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Dr Ed Jacobs' Workshops are happening in Australia during September25-Feb-2013

Impact Therapy in group work: Working with vulnerable communities, offenders and their families ..

The 2013 Institute of Group Leaders Conference17-Dec-2012

The 2013 Institute of Group Leaders Conference - Creating cultures of caring: Achie..

Group leadership supervision with IGL09-Sep-2008

Supervision is a recognised component of leading groups. It is IGL policy that full members must re..

Becoming an IGL Member08-Sep-2008

As an IGL member, you receive: Our newsletter TOPIGL (3 editions per year) Recognition proces..

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Uses of groups, application and supervision requirements

Many types of groups have been developed during the past century. The Specialists in Group Work Association (2000) has classified groups into four categories:
  • Work/Task Group
  • Psychoeducational
  • Group Counselling
  • Group Therapy
See table below...
















  Type of group
 Target group that benefits most
 Resources used within the group
 Participants who are excluded from the group
 Group focus
Minimum supervision requirements

Work/task groups
  • Organisational teams
  • Management
  • General community - i.e. social, craft & play groups
  • Educational
  • Recreational
  •  Anti-social behaviours
  •  Activities
  • Training
  • Task
  • Organisational issues
At least 3 hours supervision per 8 week group program, at the beginning, middle and termination phases of the group

Psychoeducational groups
  • General population
  • Adolescents and children
  • Carers of people with disabilities
  • Parents
  • Educational
  • Pre-written programs
  • Pre-post measures to evaluate change
  •  Anti-social behaviours
  • Active psychosis
  • Education
  • Support
  • Discussion
  • Self-help
 At least 3 hours supervision per 8 week group program, at the beginning, middle and termination phases of the group

Counselling groups
  • General population experiencing crisis or life transition
  • Discussion of life experiences
  • Some educational focus.
  • Use of immediacy
  • Active psychosis
  • Growth and experiential
  • Counselling
  • Discussion
  • Support
 At least 1 hour supervision every 2 sessions for the duration of group

Group Therapy
  •  General population experiencing crisis or life transition
  • Participants who had negative life experiences
  • Experiences
  • Use of immediacy
  • Interventions to modify negative life experiences
  • Active psychosis
  •  Therapy
  • Discussion of life experiences
  • Discussion of early family life
 At least 1 hour supervision every 1 or 2 sessions for the duration of group