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Guidelines to Printout for Adolescent Groups

From Structured Adolescent Psychotherapy Groups by Billie Farmer Corder Reprinted with permission from Professional Resource Press, Sarasota FL

Enhancing Social Skills

Coping With Family Changes & Divorce

Learning Anger Management Techniques

Open-ended Closings

Short open-ended questions are great to use at the end of each activity or classroom guidance lesson to elicit feedback and help bring closure.

Open-Ended Closings ^[7]

Girls Group

Leadership Group

Groups for Grades K-3

According to author Arden Martenz "Small-group counseling is the backbone of elementary counseling." Problems facing young children are rooted in either peer groups or family groups and are best solved in small-group counseling.

Common Mistakes in Group Activity Selection

by Janice L. DeLucia-Waack, Ph.D.

* Choosing an activity that's fun but unrelated to the group's goals and tasks

		THE SOLUTION: Be sure all group activities focus on teaching skills related to communication, conflict resolution and problem solving. It's up to the group leader to keep members on task to provide structure and effectively utilize time.

* Using activities in rapid fire succession

		THE SOLUTION: Remember it's important to allow time for groups to connect and laugh and share a common experience without a lot of emotion and seriousness.

* Overestimating how much time an activity will take.
	The time needed to complete an activity varies with the group.

		THE SOLUTION: Always have another activity with similar goals in your back pocket. Plan four or five processing questions per activity knowing you will only use the two or three of the most relevant ones.

* Underestimating how much time an activity will take

		THE SOLUTION: Think beforehand which steps or discussion questions you would like to omit. Discuss them in the next session.

* Failure on the group leader's part to process the activity.
	Activities may appear gimmicky to group members if they aren't properly processed. Children and adolescents begin to see group as the place they go to make things, not the place they go to learn about themselves and make changes.

		THE SOLUTION: Allow sufficient time for the careful processing of each activity to promote interpersonal learning, self-understanding and practice of new skills and behaviors.

(This article was reprinted with permission in part from "School Counselors Share Their Favorite Group Activities: A Guide to Choosing, Planning, Conducting and Processing" published by the Association for Specialists in Group Work. The book may be ordered online from ACA at www.counseling.org or from ASCA at www.schoolcounselor.org.)

Notes:


1.		Structured Adolescent Psychotherapy Groups by Billie Farmer Corder A "must read" book if you are a therapist who works with adolescents and their families

2.		Group Exercises for Enhancing Social Skills & Self-Esteem Vol. 2 by SiriNam S. Khalsa An all new collection of exercises for enhancing self-esteem.

3.		Therapeutic Exercises for Children Guided Self-Discovery Using Cognitive-Behavioral Techniques and Therapeutic Exercises for Children: Professional Guide by Robert D. Friedberg, Lori E. Crosby, and Rebecca J. Friedberg presents an empirically-supported program for helping anxious and depressed children (ages 8 to 11).

4.		Group Interventions & Exercises for Enhancing Children's Communication, Cooperation, & Confidence By: MELISSA E. DeROSIER, PhD Empirically-based therapeutic interventions for children ages 6 to 12 who are experiencing peer problems such as bullying, rejection, and social isolation.

5.		Raising Student Aspirations Grades 9-12 Dr. Russell J. Quaglia and Kristine M. Fox Provides teachers with 72 classroom activities designed to empower and motivate their students' hopes and dreams.

6.		Cultivating Kindness in School Ric Stuecker Activities That Promote Integrity, Respect, and Compassion in Elementary and Middle School Students

7.		Wellness Activities for Youth Volume 1 by Sandy Queen Kids won’t listen to lectures about exercise or cholesterol—but they will get involved and learn by participating in fun exercises that help them focus on leading healthy, happy lives.

8.		Wellness Activities for Youth Volume 2 by Sandy Queen These whole-person, “no-put-down” activities help young people make healthy choices about physical and emotional health, relationships, stress management, substance abuse, and more.

9.		The Communication Skills Workbook by John J Liptak, EdD and Ester A Leutenberg Self-Assessments, Exercises and Educational Handouts Each section of the book uses self-assessments, activities, journaling and educational handouts.

10.		Group Exercises for Enhancing Social Skills & Self-Esteem by SiriNam Khalsa A uniquely creative collection of exercises for enhancing self-esteem utilizing proven social, emotional, and cognitive skill-building techniques. Useful in therapeutic, psychoeducational, and recreational settings with children, adolescents, and adults from diverse backgrounds with a wide variety of problems, concerns, interests, and abilities.

11.		The Children in Change curriculum was developed for a program designed to reduce the stress associated with separation, divorce or other family changes resulting from death, incarceration or drug treatment. The preventive, educational program is provided in the student's own school through eight weekly one-hour small group meetings.

12.		Groups To Go Grades 3-5 by Arden Martenz 18 Ready-To-Use Small-Group Counseling Groups

13.		Anger and Aggression Workbook by Dr. John J. Liptak and Ester A. Leutenberg Help participants make constructive changes to better manage their anger and aggression

14.		Therapeutic Exercises for Victimized & Neglected Girls: By: Pearl Berman APPLICATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, & GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY Contains 27 structured and focused therapeutic exercises designed to improve the effectiveness of your work with victimized and neglected girls in individual, group, and family therapy.

15.		Girls in Real-Life Situations: Group Counseling Activities for Enhancing Social and Emotional Development—Grades 6-12 by Julia V. Taylor and Shannon Trice-Black

16.		Groups To Go/Grades K-3 by Arden Martenz a compilation of fourteen small groups divided into the three most desired topics for early elementary students—academic improvement, behavior, and understanding self and others.

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