Ethical and Professional Issues in Group PracticeThose who seek .docx

Ethical and Professional Issues in Group Practice
Those who seek to be professional group leaders must be
willing to examine both their ethical standards and their level of
competence. Among the ethical issues treated in this chapter are
the rights of group members, including informed consent and
confidentiality; the psychological risks of groups; personal
relationships with clients; socializing among members; the
impact of the group leader’s values; addressing spiritual and
religious values of group members; working effectively and
ethically with diverse clients; and the uses and misuses of group
techniques. In my opinion, a central ethical issue in group work
pertains to the group leader’s competence. Special attention is
given to ways of determining competence, professional training
standards, and adjuncts to academic preparation of group
counselors. Also highlighted are ethical issues involved in
training group workers. The final section outlines issues of
legal liability and malpractice.
As a responsible group practitioner, you are challenged to
clarify your thinking about the ethical and professional issues
discussed in this chapter. Although you are obligated to be
familiar with, and bound by, the ethics codes of your
professional organization, many of these codes offer only
general guidelines. You will need to learn how to make ethical
decisions in practical situations. The ethics codes provide a
general framework from which to operate, but you must apply
these principles to concrete cases. The Association for
Specialists in Group Work’s (2008) “Best Practice Guidelines”
is reproduced in the Student Manual that accompanies this
textbook. You may want to refer to these guidelines often,
especially as you study Chapters 1 through 5.
The Rights of Group Participants
My experience has taught me that those who enter groups are
frequently unaware both of their basic rights as participants and
of their responsibilities. As a group leader, you are responsible

for helping prospective members understand what their rights
and responsibilities are. This section offers a detailed
discussion of these issues.
A Basic Right: Informed Consent
If basic information about the group is discussed at the initial
session, the participants are likely to be far more cooperative
and active. A leader who does this as a matter of policy
demonstrates honesty and respect for group members and fosters
the trust necessary for members to be open and active. Such a
leader has obtained the informed consent of the participants.
Informed consent is a process that begins with presenting basic
information about group treatment to potential group members
to enable them to make better decisions about whether or not to
enter and how to participate in a group (Fallon, 2006). Members
have a right to receive basic information before joining a group,
and they have a right to expect certain other information during
the course of the group. Discussing informed consent is not a
one-time event, and clients should understand at the outset that
informed consent is an ongoing process.
It is a good policy to provide a professional disclosure
statement to group members that includes written information
on a variety of topics pertaining to the nature of the group,
including therapists’ qualifications, techniques often used in the
group, the rights and obligations of group members, and the
risks and benefits of participating in the group. Other
information that potential members should have includes
alternatives to group treatment; policies regarding
appointments, fees, and insurance; and the nature and
limitations of confidentiality in a group. Group leaders should
not overwhelm members with too much information at one time
because an overly lengthy informed consent process may
replace a collaborative working relationship with a legalistic
framework, which is not in the best interests of group members
(Fallon, 2006).
Pregroup Disclosures Here is a list of what group participants
have a right to expect before they make the decision to join a

group:
• A clear statement regarding the purpose of the group
• A description of the group format, procedures, and ground
rules
• An initial interview to determine whether this particular group
with this particular leader is at this time appropriate to their
needs
• An opportunity to seek information about the group, to pose
questions, and to explore concerns
• A discussion of ways the group process may or may not be
congruent with the cultural beliefs and values of group members
• A statement describing the education, training, and
qualifications of the group leader
• Information concerning fees and expenses including fees for a
follow-up session, should there be one; also, information about
length of the group, frequency and duration of meetings, group
goals, and techniques being employed
• Information about the psychological risks involved in
participating in a group
• Knowledge of the circumstances in which confidentiality must
be broken because of legal, ethical, or professional reasons
• Clarification of what services can and cannot be provided
within the group
• Help from the group leader in developing personal goals
• A clear understanding of the division of responsibility
between leader and participants
• A discussion of the rights and responsibilities of group
members
Clients’ Rights During the Group Here is a list of what members
have a right to expect during the course of the group:
• Guidance concerning what is expected of them
• Notice of any research involving the group and of any audio-
or videotaping of group sessions
• Assistance from the group leader in translating group learning
into action in everyday life
• Opportunities to discuss what one has learned in the group and

to bring some closure to the group experience so participants
are not left with unnecessary unfinished business
• A consultation with the group leader should a crisis arise as a
direct result of participation in the group, or a referral to other
sources of help if further help is not available from the group
leader
• The exercise of reasonable safeguards on the leader’s part to
minimize the potential risks of the group; respect for member
privacy with regard to what the person will reveal as well as to
the degree of disclosure
• Observance of confidentiality on the part of the leader and
other group members
• Freedom from having values imposed by the leader or other
members
• The right to be treated as an individual and accorded dignity
and respect
It is critical that group leaders stress that participation in
groups carries certain responsibilities as well as rights. These
responsibilities include attending regularly, being prompt,
taking risks, being willing to talk about oneself, giving others
feedback, maintaining confidentiality, and defining one’s
personal goals for group participation. Some of these group
norms may pose problems for certain members because of their
cultural background. It is essential that the expectations for
group members be clear from the outset and that members be in
agreement with such expectations. Of course, part of the group
process involves the participation of members in developing
norms that will influence their behavior in a group situation.
Issues in Involuntary Groups
When participation is mandatory, informed consent is as
important as it is when working with voluntary groups. Much
effort needs to be directed toward fully informing involuntary
members of the nature and goals of the group, the procedures to
be used, their rights and responsibilities, the limits of
confidentiality, and what effect their level of participation in
the group will have on critical decisions about them outside of

the group. When groups are involuntary, every attempt should
be made to enlist the cooperation of the members and encourage
them to continue attending voluntarily. One way of doing this is
to spend some time with involuntary clients helping them
reframe the notion “I have to come to this group.” They do have
some choice whether they will attend group or deal with the
consequences of not being in the group. If “involuntary”
members choose not to participate in the group, they will need
to be prepared to deal with consequences such as being expelled
from school, doing jail time, or being in juvenile detention.
Another alternative would be for the group leader to accept
involuntary group members only for an initial limited period.
There is something to be said for giving reluctant members a
chance to see for themselves what a group is about and then
eventually (say, after three sessions) letting them decide
whether they will return. Group leaders can inform members
that it is their choice of how they will use the time in the group.
The members can be encouraged to explore their fears and
reluctance to fully participate in the group, as well as the
consequences of not participating in the group. Ethical practice
would seem to require that group leaders fully explore these
issues with clients who are sent to them.
The Freedom to Leave a Group
Leaders should be clear about their policies pertaining to
attendance, commitment to remaining in a group for a
predetermined number of sessions, and leaving a particular
session if they do not like what is going on in the group. If
members simply drop out of the group, it is extremely difficult
to develop a working level of trust or to establish group
cohesion. The topic of leaving the group should be discussed
during the initial session, and the leader’s attitudes and policies
need to be clear from the outset.
In my view, group members have a responsibility to the leaders
and other members to explain why they want to leave. There are
a number of reasons for such a policy. For one thing, it can be
deleterious to members to leave without having been able to

discuss what they considered threatening or negative in the
experience. If they leave without discussing their intended
departure, they are likely to be left with unfinished business,
and so are the remaining members. A member’s dropping out
may damage the cohesion and trust in a group; the remaining
members may think that they in some way “caused” the
departure. It is a good practice to tell members that if they are
even thinking of withdrawing they should bring the matter up
for exploration in a session. It is critical that members be
encouraged to discuss their departure, at least with the group
leader.
If a group is counterproductive for an individual, that person
has a right to leave the group. Ideally, both the group leader and
the members will work cooperatively to determine the degree to
which a group experience is productive or counterproductive. If,
at a mutually agreed-upon time, members still choose not to
participate in a group, I believe they should be allowed to drop
out without being subjected to pressure by the leader and other
members to remain.
Freedom From Coercion and Undue Pressure
Members can reasonably expect to be respected by the group
and not to be subjected to coercion and undue group pressure.
However, some degree of group pressure is inevitable, and it is
even therapeutic in many instances. People in a group are
challenged to examine their self-defeating beliefs and behaviors
and are encouraged to recognize what they are doing and
determine whether they want to remain the way they are.
Further, in a counseling group, there is pressure in sessions to
speak up, to make personal disclosures, to take certain risks, to
share one’s reactions to the here-and-now events within the
group, and to be honest with the group. All of these
expectations should be explained to potential group members
during the screening and orientation session. Some individuals
may not want to join a group if they will be expected to
participate in personal ways. It is essential for group leaders to
differentiate between destructive pressure and therapeutic

pressure. People often need a certain degree of pressure to
challenge them to take the risks involved in becoming fully
invested in the group.
The Right to Confidentiality
Confidentiality is a central ethical issue in group counseling,
and it is an essential condition for effective group work. The
legal concept of privileged communication is not recognized in
a group setting unless there is a statutory exception. However,
protecting the confidentiality of group members is an ethical
mandate, and it is the responsibility of the counselor to address
this at the outset of a group (Wheeler & Bertram, 2012). The
American Counseling Association’s (ACA, 2014) Code of
Ethics makes this statement concerning confidentiality in
groups: “In group work, counselors clearly explain the
importance and parameters of confidentiality for the specific
group” (Standard B.4.a.). The ASGW (2008) addresses the
added complexity entailed in coming to a mutual understanding
of confidentiality in diverse groups: “Group Workers maintain
awareness and sensitivity regarding the cultural meaning of
confidentiality and privacy. Group Workers respect differing
views toward disclosure of information” (A.6.). As a leader, you
are required to keep the confidences of group members, but you
have the added responsibility of impressing on the members the
necessity of maintaining the confidential nature of whatever is
revealed in the group. This matter bears reinforcement along the
way, from the initial screening interview to the final group
session.
Although group leaders are themselves ethically and legally
bound to maintain confidentiality, a group member who violates
another member’s confidences faces no legal consequences
(Lasky & Riva, 2006). If the rationale for confidentiality is
clearly presented to each individual during the preliminary
interview and again to the group as a whole at the initial
session, there is less chance that members will treat this matter
lightly. Confidentiality is often on the minds of people when
they join a group, so it is timely to fully explore this issue. A

good practice is to remind participants from time to time of the
danger of inadvertently revealing confidences. My experience
continues to teach me that members rarely gossip maliciously
about others in their group. However, people do tend to talk
more than they should outside the group and can unwittingly
offer information about fellow members that should not be
revealed. If the maintenance of confidentiality is a matter of
concern, the subject should be discussed fully in a group
session.
In groups in institutions, agencies, and schools, where members
know and have frequent contact with one another outside of the
group, confidentiality becomes especially important and is more
difficult to maintain. Clearly, there is no way to ensure that
group members will respect the confidences of others. As a
group leader, you cannot guarantee confidentiality in a group
setting because you cannot control absolutely what the members
do or do not keep private. Members have a right to know that
absolute confidentiality in groups is difficult and at times even
unrealistic (Lasky & Riva, 2006). However, you can discuss the
matter, express your convictions about the importance of
maintaining confidentiality, and have members sign contracts
agreeing to it. Your own modeling and the importance that you
place on maintaining confidentiality will be crucial in setting
norms for members to follow. Ultimately, it is up to the
members to respect the need for confidentiality and to maintain
it.
Members have the right to know of any audio- or videotape
recordings that might be made of group sessions, and the
purpose for which they will be used. Written permission should
be secured before recording any session. If the tapes will be
used for research purposes or will be critiqued by a supervisor
or other students in a group supervision session, the members
have the right to deny permission.
Exceptions to Confidentiality Group leaders have the ethical
responsibility of informing members of the limits of
confidentiality within the group setting. For instance, leaders

can explain to members when they are legally required to break
confidentiality. Leaders can add that they can assure
confidentiality on their own part but not on the part of other
members. It is important to encourage members to bring up
matters pertaining to confidentiality whenever they are
concerned about them. The ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2014)
identifies exceptions to confidentiality that members should
understand:
The general requirement that counselors keep information
confidential does not apply when disclosure is required to
protect clients or identified others from serious and foreseeable
harm or when legal requirements demand that confidential
information must be revealed. Counselors consult with other
professionals when in doubt as to the validity of an exception.
Additional considerations apply when addressing end-of-life
issues. (Standard B.2.a.)
It is a good policy for group workers to give a written statement
to each member setting forth the limitations of confidentiality
and spelling out specific situations that would require breaching
confidences. Such straightforwardness with members from the
outset does a great deal to create trust because members then
know where they stand.
Of course, it is imperative that those who lead groups become
familiar with the state laws that have an impact on their
practice. Group leaders do well to let members know that legal
privilege does not apply to group treatment, unless provided by
state statute (ASGW, 2008). The American Group
Psychotherapy Association (AGPA, 2002) states: “The group
therapist is knowledgeable about the limits of privileged
communication as they apply to group therapy and informs
group members of those limits” (2.2). Counselors are legally
required to report clients’ threats to harm themselves or others.
This requirement also covers cases of child abuse or neglect,
incest, child molestation, elder abuse, and dependent-adult
abuse. Taking an extreme case, if one of your group members
convincingly threatens to seriously injure another person, you

may have to consult your supervisor or other colleagues, warn
the intended victim, and even notify the appropriate authorities.
The threat need not involve others; clients may exhibit bizarre
behavior that requires you to take steps to have them evaluated
and possibly hospitalized.
If you lead a group at a correctional institution or a psychiatric
hospital, you may be required to act as more than a counselor;
for instance, you will probably have to record in a member’s
file certain behaviors that he or she exhibits in the group. At the
same time, your responsibility to your clients requires you to
inform them that you are recording and passing on certain
information. Generally speaking, you will find that you have a
better chance of gaining the cooperation of group members if
you are candid about a situation rather than hiding your
disclosures and thereby putting yourself in the position of
violating their confidences.
Confidentiality With Minors In a group for children in a school
setting, care needs to be exerted to ensure that what goes on
within the group is not a subject for discussion in class or on
the playground. If children begin to talk about other members
outside of the group, this will certainly block progress and
damage the cohesion of the group. As is the case for adults and
adolescents, children require the safety of knowing they will be
treated respectfully. On this matter, the American School
Counselor Association’s (ASCA, 2010) Ethical Standards for
School Counselors provides an important guideline:
Professional school counselors establish clear expectations in
the group setting, and clearly state that confidentiality in group
counseling cannot be guaranteed. Given the developmental and
chronological ages of minors in schools, recognize the tenuous
nature of confidentiality for minors renders some topics
inappropriate for group work in a school setting. (A.6.c.)
Group leaders must also be careful in how they talk about the
children to teachers and administrators. Those who do groups
with children need to explain what will be kept confidential and
what may need to be shared with school personnel. This also

applies to talking with parents. Do parents have a right to
information that is disclosed by their children in a group? The
answer to that question depends on whether you are looking at it
from a legal, ethical, or professional viewpoint. It is a good
practice to require written permission from parents before
allowing a minor to enter a group. It is useful to have this
permission include a brief statement concerning the purpose of
the group, along with comments regarding the importance of
confidentiality as a prerequisite to accomplishing such
purposes, and your intention not to violate any confidences. It
may sometimes be useful to provide parents with information
about their child if this can be done without violating
confidences. One useful practice to protect the privacy of what
goes on in the group is to provide feedback to parents in a
session with the child and one or both parents. In this way the
child will have less cause to doubt the group leader’s integrity
in keeping his or her disclosures private.
Group leaders have a responsibility in groups that involve
children and adolescents to take measures to increase the
chances that confidentiality will be kept. It is important to work
cooperatively with parents and guardians as well as to enlist the
trust of the young people. It is also useful to teach minors, in
terms that they are capable of understanding, about the nature,
purposes, and limitations of confidentiality. In summary, group
leaders would do well to continue to remind members to bring
up their concerns about confidentiality for discussion whenever
the issue is on their minds.
Social Media in Group Work: Confidentiality and Privacy
Considerations Confidentiality and privacy issues take on
special considerations when group members and their therapists
communicate with each other online and when group members
communicate with other members via the Internet. There is an
increased risk of breach of confidentiality when members of a
counseling group engage in social media (Wheeler & Bertram,
2012). Group counselors must address the parameters of online
behavior through informed consent and should establish ground

rules regarding members’ commitment to avoid posting pictures,
comments, or any type of confidential information about other
members online. Developing these rules needs to be part of the
discussion about norms governing the group.
Breaches of confidentiality or privacy may occur when members
share their own information online, especially if they struggle
with poor boundaries. Others may lack the technological skills
and knowledge to protect information that is intended to remain
private. Educate members to share their experience with others
outside the group by talking about their own experience,
reactions, and insights rather than telling stories about other
members or mentioning others in the group by name.
The Issue of Psychological Risks in Groups
Groups can be powerful catalysts for personal change, and they
can also pose definite risks for group members. Ethical practice
demands that group practitioners inform prospective
participants of the potential risks involved in the group
experience. The nature of these risks—which include life
changes that cause disruption, hostile and destructive
confrontations, scapegoating, and harmful socializing among
members—and what the leader can do about them are the
subject of this section. It is unrealistic to expect that a group
will not involve risk, for all meaningful learning in life involves
taking some kind of risk. It is the ethical responsibility of the
group leader to ensure that prospective group members are
aware of the potential negative outcomes that are associated
with various risks and to take every precaution against them.
The ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2014) specifies that “[i]n a
group setting, counselors take reasonable precautions to protect
clients from physical, emotional, or psychological trauma”
(Standard A.9.b.). This includes discussing the impact of
potential life changes and helping group members explore their
readiness to deal with such changes. A minimal expectation is
that group leaders discuss with members the advantages and
disadvantages of a given group, that they prepare the members
to deal with any problems that might grow out of the group

experience, and that they be alert to the fears and reservations
that members might have.
It is also incumbent on group leaders to have a broad and deep
understanding of the forces that operate in groups and how to
mobilize those forces for ethical ends. Unless leaders exert
caution, members not only may miss the benefits of a group but
also could be harmed by it psychologically. Group leaders must
take precautionary measures to reduce unnecessary
psychological risks by knowing members’ limits, respecting
their requests, developing an invitational style as opposed to an
aggressive or dictatorial style, avoiding abrasive confrontations,
describing behavior rather than making judgments, and
presenting hunches in a tentative way.
Here are a few of the problems group leaders can warn members
about and work toward minimizing:
1. Members should be made aware of the possibility that
participating in a group (or any other therapeutic endeavor) may
disrupt their lives. As members become increasingly self-aware,
they may make changes in their lives that, although constructive
in the long run, can create turmoil along the way. For example,
changes that a woman makes as a result of what she gains in a
group may evoke resistance, even hostility, in her partner, with
a resulting strain on their relationship. Furthermore, others with
whom she is close may not appreciate her changes and may
prefer the person she was before getting involved in counseling.
2. Occasionally an individual member may be singled out as the
scapegoat of the group. Other group members may “gang up” on
this person, blaming him or her for problems of the group.
Clearly, the group leader must take firm steps to deal with such
occurrences.
3. Confrontation, a valuable and powerful tool in any group, can
be misused, especially when it is employed to destructively
attack another. Intrusive interventions, overly confrontive
leader tactics, and pushing members beyond their limits often
produce negative outcomes. Here, again, leaders (and members
as well) must be on guard against behavior that can pose a

serious psychological risk for group participants. To lessen the
risks of destructive confrontation, leaders can model the type of
confrontation that focuses on specific behaviors and can avoid
making judgments about members. They can teach members
how to talk about themselves and the reactions they are having
to a certain behavior pattern of a given member.
4. If safety is lacking in a group, members who have been
subjected to social injustices may be revictimized when they
explore their experiences in the group.
One way to minimize psychological risks in groups is to use a
contract in which the leader specifies his or her responsibilities
and the members specify their commitment by stating what they
are willing to explore and do in the group. Such a contract
reduces the chances that members will be exploited or will
leave the group feeling that they have had a negative
experience.
Another safeguard against unnecessary risk is the ability of
leaders to recognize the boundaries of their competence and to
restrict themselves to working only with those groups for which
their training and experience have properly prepared them.
Ultimately, the group leader is responsible for minimizing the
inevitable psychological risks associated with group activity. To
best assume this responsibility, the leader will undergo the
supervised practice and course work described later in this
chapter.
The Ethics of Group Leaders’ Actions
Being a group practitioner demands sensitivity to the needs of
the members of your group and to the impact your values and
techniques can have on them. It also demands an awareness of
community standards of practice, the policies of the agency
where you work, and the state laws that govern group
counseling. In the mental health professions in general, there is
a trend toward accountability and responsible practice. Graduate
programs in counseling and social work are increasingly
requiring course work in ethics and the law.
Almost all of the professional organizations have gone on

record as affirming that their members should be aware of
prevailing community standards and of the impact that
conformity to or deviation from these standards will have on
their practice. These organizations state explicitly that
professionals will avoid exploitation of the therapeutic
relationship, will not damage the trust that is necessary for a
relationship to be therapeutic, and will avoid dual relationships
if they interfere with the primary therapeutic aims. Typically,
the ethics codes caution against attempting to blend social or
personal relationships with professional ones and stress the
importance of maintaining appropriate boundaries.
Group counselors need to be mindful about misusing their role
and power to meet their personal needs at the expense of
clients. To do so is to commit an ethical violation. The role of
leaders is to help members meet their goals, not to become
friends with their clients. Of course, leaders who develop sexual
relationships with current group members are acting
unethically. They not only jeopardize their license and their
professional career, but they also degrade the profession at
large. For a more complete discussion of these topics, see
Herlihy and Corey (2015a, 2015b).
Socializing Among Group Members
An issue to consider is whether socializing among group
members hinders or facilitates the group process. This concern
can become an ethical issue if members are forming cliques and
gossiping about others in the group or if they are banding
together and talking about matters that are best explored in the
group sessions. If hidden agendas develop through various
subgroups within the group, it is likely that the progress of the
group will come to an abrupt halt. Unless the hidden agenda is
brought to the surface and dealt with, it seems very likely that
many members will not be able to use the group therapeutically
or meet their personal goals.
Yalom (2005) states that a therapy group teaches people how to
form intimate relationships but is not designed to provide these
relationships. He also points out that members meeting outside

of the group have a responsibility to bring information about
their meeting into the group. Any type of outof- group
socialization that interferes with the functioning of the group is
counterproductive and should be discouraged. This is especially
true when some participants discuss issues relevant to the group
but avoid bringing up the same issues in the group itself. As
Yalom (2005) explains, “It is not the subgrouping per se that is
destructive to the group, but the conspiracy of silence that
generally surrounds it” (p. 352).
In some cases, out-of-group contact and socialization can be
beneficial. From the perspective of feminist group therapy, out-
of-group socialization is not viewed as harmful. This is
especially true if members are selected carefully and are able to
manage out-of-group contact so that it works to their own best
interests and to the good of the group as a whole. During out-of-
group contact, members often have the opportunity to expand on
their goals outside of the group.
One of the best ways for the group leader to prevent
inappropriate and counterproductive socialization among group
members is to bring this issue up for discussion. It is especially
timely to explore the negative impact of forming cliques when
the group seems to be stuck and is getting nowhere or when it
appears that members are not talking about their reactions to
one another. The members can be taught that what they do not
say in the group itself might very well prevent their group from
attaining any level of cohesion or achieving its goals.
The Impact of the Leader’s Values on the Group
In all controversial issues related to the group process, the
leader’s values play a central role. Your awareness of how your
values influence your leadership style is in itself a central
ethical issue. Value-laden issues are often brought to a group—
religion, spirituality, abortion, divorce, gender roles in
relationships, and family struggles, to name just a few. The
purpose of the group is to help members clarify their beliefs and
examine options that are most congruent with their own value
system. Group counseling is not a forum in which leaders

impose their worldview on the members; it is a way to assist
members in exploring their own cultural values and beliefs. To
practice effectively and to empower members of a group, group
leaders must be able to keep their personal values separate from
their work with group members. Kocet and Herlihy (2014)
describe this process as ethical bracketing, the “intentional
setting aside of the counselor’s personal values in order to
provide ethical and appropriate counseling to all clients,
especially those whose worldviews, values, belief systems, and
decisions differ significantly from those of the counselor” (p.
182).
If you become aware of a value conflict that interferes with
your ability to respect a particular value of a member, you may
need to seek consultation or supervision. It is critical that group
counselors increase their awareness of how their personal
reactions to members may inhibit the group process. They must
monitor their countertransference and recognize the danger of
stereotyping individuals on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender,
age, religious or spiritual background, or sexual identity.
Members are best served if they learn to evaluate their own
behavior to determine how it is working for them. If they come
to the realization that what they are doing is not serving them
well, it is appropriate for them to consider alternative ways of
behaving that will enable them to reach their goals. A group is
an ideal place for members to assess the degree to which their
behavior is consistent with their own values. They can get
feedback from others, yet it will be their responsibility to make
their own decisions.
Religious and Spiritual Values in Group Counseling
Some counselors support the inclusion of religious and spiritual
interventions in group work (Christmas & Van Horn, 2012;
Cornish & Wade, 2010). Even when such interventions are
viewed as appropriate by group counselors, Cornish, Wade, and
Post (2012) found that religious and spiritual interventions were
infrequently used in group counseling. Almost all survey
participants found it appropriate to discuss both spiritual and

religious topics when group members brought up these
concerns, but they did not introduce these topics or ask group
members about their spiritual or religious background and
beliefs. In addition, counselors were twice as likely to comment
on the therapeutic value of spiritual discussions over religious
discussions.
Explicitly religious or spiritual interventions may be
inappropriate in some groups due to the heterogeneous nature of
clients’ beliefs and practices. It is important to pay attention to
how this topic is introduced in a group. Interventions tied to a
particular faith could present problems in a group composed of
members from diverse backgrounds. Some highly religious or
spiritual therapists may find that some group members are
uncomfortable with these interventions, especially if their own
beliefs do not match the interventions integrated into the group
process (Cornish, Wade, & Knight, 2013).
To better understand how religion and spirituality are addressed
in groups, Post, Cornish, Wade, and Tucker (2013) conducted a
study in the university counseling setting. Counselors in this
setting generally held the following views:
• Religious and spiritual concerns are appropriate topics of
discussion for the groups they facilitate.
• Spiritual interventions are more appropriate than religious
interventions, and spiritual interventions are used more
frequently.
• When a client brings up a religious or spiritual concern, basic
interventions rather than specific spiritual or religious
interventions are most often used.
Addressing spiritual and religious values in group counseling
encompasses particularly sensitive, controversial, and complex
concerns. It is critical to be aware of and to understand your
own spiritual or religious attitudes, beliefs, values, and
experiences if you hope to facilitate an exploration of these
issues with members of your group. Religious and spiritual
values are a basic aspect of the lives of some group members,
and clients may feel that their needs are not being met if their

religious or spiritual concerns are ignored. In this area, the
group members should set the agenda.
Ethical Issues in Multicultural Group Counseling
Becoming Aware of Your Cultural Values
If group leaders ignore some basic differences in people, they
can hardly be doing what is in the best interests of these clients,
which is an ethical matter. Regardless of your ethnic, cultural,
and racial background, if you hope to build bridges of
understanding between yourself and group members who are
different from you, it is essential that you guard against
stereotyped generalizations about social and cultural groups.
Johnson, Santos Torres, Coleman, and Smith (1995) write about
issues that group counselors are likely to encounter as they
attempt to facilitate culturally diverse counseling groups. They
point out that group members typically bring with them their
values, beliefs, and prejudices, which quickly become evident in
a group situation. For Johnson and her colleagues, one goal of
multicultural group counseling is to provide new levels of
communication among members. This can be instrumental in
assisting members in challenging their stereotypes by providing
accurate information about individuals. Another goal of a
diverse group is to promote understanding, acceptance, and trust
among members of various cultural groups. For group leaders to
facilitate this understanding and acceptance in a diverse group,
it is essential that they be aware of their biases and that they
have challenged their stereotypes.
Social justice issues often surface when working with people
from culturally diverse backgrounds (MacNair-Semands, 2007).
Individuals can be invited to talk about their pain from the
social injustices they have encountered. In these instances,
group leaders have an opportunity and a responsibility to
transform the group experience and work toward healing rather
than perpetuating harmful interactions marked by sexism,
racism, and heterosexism. Leaders can do this by assisting
members in evaluating their attitudes about a range of diversity
issues. The ASGW (2008) “Best Practice Guidelines” offers this

guidance on recognizing the role of diversity in the practice of
group work:
Group workers practice with broad sensitivity to client
differences including but not limited to ethnic, gender,
religious, sexual, psychological maturity, economic class,
family history, physical characteristics or limitations, and
geographic location. Group workers continuously seek
information regarding the cultural issues of the diverse
population with whom they are working both by interaction with
participants and from using outside resources. (B.8.)
An essential aspect of training for group leaders is promoting
sensitivity and competence in addressing diversity in all forms
of group work. Ethical practice requires that multicultural
issues be incorporated in the training of group counselors
(Debiak, 2007). There is increased recognition that all group
work is multicultural; thus effective training of group
counselors must address multicultural dimensions. Addressing
diversity is an ethical mandate, but this practice is also a route
to more effective group work.
Transcending Cultural Encapsulation
Cultural encapsulation is a potential trap that all group
counselors are vulnerable to falling into. If you accept the idea
that certain cultural values are supreme, you limit yourself by
refusing to consider alternatives. If you possess cultural tunnel
vision, you are likely to misinterpret patterns of behavior
displayed by group members who are culturally different from
you. Unless you understand the values of other cultures, you are
likely to misunderstand these clients. If you are able to
appreciate cultural differences and do not associate such
differences with superiority or inferiority, you can increase your
psychological resourcefulness.
Cultural encapsulation, or provincialism, can afflict both group
members and the group leader. As group counselors, we have to
confront our own distortions as well as those of the members.
Culture-specific knowledge about a client’s background should
not lead counselors to stereotype the client. Culturally

competent group leaders recognize both differences among
groups and differences within groups. It is essential that you
avoid perceiving individuals as simply belonging to a group.
Indeed, the differences between individuals within a group are
often greater than the differences among the various groups
(Pedersen, 2000). Not all Native Americans have the same
experiences, nor do all African Americans, Asians, women,
older people, or people with disabilities. It is important to
explore individual differences among members of the same
cultural group and not to make general assumptions based on an
individual’s group. Regardless of your cultural background, you
must be prepared to deal with the complex differences among
individuals in areas such as race, culture, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, disability status, religion, socioeconomic status,
gender, and age (Lee & Park, 2013).
Certain practitioners may encounter resistance from some
people of color because they are using traditional White,
middle-class values to interpret these clients’ experiences. Such
culturally encapsulated practitioners are not able to view the
world through the eyes of all of their clients. Wrenn (1985)
defines the culturally encapsulated counselor as one who has
substituted stereotypes for the real world, who disregards
cultural variations among clients, and who dogmatizes
technique-oriented definitions of counseling and therapy. Such
individuals, who operate within a monocultural framework,
maintain a cocoon by evading reality and depending entirely on
their own internalized value assumptions about what is good for
society and the individual. These encapsulated people tend to be
trapped in one way of thinking, believing their way is the
universal way. They cling to an inflexible structure that resists
adaptation to alternative ways of thinking.
Western models need to be adapted to serve the members of
certain ethnic groups, especially those clients who live by a
different value system. Many clients from non-Western cultures,
members of ethnic minorities, and women from nearly all
cultural groups tend to value interdependence more than

independence, social consciousness more than individual
freedom, and the welfare of the group more than their own
welfare. Western psychological thought emphasizes self-
sufficiency, individualism, directness of communication,
assertiveness, independence from family, and self-growth.
However, many Asian Americans come from collectivistic
cultures that value interconnectedness with family and
community (Chung, 2004; Chung & Bemak, 2014). In Asian
cultures, moreover, family roles tend to be highly structured,
and “filial piety” exerts a powerful influence; that is,
obligations to parents are respected throughout one’s life,
especially among the male children. The roles of family
members are highly interdependent, and family structure is
arranged so that conflicts are minimized while harmony is
maximized. Traditional Asian values emphasize reserve and
formality in most social situations, restraint and inhibition of
intense feelings, obedience to authority, and high academic and
occupational achievement. The family structure is traditionally
patriarchal in that communication and authority flow vertically
from top to bottom. The inculcation of guilt and shame are the
main techniques used to control the behavior of individuals
within a family (D. Sue & Sue, 1993).
These traditional values are shared by other cultural groups. For
instance, Latinos/as emphasize familismo, which stresses
interdependence over independence, affiliation over
confrontation, and cooperation over competition. Parents are
afforded a great deal of respect, and this respect governs all
interpersonal relationships. The role of fate is often a pervasive
force governing behavior. Latinos/as typically place a high
value on spiritual matters and religion (Comas-Diaz, 1990).
Torres-Rivera, Torres Fernandez, and Hendricks (2014) suggest
that the common topics of discussion among Latino/a group
members often include relationships, friendship, intimacy and
love, sexuality, time, money, parenting, commitment and
responsibility, decision making, power, rules, and morality.
The central point is that if the group experience is largely the

product of values that are alien to certain group members, it is
easy to see that such members will not embrace the group.
Group counselors who practice exclusively with a Western
perspective are likely to meet with a considerable amount of
resistance from clients with a non-Western worldview.
Culturally sensitive group practice can occur only when leaders
are willing to reveal the underlying values of the group process
and determine whether these values are congruent with the
cultural values of the members. Group members can also be
encouraged to express their values and needs. The major
challenge for group leaders is to determine what techniques are
culturally appropriate for which individuals.
Being aware of how cultural values influence their own thinking
and behavior will help group leaders work ethically and
effectively with members who are culturally different from
themselves. It is clear that ethical practice demands that group
counselors possess the self-awareness, knowledge, and skills
that are basic components of diversity-competent practitioners.
Uses and Misuses of Group Techniques
In leading groups, it is essential that you have a clear rationale
for each technique you use. This is an area in which theory is a
useful guide for practice. As you will see, the 11 theories at the
core of this book give rise to many therapeutic strategies and
techniques. Such techniques are a means to increase awareness,
to accomplish change, or to promote exploration and
interaction. They can certainly be used ethically and
therapeutically, yet they also can be misused.
Some of the ways in which leaders can practice
unprofessionally are using techniques with which they are
unfamiliar, using techniques in a mechanical way, using
techniques to serve their own hidden agenda or to enhance their
power, or using specific techniques to pressure members. Many
techniques that are used in a group do facilitate an intense
expression of emotion. For example, guided fantasies into times
of loneliness as a child can lead to deep psychological
memories. Such techniques should be congruent with the overall

purpose of the group. If leaders use such techniques, they must
be ready to deal with any emotional release.
Leaders should avoid pushing members to “get into their
emotions.” Some group leaders measure the efficacy of their
group by the level of catharsis, and group leaders who need to
see members experience intense emotions can exploit the group
members. This expression of emotion can sometimes reveal the
leader’s needs rather than the needs of the members.
Techniques have a better chance of being used appropriately
when there is a rationale underlying their use. Techniques are
aimed at fostering the client’s self-exploration and self-
understanding. At their best, they are invented in each unique
client situation, and they are a collaborative effort between the
leader and members. Techniques assist the group member in
experimenting with some form of new behavior. It is critical
that techniques be introduced in a timely and sensitive manner,
with respect for the client, and that they be abandoned if they
are not working.
Effective group counselors incorporate a wide range of
techniques in their therapeutic style. Much depends on the
purpose of the group, the setting, the personality and style of
the group facilitator, the qualities of particular group members,
and the problems selected for intervention. Effective leaders
continuously assess their group and decide what relationship
style to adopt; what techniques, procedures, or intervention
methods to use; when to use them; and with which clients.
In working with culturally diverse client populations, leaders
may need to modify some of their interventions to suit the
client’s cultural and ethnic background. For example, if a client
has been taught not to express his feelings in public, it may be
inappropriate to quickly introduce techniques aimed at bringing
out his feelings. It would be useful first to find out if this
member is interested in exploring what he has learned from his
culture about expressing his feelings. In another situation,
perhaps a woman has been socialized to obey her parents
without question. It could be inappropriate to introduce a role-

playing technique that would have her confronting her parents
directly. Leaders can respect the cultural values of members and
at the same time encourage them to think about how these
values and their upbringing have a continuing effect on their
behavior. In some cases members will decide to modify certain
behaviors because the personal price of retaining a value is too
high. In other cases they will decide that they are not interested
in changing certain cultural values or behaviors. The techniques
used by leaders can help such members examine the pros and
cons of making these changes. For a more detailed discussion of
ethical considerations in using group techniques, see Corey,
Corey, Callanan, and Russell (2015).
Group Leader Competence
Determining One’s Own Level of Competence
How can leaders determine whether they have the competence to
use a certain technique? Some leaders who have received
training in the use of a technique may hesitate to use it (out of
fear of making a mistake), whereas other overly confident
leaders without training may not have any reservations about
trying out new methods. Leaders should have a clear theoretical
and therapeutic rationale for any technique they use. Further, it
is useful if leaders have experienced these techniques as
members of a group. The issue of whether one is competent to
lead a specific group or type of group is an ongoing question
that faces all professional group leaders. You will need to
remain open to struggling with questions such as these:
• Am I qualified through education and training to lead this
specific group?
• What criteria can I use to determine my degree of
competence?
• How can I recognize the boundaries of my competence?
• If I am not as competent as I’d like to be as a group worker,
what specifically can I do?
• How can I continue to upgrade my leadership knowledge and
skills?
• What techniques can I effectively employ?

• With what kinds of clients do I work best?
• With whom do I work least well, and why?
• When and how should I refer clients?
• When do I need to consult with other professionals?
There are no simple answers to these questions. Different
groups require different leader qualities. For example, you may
be fully competent to lead a group of relatively well-adjusted
adults or of adults in crisis situations yet not be competent to
lead a group of seriously disturbed people. You may be well
trained for, and work well with, adolescent groups, yet you may
not have the skills or training to do group work with younger
children. You may be successful leading groups dealing with
domestic violence yet find yourself ill-prepared to work
successfully with children’s groups. In short, you need
supervised experience to understand the challenges you are
likely to face in working with different types of groups.
Most practitioners have had their formal training in one of the
branches of the mental health field, which include counseling
psychology, clinical psychology, clinical social work,
community counseling, educational psychology, school
counseling, couples and family counseling, nursing, pastoral
psychology, rehabilitation counseling, mental health counseling,
and psychiatry. Generally, however, those who seek to become
group practitioners find that formal education, even at the
master’s or doctoral level, does not give them the practical
grounding they require to effectively lead groups. Practitioners
often find it necessary to take a variety of specialized group
therapy training workshops to gain experience.
The American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) and
the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) both
address competence in group work. For example, “The group
psychotherapist must be aware of his/ her own individual
competencies, and when the needs of the patient/client are
beyond the competencies of the psychotherapist, consultation
must be sought from other qualified professionals or other
appropriate sources” (AGPA, 2002, 3.1). Professional

competence is not arrived at once and for all; it is an ongoing
developmental process for the duration of your career.
The “Best Practice Guidelines” (ASGW, 2008, section A),
which are reproduced in the Student Manual for Theory and
Practice of Group Counseling, provide some general suggestions
for enhancing your level of competence as a group worker:
• Remain current and increase your knowledge and skill
competencies through activities such as continuing education,
professional supervision, and participation in personal and
professional development activities.
• Utilize consultation and/or supervision to ensure effective
practice regarding ethical concerns that interfere with effective
functioning as a group leader.
• Be open to getting professional assistance for personal
problems or conflicts of your own that may impair your
professional judgment or work performance.
Part of being a competent group counselor involves being able
to explain to group members the theory behind your practice,
telling members in clear language the goals of the group and
how you conceptualize the group process, and relating what you
do in a group to this model. As you acquire competence, you
will be able to continually refine your techniques in light of
your model. Competent group counselors possess the knowledge
and skills that are described in the following section.
Professional Training Standards for Group Counselors
Effective group leadership programs are not developed by
legislative mandates and professional codes alone. For
proficient leaders to emerge, a training program must make
group work a priority. Unfortunately, most master’s programs in
counseling require only one group course, and it is typical for
this single course to cover both the didactic and experiential
aspects of group process. This course often deals with both
theories of group counseling and group process as well as
providing students with opportunities to experience a group as a
member. It is a major challenge to train group counselors
adequately in a single course!

The ASGW (2000) “Professional Standards for the Training of
Group Workers” specify two levels of competencies and related
training. First is a set of core knowledge and skill competencies
that provides the foundation on which specialized training is
built. At a minimum, one group course should be included in a
training program, and it should be structured to help students
acquire the basic knowledge and skills needed to facilitate a
group.
The ASGW (2000) training standards state that group leadership
skills (see Chapter 2) are best mastered through supervised
practice that involves observation and participation in a group
experience. Although a minimum of 10 hours of supervised
practice is required, 20 hours is recommended as part of the
core training. Furthermore, these training standards require that
all counselor trainees complete core training in group work
during their entry-level education.
Once counselor trainees have mastered the core knowledge and
skill domains, they have the platform to develop a group work
specialization in one or more of four areas (see Chapter 1): (1)
task groups, (2) psychoeducational groups, (3) group
counseling, or (4) group psychotherapy. The standards outline
specific knowledge and skill competencies for these specialties
and specify the recommended number of hours of supervised
training for each.
The current trend in training group workers focuses on learning
group process by becoming involved in supervised experiences.
Certainly, the mere completion of one graduate course in group
theory and practice does not equip a counselor to effectively
lead groups. Both direct participation in planned and supervised
small groups and clinical experience in leading various groups
under careful supervision are needed to provide leaders with the
skills to meet the challenges of group work.
Ieva, Ohrt, Swank, and Young (2009) investigated the impact on
master’s students who participated in experiential personal
growth groups. The students’ perceptions of their experience
supported the following assumptions:

• Group process is a beneficial aspect of training.
• Experience in a personal growth group increases knowledge
about groups and leadership skills.
• Experience in a personal growth group enhances students’
ability to give and receive feedback.
All study participants reported some personal or professional
progress as a result of their experience in a group. Areas of
benefit included interpersonal learning, knowledge about group
process, self-awareness, empathy for future clients, and
opportunities to learn by observing group process in action. The
participants’ confidence in facilitating a group increased after
having experience as a group member, and they believed their
participation assisted them in developing their own personal
leadership style. Not only did the counselors-in-training report
benefiting both personally and professionally from participating
in personal growth groups, but they thought this should be a
requirement for all students in a master’s level counseling
program. Ieva and colleagues (2009) conclude that this study
provides counselor educators with valuable information that can
help them design and facilitate training experiences that are
positive, beneficial, and ethically responsible.
Three Important Adjuncts to the Training of Group Counselors
If you expect to lead groups, you will want to be prepared for
this work, both personally and academically. If your program
has not provided this preparation, it will be necessary for you to
seek in-service workshops in group processes. It is not likely
that you will learn how to lead groups merely through reading
about them and listening to lectures.
I recommend at least three experiences as adjuncts to a training
program for students learning about group work: (1)
participation in personal counseling, (2) participation in group
counseling or a personal growth group, and (3) participation in
a training and supervision group. Following is a discussion of
these three adjuncts to the professional preparation of group
counselors.
Personal Counseling for Group Leaders I believe that extensive

selfexploration is necessary for trainees to identify
countertransference feelings, to recognize blind spots and
biases, and to use their personal attributes effectively in their
group work. Group trainees can benefit greatly from the
experience of being a client at some time. To me it makes sense
that group leaders need to demonstrate the courage and
willingness to do for themselves what they expect members in
their groups to do—expand their awareness of self and the
effect of that self on others.
What does research reveal on this subject? More than 90% of
mental health professionals report positive outcomes from their
own counseling experiences (Geller, Norcross, & Orlinsky,
2005). In his synthesis of 25 years of research on the personal
therapy of mental health professionals, Norcross (2005b) states:
“The cumulative results indicate that personal therapy is an
emotionally vital, interpersonally dense, and professionally
formative experience that should be central to the development
of health care psychologists” (p. 840). Norcross points out that
most mental health care practitioners strongly value experiential
over didactic learning.
Increasing self-awareness is a major reason to seek out personal
counseling. In leading a group, you will encounter many
instances of transferences, both among members and toward
you. Transference refers to the unconscious process whereby
members project onto you, the group leader, past feelings or
attitudes that they had toward significant people in their lives.
Of course, you can easily become entangled in your own
feelings of countertransference, which often involves both
conscious and unconscious emotional responses to group
members. You may have unresolved personal problems, which
you can project onto the members of your group. Through
personal counseling, you can become increasingly aware of
personal triggers and can also work through some of your
unfinished business that could easily interfere with your
effectiveness in facilitating groups. If you are not actively
involved in the pursuit of healing your own psychological

wounds, you will probably have considerable difficulty entering
the world of a client. Through being a client yourself, you can
gain an experiential frame of reference to view yourself as you
are. This experience will increase your compassion for your
clients and help you learn ways of intervening that you can use
in the groups you facilitate. For further reading on this topic, I
recommend The Psychotherapist’s Own Psychotherapy (Geller,
Norcross, & Orlinsky, 2005).
Self-Exploration Groups for Group Leaders Being a member of
a variety of groups can prove to be an indispensable part of
your training as a group leader. By experiencing your own
cautiousness, resistances, fears, and uncomfortable moments in
a group, by being confronted, and by struggling with your
problems in a group context, you can experience what is needed
to build a trusting and cohesive group.
In addition to helping you recognize and explore personal
conflicts and increase self-understanding, a personal growth
group can be a powerful teaching tool. One of the best ways to
learn how to assist group members in their struggles is to
participate yourself as a member of a group. A survey of 82
master’s-level counseling programs suggests that experiential
group training is alive, evolving, and an accepted method for
training group leaders (Shumaker, Ortiz, & Brenninkmeyer,
2011).
Yalom (2005) states that a substantial number of training
programs require both personal therapy and a group experience
for trainees. Some of the benefits of participating in a
therapeutic group that he suggests are experiencing the power of
a group, learning what self-disclosure is about, coming to
appreciate the difficulties involved in self-sharing, learning on
an emotional level what one knows intellectually, and becoming
aware of one’s dependency on the leader’s power and
knowledge.
If a self-exploration group or an experiential group is a program
requirement, students must be made aware of this requirement at
an orientation meeting during the admissions process or prior to

their enrollment in a program. Shumaker, Ortiz, and
Brenninkmeyer’s (2011) survey of experiential group training in
counseling master’s programs resulted in them recommending
systematic instructor self-reflection, informed consent of
students, and selfdisclosure training as “the most promising and
critical safeguard elements dedicated to promoting a positive
experiential group experience” (p. 127).
Participation in Experiential Training Workshops I have found
training workshops most useful in helping group counselors
develop the skills necessary for effective intervention. The
trainees can also learn a great deal about their response to
feedback, their competitiveness, their need for approval, their
concerns over being competent, and their power struggles. In
working with both university students learning about group
approaches and with professionals who want to upgrade their
group skills, I have found an intensive weekend or weeklong
workshop to be an effective format. In these workshops the
participants all have ample opportunity to lead their small group
for a designated period with the benefit of direct supervision.
After a segment in which a participant leads the group, my
colleagues and I who are supervising their group offer feedback
to those who led the group, provide a commentary on the
process, and facilitate discussion of what happened in the group
by the entire group.
My Journey Toward Becoming a Group Work Specialist
I want to share some highlights of what I found helpful in
becoming a teacher and practitioner of group counseling. In my
doctoral studies in the mid-1960s, I had no formal course work
in group counseling. It was my experiences as a participant in
many different kinds of groups after getting my doctorate that
perked my interest in becoming a group practitioner, in teaching
group courses, in training and supervising group workers, and in
writing textbooks on group counseling.
During my 30s and 40s I availed myself to a wide range of
different groups, a few of which included overnight marathon
groups, traditional weekly therapy groups, and various

residential workshops done in a group format. I participated in
many personal growth workshops and encounter groups, which
lasted in length from a weekend to 10 days. My early
experiences as a group member provided insights and were
instrumental in leading me to make significant changes in my
personal life. This encouraged me to continue seeking out
various groups aimed at personal and professional development.
Although my main motivation for participating in these group
workshops was not to learn techniques or to acquire skills in
conducting groups, I received indirect benefits that I was able to
apply to my professional work. This led to finding ways to
incorporate group work into my teaching and professional
practice. I learned significant lessons about organizing and
facilitating groups from my experience as a group member even
though I had concerns about the way some of the groups I
attended were set up or conducted. These experiences were
important in my learning how to design different kinds of
therapeutic groups, and they helped me to think about ethics in
group practice. Many of the specific dimensions of group
facilitation that I address in this book came about as a result of
the experiential learning and training I acquired beyond my
doctoral program.
My own journey into group work has convinced me of how
crucial it is for those who want to facilitate groups to open
themselves to the experience of being in groups as a member.
Certainly course work in group counseling is crucial, as is
supervision when we are beginning to lead groups; in addition,
what we can learn about ourselves personally by being a
member of a group can pay dividends in our professional work.
For a more detailed description of my journey into group work,
both from a personal and professional perspective, see Creating
Your Professional Path: Lessons From My Journey (Corey,
2010).
Ethical Issues in Training Group Counselors
Training programs differ on whether participating in a group is
optional or required. My own bias is clear on the importance of

doing personal work in a group as a prerequisite to becoming a
group counselor. To be sure, requiring participation in a
therapeutic group as part of a training program can present
some practical and ethical problems of its own. A controversial
ethical issue in the preparation of group workers involves
combining experiential and didactic training methods.
I consider an experiential component to be essential when
teaching group counseling courses. Admittedly, there are
inherent problems in teaching students how groups function by
involving them on an experiential level. Such an arrangement
entails their willingness to engage in self-disclosure, to become
active participants in an interpersonal laboratory, and to engage
themselves on an emotional level as well as a cognitive one.
Time and again, however, my colleagues and I hear both
students and professionals who participate in our group training
workshops comment on the value of supervised experience in
which they have both leadership and membership roles. Through
this format, group process concepts come alive. Trainees
experience firsthand what it takes to create trust and what
resistance feels like. They often say that they have gained a new
appreciation of the group experience from a member’s
perspective.
In talking with many other counselor educators throughout the
country who teach group courses, I find that it is common
practice to combine the experiential and didactic domains.
Sometimes students colead a small group with a peer and are
supervised by the instructor. Of course, this arrangement is not
without problems, especially if the instructor also functions in
the roles of facilitator and supervisor. Many of my colleagues
believe the potential risks of experiential methods are offset by
the benefits to students who become personally involved in
experiential group work. These educators believe the
experiential component helps students acquire the skills
necessary to function as effective group leaders. Clearly,
instructors need to be aware of the potential drawbacks inherent
in multiple roles and relationships in teaching group courses,

and they need to develop safeguards to minimize risk.
Students may fear that their grade will be influenced by their
participation (or lack of it) in the experiential part of the class.
In grading and evaluating students in group courses, the
professionalism of the instructor is crucial. Ethical practice
requires instructors to spell out their grading criteria clearly.
The criteria may include the results of written reports, oral
presentations, essay tests, and objective examinations. Most
group counselor educators agree that students’ performance in
the experiential group should not be graded, but they can be
expected to attend regularly and to participate. Clear guidelines
need to be established so that students know what their rights
and responsibilities are at the beginning of the group course.
There is potential for abuse when using experiential approaches
in training group leaders, but this does not warrant the
conclusion that all such experiences are inappropriate or
unethical. I view it as a mistake to conclude that group work
educators should be restricted to the singular role of providing
didactic information. The challenge of educators is to provide
the best training available. I am convinced that teaching group
process by involving students in personal ways is the best way
for them to learn how to eventually set up and facilitate groups.
I am in agreement with Stockton, Morran, and Chang (2014)
who indicate that there is a fine line between offering
experiential activities and safeguarding against gaining
information that could be used in evaluating students. Faculty
who use experiential approaches are often involved in balancing
multiple roles, which requires consistent monitoring of
boundaries. Stockton and colleagues emphasize that group work
educators need to exert caution so that they offer training that is
both ethical and efficacious.
Liability and Malpractice
Although the topics of professional liability and malpractice are
not strictly a part of ethical practice, these are legal dimensions
with implications for group practitioners. Group leaders are
expected to practice within the code of ethics of their particular

profession and also to abide by legal standards. Practitioners are
subject to civil penalties if they fail to do right or if they
actively do wrong to another. If group members can prove that
personal injury or psychological harm was caused by a leader’s
failure to render proper service, either through negligence or
ignorance, the leader is open to a malpractice suit. Negligence
consists of departing from the standard and commonly accepted
practices of others in the profession. Practitioners involved in a
malpractice action may need to justify the techniques they use.
If their therapeutic interventions are consistent with those of
other members of their profession in their community, they are
on much firmer ground than if they employ uncommon
techniques.
Group leaders need to keep up to date with the laws of their
state as they affect their professional practice. Ignorance is not
a sufficient excuse. Those leaders who work with groups of
children and adolescents, especially, must know the law as it
pertains to matters of confidentiality, parental consent, the right
to treatment or to refuse treatment, informed consent, and other
legal rights of clients. Such awareness not only protects the
group members but also protects group leaders from malpractice
suits arising from negligence or ignorance.
The best way to protect yourself from a malpractice suit is to
take preventive measures, which means not practicing outside
the boundaries of your competence. Following the spirit of the
ethics codes of your professional organization is also important.
The key to avoiding a malpractice suit is maintaining
reasonable, ordinary, and prudent practices. Here are some
prudent guidelines for ethical and professional standards of
practice:
• Be willing to devote the time it takes to adequately screen,
select, and prepare the members of your group.
• Develop written informed consent procedures at the outset of a
group. Give the potential members of your groups enough
information to make informed choices about group
participation. Do not mystify the group process.

• Provide an atmosphere of respect for diversity within the
group.
• Become aware of local and state laws that limit your practice,
as well as the policies of the agency for which you work. Inform
members about these policies and about legal limitations (such
as exemptions to confidentiality, mandatory reporting, and the
like).
• Emphasize the importance of maintaining confidentiality
before the group begins and at various times during the life of a
group.
• If social media is part of group work, establish with members
the importance of maintaining boundaries, confidentiality, and
privacy of others in the group.
• Restrict your practice to client populations for which you are
prepared by virtue of your education, training, and experience.
• Be alert for symptoms of psychological debilitation in group
members, which may indicate that their participation should be
discontinued. Be able to put such clients in contact with
appropriate referral resources.
• Do not promise the members of your group anything that you
cannot deliver. Help them realize that their degree of effort and
commitment will be key factors in determining the outcomes of
the group experience.
• In working with minors, secure the written permission of their
parents, even if this is not required by state law.
• Consult with colleagues or supervisors whenever there is an
ethical or legal concern. Document the nature of these
consultations.
• Make it a practice to assess the general progress of a group,
and teach members how to evaluate their progress toward their
personal goals; keep adequate clinical records on this progress.
• Learn how to assess and intervene in cases in which clients
pose a threat to themselves or others.
• Avoid blending professional relationships with social ones.
Avoid engaging in sexual relationships with either current or
former group members.

• Remain alert to ways in which your personal reactions might
inhibit the group process, and monitor your countertransference.
Avoid using the group you are leading as a place where you
work on personal problems.
• Continue to read the research, and use group interventions and
techniques that are supported by research as well as by
community practice.
• Have a theoretical orientation that serves as a guide to your
practice. Be able to describe the purpose of the techniques you
use in your groups.
As you read about the stages of group development in Chapters
4 and 5, reflect on the issues raised in this chapter as they apply
to the tasks and challenges you will face as a group leader
during various group phases. Realize that there are few simple
answers to the ethical aspects of group work. Learn how to
think through the ethical considerations that you will face as a
group practitioner. Being willing to raise questions and think
about an ethical course to follow is the beginning of becoming
an ethical group counselor. The Student Manual for Theory and
Practice of Group Counseling (9th edition) contains a number of
resources that will help you develop your awareness of ethical
group practice. I urge you to consult these resources frequently
as you begin to formulate your own ideas about ethical practice
in group work. For a more comprehensive discussion of ethical
issues in group work, see Corey, Corey, Corey, and Callanan
(2015, chap. 12).

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