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During this phase of the group process, students are learning the ins and outs of how the group process works, getting acquainted with other group members, learning the norms of the group, and determining if the group is safe (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2018). Members may express fears and hesitations as well as hopes and expectations.

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Use this poster to help students select affirmations that speak to them.  They can also use them as prompts to create their own or research to find affirmations.  When students choose one or more, task them with repeating them each day.   them to believe them and to encourage each other to believe them.  When they believe them, they can start to make positive changes.

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Questions are meant to serve as prompts for members of a group during the working stage:
1. What have you observed that demonstrates that a high level of trust or cohesion between group members has developed? 2. What patterns of communication do you see happening in this stage of the group? 3. How satisfied are you with your level of participation? Explain. 4. In what ways are you willing to take risks or not in the group? 5. How are members and the leaders handling conflicts that occur in the group? 6. How are you dealing with feedback and confrontation from group members or from the leaders? 7. In what ways do you feel supported or not by the group members or the leaders? 8. What changes do you feel hopeful about making as a result of being in this group? 9. How willing are you to take action to bring about change outside of the group?
Corey, Marianne Schneider Corey; Gerald Corey; C. Groups: Process and Practice. Cengage Learning US, 2017. [MBS Direct].

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Growth Mindset Activity- Use this activity to talk about changing negative thoughts to positive thoughts about self.  This development tool helps students to change or strengthen belief systems.  Students can see that they have room to grow and helps to eliminate self-judgement and hopelessness.
https://www.theottoolbox.com/self-awareness-activities-slide-deck/

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"My Identity Activity"

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EdCaptain - Life Skills Education for Children

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My Identity - an activity for developing self-awareness in children

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There are certain behaviors that group members go through at the beginning of the group experience. Students may be apprehensive about talking or sharing and may look to other members to begin sharing. There may be anxiety when getting to know the other members of the group and conflict may even arise. However, if group leaders display positive modeling for the members to follow, the group may begin to feel more at ease with each other sooner rather than later.
Reference:
Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2018). Groups: Process and practice (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

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It is important for group leaders to realize that some of the students participating in the group come with cultural ideals that may impact the way in which they interact in the group. In some cultures, sharing feelings, discussing personal problems with others, and/or disclosing personal issues is seen as inappropriate. Group leaders to keep this in mind when they have a student who is tentative. They may not be unwilling to participate, but do not feel comfortable doing so. because of cultural norms.
Reference:
Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2018). Groups: Process and practice (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
The picture is a great way to show members how it is our differences that make us special, not being just like everyone else.

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Trust is both an emotional and logical act. Emotionally, it is where you expose your vulnerabilities to people, but believing they will not take advantage of your openness. Logically, it is where you have assessed the probabilities of gain and loss, calculating expected utility based on hard performance data, and concluded that the person in question will behave in a predictable manner. In practice, trust is a bit of both (retrieved from http://changingminds.org/explanations/trust/what_is_trust.htm.
The picture of Hiss with Mowgli from The Jungle Book is a perfect example of how sharing your vulnerabilities can be difficult when others use your vulnerabilities to take advantage of you.

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With so many things to attend to to make a group session run smoothly, it can be easy to keep the goal and focus of the session at the forefront. Doing these unnecessary things may overshadow the intent of the session and should be avoided:
*having too much 'fluff"
*asking vague questions
*using activities that are too long
*doing individual counseling within the group.
Reference:
Sink, C. A., Edwards, C., & Eppler, C. (2012). School based group counseling. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

The following video does an excellent job detailing some of the most common pitfalls when beginning a new group. It emphasizes the importance of keeping the focus on topic and remembering the initial purpose of the group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le8tEIHD_hk&t=71s

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A series of therapeutic mechanisms in group therapy that bring about changes in the patient (Gonzales de Chavez et al., 2000). They are derived from the group dynamics, but are not necessarily associated with therapist’s interventions. (https://journals-sagepub-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/doi/full/10.1177/0533316414554160)

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Universality is an important factor of the group counseling experience. It is the idea and realization that although it may feel like it, we are not alone in the struggles we carry. There are others out there that are bearing the weight of problems. Knowing that we are not alone in this journey can be therapeutic and comforting.

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The video from The Emperor's New Groove is a fun way to show students that although trusting others makes you vulnerable, they are great positives that can result.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMiRZ1J2_QY

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Motivation Video: teamwork and mutual trust

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Anxiety and defensiveness are two characteristics of members at this time. This is the phase, however, where group members become better at dealing with their defensiveness and learning how to manage it. The goal and climate of this stage is to encourage members to take risks and face their fears.

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Corey (2017) states, At the end of the group, "ask some of these questions: • In what ways has the group been meaningful to you? • When you say that you have grown a lot, what are some of the specific changes you have made? • What are a few of the things you’ve learned that you’d most want to remember?" pg. 324.
Corey, M.S.C.G.C. C. (2017). Groups: Process and Practice. [MBS Direct]. Retrieved from https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781337515719/

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Here are some points about how the Future Projection Technique works:
a.  ideal for assisting group members conceptualize changes for the future at the end of a group session
b.  Anticipated future events are brought into the present and are acted out
c. highlights how group members have changed
d.  Wished, hopes, goals, and even fears may be brought up as concerns
e.  New perspectives on problems are celebrated
* This technique can be used during the working stage as an activity and as a culminating activity during the adjourning state as well.

Corey, M.S.C.G.C. C. (2017). Groups: Process and Practice. [MBS Direct]. Retrieved from https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781337515719/

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Some of the most productive life of the group takes place during this stage. It is essential that one of the main goals during this phase is to continue establishing trust and ensure a safe environment. Mistrust is a typical characteristic during this phase so the group leader must be able to adjust and address this.
Reference:
Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2018). Groups: Process and practice (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

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The effect of group counseling practices on trust building among counseling trainees: From the perspective of social network analysis (2011).
I thought this article was perfect for this stage of group counseling. The article discusses how trust among group members is essential in order for the process to work. It is an ever-changing dynamic among group members and the leaders. If a group member does not have a sense of trust, they will not open up to the rest of the group and the whole experience may have been for naught. Disclosure of ones issues and problems is necessary for change to begin but will not happen when they do not feel they can trust the rest of the group. This is also why strong group leaders are there to develop that trust.
Reference:
Guilteken, F., Erken, Z., Tuzunturk, S. (2011). The effect of group counseling practices on trust building among counseling trainees: From the perspective of social network analysis. Retrieved from https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/science/article/pii/S1877042811006653?via%3Dihub

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I included the stages of building trust because it gives a great visual with description of how we acquire trust among others and how we continue to have that trust. Trust is the a topic that is necessary in each step of the group process, therefore, a deeper understanding is useful.

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When it comes to conflict, I react differently depending on what type of conflict it is. If it is physical conflict and there is fighting, I freeze up and get very scared. I will try to separate myself from the fray as quickly as possible. If it is a verbal type conflict, I will intervene only if I think it is something I can help with. If it's not really my business, I tend to stay away from it. If I am personally involved in conflict, I generally talk to someone for advice and ask how I should handle it before I do anything. Sometimes, I will ignore it and hope it goes away. I don't like having conflict in my personal life.

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  Bogovic, A., Oreskovic-Krezler, N., & Restek-Petrovic, B. (2014). The Perceived Importance of Yalom's Therapeutic Factors in Psychodynamic Group Psychotherapy for Patients with Psychosis. Retrieved from https://journals-sagepub-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/doi/full/10.1177/0533316414554160                                                                      "Coping with Student Anxiety | American School Counselor ...." https://www.schoolcounselor.org/newsletters/january-2020/coping-with-student-anxiety?st=NJ.  

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  Bogovic, A., Oreskovic-Krezler, N., & Restek-Petrovic, B. (2014). The Perceived Importance of Yalom's Therapeutic Factors in Psychodynamic Group Psychotherapy for Patients with Psychosis. Retrieved from https://journals-sagepub-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/doi/full/10.1177/0533316414554160                                                                      "Coping with Student Anxiety | American School Counselor ...." https://www.schoolcounselor.org/newsletters/january-2020/coping-with-student-anxiety?st=NJ.  

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https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thepathway2success.com%2F101-positive-affirmations-for-kids%2F&psig=AOvVaw0309jJmv5zp16ofw7kPkHD&ust=1595366843584000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCKDIr6_l3OoCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAN

Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2018). Groups: Process and practice (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Guilteken, F., Erken, Z., Tuzunturk, S. (2011). The effect of group counseling practices on trust building among counseling trainees: From the perspective of social network analysis. Retrieved from https://www-sciencedirect-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/science/article/pii/S1877042811006653?via%3Dihub

Lasky, G.B., & Riva, M.T. (2006). Confidentiality and privileged communication in group psychotherapy. Retrieved from https://www-tandfonline-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/doi/pdf/10.1521/ijgp.2006.56.4.455?needAccess=true.

Melbourne Academic Mindfulness Interest Group. (2016). Mindful-based Psychotherapies: A Review of Conceptual Foundations, Empirical Evidence and Practical Considerations. Retrieved from https://journals-sagepub-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/doi/full/10.1080/j.1440-1614.2006.01794.x

Positive Psychology.com. (2019). Five Senses Worksheet. Retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Five-Senses-Worksheet.pdf

Sink, C. A., Edwards, C., & Eppler, C. (2012). School based group counseling. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Su, Y.-W., & Swank, J. M. (2019). Attention problems and mindfulness: Examining a school counseling group intervention with elementary school students. Professional School Counseling, 22(1).

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How and why do we establish rapport with students...

Most of us try building harmonious relationships with others, recognizing the importance for our well being as well as our communities and families, but professions like school counseling require relationship building as crucial for success.

This particular skill is also called building rapport, and it goes beyond simply agreeing with others in order to "connect." It's recognizing that others have differing points of view, yet allowing people to communicate without feeling judged, condemned or guilty. When students have rapport with school counselors they openly share their thoughts, and feel respected and understood.

Although building rapport with students is not an easily quantifiable skill, school counselors know when they have achieved it. Leaders in school counseling characterize rapport as containing a number of important qualities and interactions, including the following:

How to establish rapport with students...

This is the foundation that allows students to share feelings and thoughts with confidence that the counselor will not negate or judge these feelings, nor will the counselor indiscriminately share these feelings with others who are not trustworthy. The counselor never promises not to notify others if the situation requires such advocacy, but students trust the counselor's discretion.

To build trust, school counselors must be genuinely accepting. They should know the student's culture, not trying to be a part of it, but understand the norms and trends, which shows students that the school counselor truly understands.

Trust also takes place when the school counselor shares a part of himself or herself with the student. The student needs to see the counselor as a person too, with the same fears, dreams and problems as every other person, creating mutual respect and honesty.

School counselors must be active listeners. This means listening to the words that students are using, hearing the tone of those words, and watching students' nonverbal expressions and body movements. Active listening also means identifying what is left unsaid or unspoken.

This type of listening requires a school counselor's full attention, both physical and mental, as the counselor pushes aside all other thoughts and focuses exclusively on the conversation. This means not thinking of answers as the student talks, and not interrupting. It means listening to how things are said, and avoiding stereotyping. It involves making eye contact, and listening to the student even when he or she stops talking.

Simply listening to students isn't enough. School counselors must be able to experience the students' feelings as their own, or live an experience with a child that the counselor never lived.

Having empathy means understanding the emotional states of others, and helping those with emotional problems develop appropriate solutions. Empathy is the pinnacle of moral development, as it also means understanding one's own feelings and behaviors.

Empathy is a skill that requires understanding - a skill learned over time. It does not mean abdicating one's own point of view, rather compassionately understanding a different viewpoint and finding healthy, appropriate responses or opinions to tough and difficult situations.

Kids gravitate toward those who know how to laugh and have fun. Laughter also makes kids relax, and develops that important foundation of trust that's essential for all school counselors.

Laughter has other benefits for students as well. Medical researchers now say that laughter reduces levels of certain stress hormones, which tend to increase when individuals experience stress, anger or hostility.

Humility. Kids are often the first to sense a "know-it-all." When counselors show kids that they don't have all the answers, nor do they think they have all the answers, that increases the students' ability to connect and form a positive relationship.

School counselors also must demonstrate to students that although they don't have all the answers, they are willing to search and problem-solve with the student to find workable solutions.

Undoubtedly, school counselors enter the field in order to change and affect the lives of students. That requires the ability to connect or build rapport with students, which takes patience, understanding and compassion. Working on the skills listed above, school counselors will create the type of bonds that ultimately impact and significantly alter lives.

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How and why do we establish rapport with students... Most of us try building harmonious relationships with others, recognizing the importance for our well being as well as our communities and families, but professions like school counseling require relationship building as crucial for success.

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One of the most important parts of the storming stage is establishing trust.  I like this graphic because not only does it state rules that are brief and concise, but the last item establishes the rule for trust.  

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One of the most important parts of the storming stage is establishing trust.  I like this graphic because not only does it state rules that are brief and concise, but the last item establishes the rule for trust.  

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Any time a group of people works together, there is bound to be issues. Being able to recognize problem behaviors that arise during a group session is a valuable skill for the leader or leaders to have. These are six problem behaviors that may arise during a group session.
#Confrontation-When done in a respectful and positive manner, confrontation can bring about positive change. It is up to the group leader to teach members what confrontation is and is not. It is important that group members respect the views and personal values of the others involved.
# Challenges to the Group Leader- Although challenges to the group leader may arise throughout the group process, it is during the storming that it tends to happen more. These challenges can be seen as digs at the competency of the leaders.
#Silence and Lack of Participation- It is important for group leaders to observe when a member is not participating in the group. This can be problematic for both them and the rest of the group. The leader should find ways to encourage participation but be careful not to over due it with constantly calling on the member.
#Monopolistic Behavior- In contrast to silence and lack of participation, is monopolistic behavior. This is when a group member monopolizes the conversations of the group or finds a way to turn others comments into a way to make it about themselves. Group leaders can challenge the member to expressing their thoughts into one sentence in order to cut down on the time they are using up.
#Giving Advice- Some members of the group may offer other members advice about their situations. Although they probably have good intentions in mind, this can be more harmful than good. Receiving too much advice can cause a person to become too dependent on other for finding solutions.
#Hostile Behavior- Hostile behavior from a group member can come in many forms such as sarcasm, making jokes, showing up late, eye rolling, or acting bored with the group. One way to handle hostile behavior is to have the members of the group tell the person how their behavior makes them feel.
Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2018). Groups: Process and practice (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

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*Avoid responding to sarcasm with sarcasm
*Avoid offering quick or simple solution.
*Avoid stereotyping and be mindful of cultures.
*Do not denigrate the character of a member.
*Do not retreat from conflict; explore it.
*Be mindful of countertransference.

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The ways in which people from different cultures react to conflict and respond to conflict can be quite different. Some may want to face the conflict head on while others may want to avoid it altogether. This is an important aspect in this stage because conflict resolution can greatly impact the success of the group.   "For example, comments between two African American males may be received less defensively than comments from a White male to a Black male" (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2018, p. 238).

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Opening activities are a great way for leaders to begin each session as well as keep structure to the group.
This opening activity is based on being "Mindful". Students use their five senses to bring themselves into the present and focus on the now rather than the past or future.
https://positivepsychology.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Five-Senses-Worksheet.pdf

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I wanted to include this article because it describes the many benefits of teaching students how to be mindful in their daily lives. "Mindfulness involves ‘paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgementally’ [3], p.4]. It refers to the cultivation of conscious awareness and attention on a moment-to-moment basis" (Melbourne Academic Mindfulness Interest Group, 2006, p. 286). Mindfulness can be very therapeutic for students because it helps them to learn how to live in the now, instead of worrying about the future or returning to the past. This can be especially effective for students who may have anxiety or fear issues. There is a meditative component to the practice which could be fitting when working with younger elementary students who have difficulty calming down. The practice helps to add and additional component to the group's wellness factors.
Reference:
Melbourne Academic Mindfulness Interest Group. (2016). Mindful-based Psychotherapies: A Review of Conceptual Foundations, Empirical Evidence and Practical Considerations. Retrieved from
https://journals-sagepub-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/doi/full/10.1080/j.1440-1614.2006.01794.x

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"The Magic of You" is a video of a story about the "Law of Attraction", and can serve as a prompt for a great culminating activity discussion or writing activity. Not only does it contain the theme topic of law of attraction, but it includes many others: 

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"The Magic of You" is a video of a story about the "Law of Attraction", and can serve as a prompt for a great culminating activity discussion or writing activity. Not only does it contain the theme topic of law of attraction, but it includes many others: 

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a.  using our imagination
b.  appreciation
c.  power of our minds and what we think
d.  sharing ideas
e.  working for what we want
f.  finding opportunities
g.  believing in self
h.  knowing yourself
i.  failure teaches us to know ourselves
j.  focus on things you like and are talented to do
h. we choose who and what we want to be around
There are other themes and topics appropriate for closing discussions.  This video is also appropriate for am opening activity or even an activity for a session in the middle. It can be adjusted to fit into any stage of group counseling.

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Law Of Attraction 4 Kids - The Magic Of You

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In the initial stage of group counseling, the depth of process is determined by the attitudes and feelings of the group members. The members are feeling out other members and leader to determine if they will be safe and no hidden agendas are present. Conflict among the group can also determine how quickly the group moves forward. If there is conflict among the group in the early stages, it should be dealt with quickly so that the group can move forward in achieving the overall group goals.
Reference:
Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2018). Groups: Process and practice (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

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Something that school counselors must keep in mind when working with small groups is that confidentiality becomes a different issue than when working strictly with individual students. In the journal article "Confidentiality and Privileged Communication in Group Psychotherapy", authors Lasky and Riva (2006) go in-depth about the challenges that counselors face when if comes to confidentiality in a group setting. In group counseling, the leader has less control over how sessions progress, especially when it comes to confidentiality. In groups, there is not guarantee that all members will respect the confidentiality agreement and keep their secrets private. The article also points out that in most states, privileged communication does not exist in group psychotherapy because of the third-party rule. In essence, there are no legal consequences for breaching confidentiality. Because of these rules, education on the importance of confidentiality is crucial for both leaders and group members.
Reference:
Lasky, G.B., & Riva, M.T. (2006). Confidentiality and privileged communication in group psychotherapy. Retrieved from https://www-tandfonline-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/doi/pdf/10.1521/ijgp.2006.56.4.455?needAccess=true.

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ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors          Section A.7.i. Group Work      Measure the outcomes of group participation (participation,Mindsets & Behaviors and outcome data).

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ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors          Section A.7.i. Group Work      Measure the outcomes of group participation (participation,Mindsets & Behaviors and outcome data).

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What do typical or expected group member behaviors look or sound like in this stage?What are the overall group characteristics in this stage?What are the tasks of this stage?

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What do typical or expected group member behaviors look or sound like in this stage?What are the overall group characteristics in this stage?What are the tasks of this stage?

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At this stage, students feel comfortable and are willing to dig deeper into their issues.  There is an increased level of group cohesiveness. There may be periods of stagnation, but when the leader recognizes this there should be a resolution where the leaders and members work together to work through times.
Other norms and behaviors include:  support and challenges that push for behavior changes, self-exploration, increased and more direct interaction, less dependency on the leader to move through meetings, ability to work through conflict, healing, self acceptance, authentic self.
Corey, M.S.C.G.C. C. (2017). Groups: Process and Practice. [MBS Direct]. Retrieved from https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781337515719/

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How are member interactions in a small group counseling session a microcosm of the world?

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How are member interactions in a small group counseling session a microcosm of the world?

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"Attention Problems and Mindfulness: Examining a School Counseling Group Intervention With Elementary School Students" by Yi-Win and Swank (2019) includes an section of "mindfulness".  It points out that exercising mindfulness improves on-task behavior and decreases attention problems  in students.  Another benefit that researches found was that when a student can effectively practice mindfulness that they are more self aware and empowered to recognize and control their thoughts,feelings, and behaviors. Counselors can use teach students this during group counseling with the above stated as goals.  It is also the goal that this practice will develop more productive citizens in our students and for their lives.

Su, Y.-W., & Swank, J. M. (2019). Attention problems and mindfulness: Examining a school counseling group intervention with elementary school students. Professional School Counseling, 22(1).

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In the initial stage of group counseling, members are still trying to figure one another out, push the limits of the leader, and establish whether or not they can trust other members of the group. Conflicts will also arise which can be a positive thing when handled correctly. "Group cohesion is a sense of togetherness, or community, within a group, and it begins to take shape during the initial stage. Genuine cohesion typically comes after groups have struggled with conflict, have shared pain, and have committed themselves to taking significant risks" (Corey, Corey, & Corey, 2018). Once conflicts have been resolved, many participants begin to give to the group more freely because of the new sense of community they have discovered.
Reference:
Corey, M. S., Corey, G., & Corey, C. (2018). Groups: Process and practice (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole