GROUP COUNSELING NCE UPDATED CORE
COUNSELING THEORIES AND GROUP
DYNAMICS REVIEW 2026
◉ Rudolf Dreikurs used Adler's theory.
Answer: Brought group work to family counseling, parent groups.
◉ 1960's.
Answer: Group work flourished due to social climate and events
such as Vietnam War, hippie movement
◉ Fritz Perls.
Answer: Applied Gestalt therapy to group setting at Esalen Institute
in California.
◉ Encounter Groups.
Answer: Carl Rogers initiated this sensitivity training to encourage
and assist individual growth and development.
◉ Marathon Group.
Answer: Met together for 24-48 hours and members were expected
to become more authentic and engage in self disclosure.
,◉ ASGW.
Answer: Founded in 1973 to advance professionalism in group work.
◉ Group work in schools in 1990's.
Answer: Grew as effective means for improving student academics
and social skills.
◉ Four types of group work.
Answer: Task, Psycho-education, counseling, psychotherapy
◉ Advantages of group work.
Answer: Time efficient for leader, less cost per individual, greater
resources due to more people, feelings of safety, experience sense of
belonging, replication of everyday world, safe place to practice new
skills and receive feedback, commitment is generally higher for
people, power of peer group to influence- conformity, identity,
reward, punishment, social controls
◉ Challenges of Group Work.
Answer: Pressure to conform, reality distortion (can't achieve this
environment outside group), avoidance (people may be less
comfortable in group), confidentiality (can't be guaranteed),
unhealthy attachments, institutional barriers.
, ◉ Group Curative/Therapeutic Factors.
Answer: Instillation of hope, universality, imparting of information,
altruism, family reenactment, development of socialization
techniques, imitative behavior, interpersonal learning, group
cohesiveness, catharsis, existential factors.
◉ Ethical and Legal Issues of Group.
Answer: Informed consent, confidentiality, screening members
before, scope of practice.
◉ Task Group.
Answer: accomplish certain goal, focus is not on changing people,
rather completing task. 4-5 minimum members. Simple decisions
need less people, complex decisions need more input. Length of
group is time to complete task
◉ Psychoeducation group.
Answer: more structured than counseling or psychotherapy,
emphasis on skill development. Goal is prevent psychological
disturbance by increasing knowledge, self awareness and skills. Size
depends on group. Presentation only can be 50; Interactive based 6-
12, fewer with younger than age 8. Duration of group is time limited
to impart skills
COUNSELING THEORIES AND GROUP
DYNAMICS REVIEW 2026
◉ Rudolf Dreikurs used Adler's theory.
Answer: Brought group work to family counseling, parent groups.
◉ 1960's.
Answer: Group work flourished due to social climate and events
such as Vietnam War, hippie movement
◉ Fritz Perls.
Answer: Applied Gestalt therapy to group setting at Esalen Institute
in California.
◉ Encounter Groups.
Answer: Carl Rogers initiated this sensitivity training to encourage
and assist individual growth and development.
◉ Marathon Group.
Answer: Met together for 24-48 hours and members were expected
to become more authentic and engage in self disclosure.
,◉ ASGW.
Answer: Founded in 1973 to advance professionalism in group work.
◉ Group work in schools in 1990's.
Answer: Grew as effective means for improving student academics
and social skills.
◉ Four types of group work.
Answer: Task, Psycho-education, counseling, psychotherapy
◉ Advantages of group work.
Answer: Time efficient for leader, less cost per individual, greater
resources due to more people, feelings of safety, experience sense of
belonging, replication of everyday world, safe place to practice new
skills and receive feedback, commitment is generally higher for
people, power of peer group to influence- conformity, identity,
reward, punishment, social controls
◉ Challenges of Group Work.
Answer: Pressure to conform, reality distortion (can't achieve this
environment outside group), avoidance (people may be less
comfortable in group), confidentiality (can't be guaranteed),
unhealthy attachments, institutional barriers.
, ◉ Group Curative/Therapeutic Factors.
Answer: Instillation of hope, universality, imparting of information,
altruism, family reenactment, development of socialization
techniques, imitative behavior, interpersonal learning, group
cohesiveness, catharsis, existential factors.
◉ Ethical and Legal Issues of Group.
Answer: Informed consent, confidentiality, screening members
before, scope of practice.
◉ Task Group.
Answer: accomplish certain goal, focus is not on changing people,
rather completing task. 4-5 minimum members. Simple decisions
need less people, complex decisions need more input. Length of
group is time to complete task
◉ Psychoeducation group.
Answer: more structured than counseling or psychotherapy,
emphasis on skill development. Goal is prevent psychological
disturbance by increasing knowledge, self awareness and skills. Size
depends on group. Presentation only can be 50; Interactive based 6-
12, fewer with younger than age 8. Duration of group is time limited
to impart skills
