Cooley - The Power of Groups: Solution-Focused Group Counseling in Schools

The Power
of
Groups

The Power
of
Groups

Solution-Focused Group
Counseling in Schools

LESLIE COOLEY

Copyright 2009 by Corwin

All rights reserved. When forms and sample documents are included, their use is authorized only by educators, local school sites, and/or noncommercial or nonprofit entities that have purchased the book. Except for that usage, no part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Printed in the United States of America.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Cooley, Leslie.

The power of groups: solution-focused group counseling in schools/Leslie Cooley.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4129-7096-9 (cloth)

ISBN 978-1-4129-7097-6 (pbk.)

1. Group guidance in education. 2. School psychology. I. Title.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

09 10 11 12 13 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

You should read this book if you

In addition to teaching new skills, the lessons learned in this book will likely make leading school groups more enjoyable; building on strengths and bringing out the best in students is inherently rewarding. If there has been a lag between the last group you led and the next one you will lead, this book will introduce some exciting new ideas and refresh some helpful old ones. The net effect will be an increase in confidence in your skills.

For both new and experienced practitioners, this book will be a valuable resourcenot as a book of activities but, rather, as a companion book to your favorite group counseling or activity books. You will learn to modify activities using a solution-focused approach as the foundation, to create more lively and engaging group meetings, and most important, to promote change in the lives of the students you serve.

In 1984, 93 percent of public high schools offered group guidance/counseling sessions; in 2002, that number dropped to 85 percent (Parsad, Alexander, Farris, & Hudson, 2004). What is happening? When practitioners were surveyed, the lack of sufficient time for group counseling was the most frequent reason cited (Steen, Bauman, & Smith, 2007). Counselors and others who have offered groups in the past now have multiple obligations, including increased involvement with standardized testing, special education responsibilities, and dealing with behavior management issues.

It is, however, possible that the time crunch cited by counselors is masking other issues. LaFountains (1993) statewide survey of school counselors examined the relationship between how counselors spend their time and their level of job stress. Job burnout was reported when counselors were asked to perform duties for which they were inadequately trained. One of the areas cited by counselors as an area of inadequate training was group counseling.

Inadequate training in the face of a professional expectation can leave the practitioner in a demoralized position. Failed attempts at group counseling based on weak training can leave the practitioner scrambling for a more familiar and meaningful way to contribute in a school setting. If this accurately describes your experience, this book is a good start at reversing the above trend.

This book specifically addresses two areas of group counseling: (a) how to successfully plan groups in a school setting and (b) how to lead school counseling groups using a solution-focused approach. While books on general group counseling abound, most are collections of group activities and do not have a theoretical orientation or counseling model as a foundation. The typical group counseling book focuses on getting students to talk about their issues, process whats happening, and share feelings. In contrast, a solution-focused counseling group is strength based: The focus is on goals, what the student wants to do differently, and personal resources. The strategies of a solution-focused approach are consistent with current research on creating change. There is perhaps no better antidote to job burnout than helping to create a positive change in the lives of the students with whom we work.

An examination of the process of change is a good starting point for any book on counseling. Positive change is, after all, the central issue of all counseling. , the techniques and strategies of a solution-focused approach are discussed in the context of group counseling.

The second half of the book has a practical, how-to focus. is a reflection and conclusion. The reader is invited to consider the discussions throughout the book in relation to professional identity and delivering the best possible service to students in the schools.

While getting a counseling group up and running can be challenging, the rewards for both the leader and the participants can be substantial. Most practitioners have some choices about how to serve students. This book will make it easier for you to choose group counseling more often, and it will make you happier with your choice!

I am indebted to California State University, Sacramento, for a sabbatical in the spring of 2008. This was the time I needed to write this book, which had been brewing for years.