wCorey, G.
(1999). Theory and practice of group counseling. (3rd ed. ). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.
This text was written for graduate or undergraduate students in any field involving human services but is especially suitable for students enrolled in any course of Theory and Practice of Group Counseling, practitioners who are involved in group work, and students who are interested in leading various types of groups. This text presents an overview of various theoretical models and describes how they apply to group counseling. The text outlines the basic elements of group process, deals with ethical and professional issues special to group work and presents an overview of the key concepts and techniques of ten theoretical models of group counseling. The text also attempts an integration of the ten theoretical models and emphasizes the practical application of the approaches with a focus on helping the reader develop his/her own synthesis of various aspects of the models. Part I; Basic Elements of Group Process: An Overview is comprised of chapters 1-5. This section is obviously an overview of the various types of groups and discusses some general principles that can be applied in working with culturally diverse groups.
Part I also covers some basic group leadership issues, ethical issues in group work, and the stages in the evolution of a group, from formation to termination and follow up. Part 2; Theoretical Approaches to Group Counseling examines 10 theoretical approaches dealing with theory and practice of group work. The 10 chapters are as follows: The Psychoanalytic Approach to Groups, Adlerian Group Counseling, Psychodrama, The Existential Approach to Groups, The Person Centered Approach to Groups, Gestalt Therapy in Groups, Transactional Analysis, Behavioral Group Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy in Groups, and finally Reality Therapy in Groups. The aforementioned chapters follow an organizational pattern, this organization makes comparing the 10 theoretical approaches easier for the reader. Each chapter introduces the rationale for the theoretical approach and its unique characteristics, discusses the model’s key concepts and their implications for group process, discusses the approach’s basic procedures and techniques, defines the role and function of the group leader, and when applicable describes the stages of development of that particular group process. Finally near the end of each of the 10 theoretical chapters is an evaluation section.
This section is devoted to Corey’s personal assessment of the approach. Part 3; Integration and Application contains chapters 16 and 17. Chapter 16 entitled Comparisons, Contrasts, and Integration compares and contrasts the various group approaches with respect of the goals of the group counseling, the role and function of the group leader, the degree of structuring and division of responsibility in groups, the use of techniques, and the contributions of the various approaches. Finally the chapter concludes with a description of an integrative eclectic model of group counseling in which Corey integrates thinking, feeling, and doing perspectives with varying emphases at each stage of a group’s development. Chapter 17; The Evolution of A Group: An Integrative Perspective is the final chapter in this text. This final chapter consists of Corey’s version of an integrative approach in working with certain typical themes that may emerge in groups.
The chapter is based on the 2 hour student video Evolution of a Group. The themes in this chapter are based on central themes for each of the stages of a group which are demonstrated in the video. .
