Culturally, being of the African American race we do not attend counseling. The African American culture seek guidance through our families, God and in the Church. Moreover, I am an introvert, so this group process was going to be challenging for me. I am socially selective and have a hard time opening up to people. However, I can help anyone with their issues and feel comfortable in that moment. Counseling has always been one of my passion. I do not feel that my selective and private personality will hinder me from being an awesome counselor.
During my group counseling class, the instructor divided the lass in half and provided us with a group scenario. The scenario entailed us being lost in New York around 3:00 am, no cellular services, and the SUV breaks down in a gang’s territory. As a group we had to decide on a plan of action. Some of the group members wanted to walk up to the gang members and ask for help. Other members wanted to stay in the SUV until morning when the business would open. And the remaining member want to get out and walk around to seek if we could find a gas station open.
One thing that we did agree on is that we must tay together as a group because we are stronger in number. This activity led us to all become a cohesive group that was building trust even before the group process started. As future professional we took this activity very serious and begin to develop trusting relationship. We starting walking to our car together and making sure we were all safe in the parking lot after class. For that moment on that scenario became a part of our lives and we started to connect more every week.
Little did we know that this was the professor strategy for selecting group members for the next ten weeks. The professional did inquire about the lack of diversity in my group. At that point, I did feel alone and I felt comfortable with the other group members. I would say this the first stage of group forming began at this point. The ten-week group process would not start for another two weeks. During this time our group facilitator contacted each member and set up the interview process. This process is known as the pre-interview before the group begins.
He was very flexible we our schedules by allowing in person or phone interviews. I completed the phone interview. I remember ondering about the questions that would be include and if I would have the correct responses. The interview involves discussing the goals that I wanted to accomplish within the 10 – week period. My goal was to be able to approach an individual and start a conversation. After the interview, I felt more resistant to sharing my personal information. With that in mind, T remember the professional saying that you will not get anything out of group if you do not participate.
I want to see my growth potential and see what it would feel like to open up to individuals that are in the counseling field. Moreover, knowing that these individuals were taught to be non-judgmental, genuine, and empathy, allowed be to feel safe in that environment. My expectation going into group was that I would keep an open mind. I vowed to only share when I felt comfortable. The first day of group, my anxiety level was high and the wall of reserved emotions was up. We all circle up as a group which meant eye contact was very prevalent.
The facilitator began the forming stage by asking each member to introduce themselves and tell where your name came from. Of course, I was the last one to go. Next, he proposed the question about a TV show called Naked and Afraid. I remembered watching that show and stating I would never participate in anything like that. So, there I was having to put myself in that scenario. The questions were: One thing you would bring? and One thing that would get on your nerve? I responded by saying, I would bring shoes. I could improvise on all of the other essential items.
The thing that would get on my nerve would be the bugs. I also stated that I would probably last only an hour in that environment. I think that the facilitator did a great job with hose ice breakers which allowed everyone to have a voice and get to understand their inner self. I also started to analysis myself because of my responses to the last question. For instance, what does that say about me as a person? During the second sessions, the group continue to build trust and cohesion. At this point we continue to be in the orientation and the transition stages of group.
The facilitator continued to start the group with certain questions to gain different responses to the question. I also felt like this was his way of getting everyone involved in the conversation. The question he posed was who do you feel the closest and the least closest to in the group? I felt like this was a loaded question and there has not been enough time spend for us to get to know each other, or relate to each other in order to give an honest answer. The tension in the group was so thick because no one wanted to answer that question for fear of hurting someone feeling or just being judge.
I was the one that everyone felt these least closest to. One could assume that the member of the group answer the question according to if they had related to another member in some type of way. However, most of the individuals in the group had some prior encounter before the semester began which natural caused them to feel closer to that person. I felt closest to the other extroverts in the group. I also felt we were all close to a point because there was cohesion developing week by week in class and in group.
The facilitator start session three with the goals we had discussed during the interview process. Most of us could not remember the exact goals that we set out to accomplish but was open to accomplishing so much more. The goal that I set during the interview was to become more social nd stepping out of my comfort zone and meeting new people. I also want to be the first one to start a conversation with someone, I do not know. At this point in the group it felt like an outlet for most of the members excepted for me.
I still had not developed a sense of being open to anything that was on my mind. I am not sure if I felt like things that could be shared was not important or that I still want to remind quiet and listen to everyone else. This seemed like the simplest thing to do. I did not have to worry about being nervous, palm sweeting or wondering about being judge by others. During this session, one of the members talked about being almost homeless and how she was more worries about her actual physical environment than completing the semester.
Another member open up about her daughter’s diagnosis and the challenges with school. I could empathize with her as she expressed herself with tearing rolling down her face. As a group we were trying to help her with this responsible by giving her feedback and allowing other members of her family to lend a helping hand. Furthermore, one of the introverts expressed the guilt and the burden she felt taking care of her parents. She also stated that she is her parent only child but she has a step brother from her father. She continue to express her emotions stating that it can be overwhelming.
I could understand how this could be overwhelming for an only child. I also can related to feeling guilty because one may not feeling like being bother on a particular day. However, we are obligated to meet our parents need because you only have one set of parents. I have three other sibling to help take care of my mother. We are very close but the burden of my mother lies totally on one sister because she lives the closest. I sure she feeling like that sometimes. So this allowed me to look into my own situation with my mother and make plans visit more often.
I do asked my sister if I need to come home for doctor visits but of course, she states she has it under control. That disclosure was an eye opening for me. Lastly, we had one member to miss this session. At this point in the group, I was getting use to the third half of my day. I started to look forward to being in group. At the beginning of session four, the facilitator asked someone to recap the last session for individual that was absent. Which allowed her to be acclimated to last week discussion and provide any feedback that she wanted to present from the recap.
This week discussion began with someone sharing that they felt stress out. She discussed an IEP meeting that was happening the next day with her daughter. This individual was very upset because something was left off of the IEP that really needed to be part of the review. We all felt the stress that she was displaying at the time. As a group we all understand how passionate she is about the care of her children. Another group member disclosed, her feeling of reating her own anxiety and was wondering was that something that the parent in the group was wrestling with in this situation.
The facilitator focused on the cause of the stress that this individual was experiencing at this time. I think reality therapy was also explored during this session. The session ended with the same issues as the group was trying to give her several perspective to consider. Feedback from other was the topic of discussion in session five. This was an interesting topic because this is something that has never been expressed to me by anyone. I guess sitting in a ircle listening to someone else opinion about you is hhjjjkkk. Conflict in the group happened in session six.
The group session start out with the guy in the group discussing his feels about thinking there was always something different about himself. He talked about his family dynamics and how he always felt he was very hyper. He also states his friend would tell him that he talked too much. This individual starting expressing his interested in a study that he had an opportunity to participate in and monetary funds. He was excited about this potential discovery of what he had expected most of his life. This was an ADD/ADHD study that he did not quality for but was prescribed the medication.
He also was given the exam to receive the diagnosis of being ADD/ ADHD. He received that diagnosis of ADHD that he felt like he had all along. He further stated that the dosage was causing him to have highs and lows. He was also have trouble determining the dosage and the best time to take the medication. After the discussion of this study, one of the group members was cringing in her sit. She began to take about her children who also had the same diagnosis and their experience with regulating the medication.
She expressed ways in which he should consume the medication. Then one of the member aggressive stated that he should see a medical doctor in order to receive the proper dosage. She also began to disclose, her experience with regulating different medication dosages, which led to a mental breakdown. I used the word aggressive loosely because she was more passionate about it because of her own experiences that led to her depression. We all gave feedback on the risk of complete different studies and inquired about the qualification of the individuals conducting the study.
During the feedback by the passionately aggressive individual expressing to the experience ADHD individual that she was overbearing toward the guy that did the study. This led to the conflicting event in the group. And both of the ladies were verbal expressing their flight for position. It was like watching a soap popper. I thinks our head was moving back and forth as they continue to rant and rave about what he should do and what they think he should do. This seem like it last about 20 minutes, which in reality is not true.
