- Pre-group planning is important and should determine the number of sessions, meeting times, and appropriate group members. - Careful screening of members is needed since not all groups are suitable for everyone. This can be done through interviews, questionnaires, or referrals. - When planning sessions, the leader should consider the group's stage, format, potential problems, and phases including warm-up, working, and closing periods. - Thorough planning is essential for a successful group but the leader also needs flexibility to address unexpected issues.

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Planning
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Pre-group Planning
Many groups are not successful
due to too little emphasis on pre-
group planning
Pre-group planning:
How many sessions will the
group meet?
When will the group meet?
Who should the members be?
This should be carefully
thought out
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HowWilltheMembersBeScreened?
The Personal Interview
Written Screening
Screening By Referral Sources
Screening By Using a Comprehensive Group Program
Screening AfterThe Group Has Begun
Screening is essential because not everyone is appropriate for
every group.
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Big Picture Planning
Big picture planning entails considering all possible
topics that need to be covered and all possible topics
that could be covered.
By doing this, the leader thinks through the purpose
and the topics to be covered and how the group may
evolve over the life of the group.
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Session Planning
When planning a session, the leader should
always consider the stage of the group.
Plan the Format For the Session
Some groups have the same format each session
Some groups have a varied format
Anticipate ProblemsWhen Planning
Members not following through on outside activities
Members being absent
Unanticipated issues arising in the group
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Phases of theSession
Every group has 3 phases:
The Beginning orWarm-up Phase
Middle orWorking Phase
Closing Phase
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The Beginning or
Warm-up Phase
Always have a warm-up phase.
Make sure it is not too long
Make it relevant
Let members check-in; give progress reports.
Check to see if any member has something they want to
bring up.
Be aware of unanticipated issues distractions among
members
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The Beginning or
Warm-up Phase
continued
For open groups, the leader needs to plan for
introducing a new member
Don’t let this dominate--let the new member
come up to speed
Focus mainly on the old members
The leader should give thought to whether the
warm-up is high energy to get members excited, or
medium energy.
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TheMiddleorWorkingPhase
Planning the middle phase is important since this is when
groups do meaningful and lasting work. Planning this
phase depends on the kind of group and the makeup of
members.
counseling or therapy
education
support
task exploration and resolution
values exploration/personal growth
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TheClosing Phase
A common mistake is to not plan the closing of a session.
A closing should:
highlight or summarize issues or information
allow leader to check for confusion or unfinished business
enhance members’ commitment to the purpose of the
group
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Closing Phase of
the First and Last
Sessions
Give extra thought to the closing phase of the first and last
session, especially with counseling/therapy groups, personal
growth groups, and support groups.
When closing a first session-watch for:
commitment of members
comfort and trust issues
negative energy
emerging member issues
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Goals of closing final
session:
1. Hearing from individual members regarding the overall
group experience
2. Strengthening decisions, commitments, and/or behavior
changes
3. Feedback of members to the leader
4. Feedback of members to each other
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Session Plans
Estimate the time for each phase of the group
Develop enough detail so that you can see the flow of the
session
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Sample Plan
The first session of a parenting group consisting of ten
members:
3 min. (7:00) Introductions—round (name, age of
children, why they came to the group).
5 min. Discuss the group—format, purpose (stress that it
is mainly an educational and support group and not a
therapy group). Have members share their needs and
any fears or questions about the group. Have them share
cultural differences. (Sandwich in the group rules of
confidentiality, attendance, no attacking of others.)
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BriefSentencecompletion
This activity provides material with which to begin a
discussion:
1. I get most upset as a parent when
_______________________
2. The thing I like most about being a parent
is__________________________
3. The hardest thing about parenting
is__________________________
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Sample Plan
continued
10 min. Have members share their answers in
large group (use their examples in discussion
below).
15 min. Discuss Adlerian principles of child
behavior (use charts and handouts)
All behavior is purposeful.
Children are not bad—they
are discouraged.
Four goals of misbehavior.
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Sample Plan
continued
5 min. (7:35) Have members share in groups of three their
thoughts about the Adlerian principles.
10 min. Discuss in large group, then continue overview of
principles: Parent’s reaction to each of the four goals of
misbehavior.
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Sample Plan
continued
20 min. Focus on the first goal of misbehavior--attention getting.
Use short role-plays to
demonstrate
Discuss ways to deal with situations
5 min. Dyads—discuss this goal in relation to their children and
how parents may handle situations differently.
5 min. Process dyads
10 min. Summarize—what stood out, feelings about the group,
one thing they plan to do differently.
Hand out reading material
Remind them of next meeting time
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Frequent Mistakes
in Planning
Not Planning
PlanningToo Much
Irrelevant or MeaninglessContent
NotAllowing EnoughTime For the Group to Have Any
Significant Meaning
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FrequentMistakesin
Planning
continued
Inappropriate Exercises
Too Many Exercises
Poor Planning ofTime
Poor Planning ofOrder
Not Planning an Interesting Beginning
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FrequentMistakesin Planning
continued
AllowingToo MuchTime forWarm-Up
NotAllowing EnoughTime forWarm-Up
Vague Plans
Lack of Flexibility
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Key PointsAbout
Planning
Always plan
Have a back-up plan in mind in case things don’t go as
expected.
Be flexible during a session--Do not become a slave to the
plan.
Stick to the plan unless something comes up that is equal to or
better than what you had planned.
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