Group counseling provides various relationships to help a person in growing and solving his or her problems. Group counseling is an excellent treatment decision for various interpersonal and intrapersonal problems, and it assists individuals to change. Group counseling offers community sense to the group members permitting them to encourage one another. During group counseling sessions, group members are encouraged to explain their issues which made them join the counseling session openly and with sincerity. The group counselors have the responsibility of working to develop an atmosphere of acceptance and trust which fosters the group members to support each other. The counselors are required to respect the primary rights of the group members through choosing the members of the group and carrying out personal consultations with each member to discuss informed consent.
American counseling association (ACA) is a scientific, professional and educational association with members who work with different settings and serve in various capabilities. The mission of ACA is to improve life quality in the community by enhancing the implementation of professional counselors, improving counseling profession and utilizing counseling practice to enhance respect of diversity and dignity of human beings. ACA has an ethical code which serves various purposes in the association (Stauffer, Ordway & Owen, 2013). The ethical code helps in developing ethical duties of its members and offer guidance aimed at informing the moral practice of the counselors. It also indicates ethical deliberations which are relevant to training counselors and professional counselors. The ethical code supports the mission of the association and the standards used together with the system helps in addressing ethical complaints and inquiries. The ACA code is used as a moral guideline developed to support the association members in implementing action course which develops conduct expectations primarily focusing on the responsibility of professional counselors.
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Members of counseling groups have various rights entitled to them during their therapy sessions. Group members have the right to freedom from oppression and extreme pressure where the leaders are supposed to protect the members from physical intimidation, intense pressure, threats, and persecution. However, there is pressure which group members cannot evade like the pressure self-defeating behaviors and beliefs and that of making individual closures. Members of the counseling group have the right to equitable treatment during therapy sessions where the members are required to utilize resources in the group optimally. Group counselors are needed to ensure all members have reasonable time through inviting silent members, discouraging time monopolization and acknowledging the use of nonverbal communication. Members of counseling groups have right of confidentiality, privacy and privileged communication which is a legal and ethical responsibility of group therapists.
Although counseling groups are potent catalysts for personal change, there are psychological risks which counseling risks experience. Members of group counseling are subjected to destructive and harsh confrontation from confidence breaches, unprofessional reassurance, peers, group pressure, physical injury, and attacks. Group members experience the risk of disruptions in their lives due to group work and scapegoating due to blaming and unchallenged projection (Ware & Dillman Taylor, 2014). Group members can face potentially severe psychological issues when group counselors do not explain risks linked to possible changes of life expected on the members. Therefore, group counselors are required to disclose and prepare members to address interpersonal associations outside the counseling groups and potential effects of experiences of the group on their daily lives.
It is essential for group counselors to be clear on their values and show these values to group members in relevance to group work. Group counselors should have an amount of professional competence where they should show integrity in their group work. Counselors should have legal knowledge which is essential in providing advice on issues which need proper attention. The group therapists are required to retain neutral outlook to all problems of group members to give all members a chance to explain their problems as this will help counselors in generating solutions which are devoid and workable (Lasky & Riva, 2006). Counselors need to have informed consent where they are required to equip parties of the groups with enough information concerning the aim of the group and report concerning the nature of services given. Group therapists are responsible for ensuring their complete all group work.
Group counseling offers an effective manner for individuals to efficiently learn from other group members and acquire knowledge of the challenges other people are experiencing in their lives. Group counselors should offer effective leadership and show huge ethical problems within the group. This will help in improving group productivity in looking for lasting solutions concerning the issues of the members. Members should be provided with the right of confidentiality as it is essential in group counseling and members are required to make personal pledge indicating that information distributed in the group will not be disclosed to other people. Group counseling helps members in knowing how other members of the society perceive them and the essential ideas which improve the process of decision making and capacity of solving issues. Group counseling will help members acquire critical skills mainly communication of interpersonal skills through the ability to express and share feelings and ideas.
References
Lasky, G. B., & Riva, M. T. (2006). Confidentiality and privileged communication in group psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 56(4), 455-476.
Stauffer, M. D., Ordway, A. M., & Owen, L. E. (2013). Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling.
Ware, J. N., & Dillman Taylor, D. (2014). Concerns about confidentiality: The application of ethical decision-making within group play therapy. International Journal of Play Therapy, 23(3), 173.
