this ethical standard and guide is informative on the ethical standards school counselors should follow. It is meant to help ensure the integrity, professionalism, beliefs, and expected behaviors that counselors should have when working with students. This guideline helps create a safe, inclusive, and healthy environment for students to grow and learn in

American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf

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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

American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/44f30280-ffe8-4b41-9ad8-f15909c3d164/EthicalStandards.pdf

American School Counselor Association. (2021). ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success: K‑12 college‑, career‑, and life‑readiness standards for every student. Alexandria, VA: Author.

Cherry, K. (2023, June 27). How to Lead: 6 Leadership Styles and Frameworks. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-styles-2795312

Missouri Professional School Counselors and Counselor Educators. (2015). Professional school counselor small group counseling guide: A professional school counselor’s guide to planning, implementing, and evaluating school-based counseling groups.

Rochester Institute of Technology. (2020, June). Student Consent Form: Counseling and Psychological Services. https://www.rit.edu/counseling/sites/rit.edu.counseling/files/documents/CaPS-Student-Consent-Form-June2020.pdf

Southern Utah University. (n.d.). Stress questionnaire [PDF]. https://www.suu.edu/caps/documents/stressquestionnaire.pdf

Yalom ID. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (4th ed.). New York: Basic Books.