Each member will sign and be given a copy of the rules/expectations and a copy will also be procured by the counselor for documentation purposes.

Stage 1 is about getting acquainted, setting norms, and building trust. During this stage, to build relationships and trust within the group and for members to gain trust from me, I will share some of my personal grief and loss experiences. I feel that the members will be more comfortable sharing or expressing if someone else starts first.

There will be limits to confidentiality, it will be explained to the group during the first session that what is discussed within the group stays in the group. The exception is if a member shares something that involves them getting hurt, or hurting someone else. I would explain that although this group is a safe place, I am still a mandatory reporter. If I suspect, hear, or know that abuse of any kind is occurring, I am obligated to report it.

Other than that, it is expected that every member keeps details about the discussions of the group private. Unless they are sharing their own information at their own volition. Members who purposely violate this, will be removed from the group and offer a different means of resources to aid them in their healing journey.

All of this information will be discussed within the ground rules and guidelines that are established and written down then signed as an agreement.

This supports me as in my role as school counselor while conducting group counseling sessions because in order for the students to participate, parents or guardians must give consent. Without written consent, students will not be able to participate in my sessions even if it is something the student is really interested in.

B-SMS 6- Ability to Identify and Overcome Barriers.

B-SMS 7- Effective Coping Skills

B-SMS 10- Ability to Manage Transitions and Adapt to Change

Afterwards, the student will be interviewed to discuss being a part of this group. The teacher can remain anonymous if they choose.

The counselor will be using the TAP-IN method for the student screener, Tell the students, Ask the students, and then Pick the participants (Morganett, 1990).

By doing this the student will get the opportunity to learn about the purpose of the group, the reasons they were nominated, date/time and length of the sessions, the goals of the group, and the confidentiality of them participating in the group.

Another therapeutic factor I would consider and honestly hope for is catharsis. It is possible that some members feel like have never had a safe place to express their emotions and lift some of the grief out of themselves. Providing them with a sense of relief.

Lastly, existential factors. For this group, members will have experienced loss through death, incarcerations, or divorce. Dealing with these hard life experiences at such a young age can be difficult to process and understand as a reality. When young, we have a tendency to feel invincible and care free until there are events that start to bring you back to harsher realities.

With the transformational leadership, it is beneficial because its focus is to help every member succeed while also being very closely involved creating ways for members support one another. e

In a grief and loss support group, finding others that provide them with a sense of universality and positive hopes for the future is very important to rediscovering joys they may have lost in the grieving process.

counseling process (2014).

This supports me in my role as a school counselor when conducting group counseling sessions because I am requesting private information about my group members. I have to always make sure I am being respectful to my students and show appreciation for them to trust me that the information is only to help support the purpose of the counseling group.

Lastly, at the end of the group, I will reiterate the confidentiality agreement they all signed. Just because the group has ended, it does not mean they have the right to begin talk about everything they heard within those sessions.