Group Counseling Proposal ~ Jessica K. Bower
Chadron State College ~ Dr. Sasse
 ~ Dec. 12, 2022

Introduction
   The mandatory group participation experience we were required to complete during this class has awakened me to the value of group counseling sessions. This experience helped me to recognize the stages a group goes through, the value of transparency, and the importance of a good leader. I know my group experience will influence my understanding of group processes as I transition from student to practitioner. My greatest interest with group work lies in rehabilitation groups. I think I am drawn to these types of groups because I have a lot of personal experiences with substance misuse and the toll it takes on people’s lives, minds, and physical bodies. For this reason, I would choose to do an AA group in my community.
Overview
   As is consistent with most AA groups, I would lead an ongoing group experience. It would be primarily developmental and remedial, although I would also call it a relapse prevention group. Although the group would be ongoing, I would incorporate themes from the Big Book, which would promote ongoing growth (Wilson, 2011). This would give the group a feel of progression and ongoing challenge, even though it is a continuous group.
The main purpose of this group is to create an environment where sobriety is celebrated and mutual struggles are shared, so that addicts can recover mentally, physically, and spiritually. This would be accomplished by sharing thoughts, feelings, and experiences, following the 12 steps and 12 principles of AA, and building lasting friendships with fellow recovering addicts.
The group dynamics of an AA group can be tricky in that everyone is in progress and could be at any given stage in working the 12 steps. Although this creates additional challenges for the facilitator, it also benefits the group members in a very special way. Each person who walks into an AA meeting is welcome and experiences an acceptance which is rather remarkable. The reason for this unique tolerance is that AA celebrates differences and embraces anyone during any stage of recovery. The roughness of the group creates a more inclusive environment if that makes sense.
AA groups are profoundly powerful because they involve a collective experience. Addiction is incredibly damaging and often carries a shameful aspect to it. When group members hear others in the group sharing openly and taking responsibility for their actions, it can help to reduce some of that crippling shame. All AA group members realize that they are or have been in the same place, so it is a safe environment for those who are still struggling to accept what they have done, due to their addiction.
The group will meet 1x a week on Wednesday evenings, at a local church. The church will not be actively involved in the teaching of the group. The group will maintain the integrity of the traditional AA meeting model and it will follow all AA materials for session development. However, church attendance is always seen as a positive in the life of a recovering addict, it is not imposed on members in any way. The group will be evaluated by quarterly open sharing and anonymous evaluations, both of which will be completed by group members.
Membership
   The membership requirements for attending my AA group would be that an individual be struggling with alcohol misuse and have a desire to change some element of that behavior. Oftentimes, there is controversy over whether an addict should abstain completely or just cut back to a more manageable use of a given substance. We will not have hard and fast rules, but simply invite anyone who is struggling with alcohol misuse and wants to make a change. This group would be considered an open group and we would accept mandatory or voluntary members. I would advertise with local mental health offices, law enforcement, and treatment facilities.
Leadership
In AA groups the leadership model follows more of a facilitator role. The facilitator ensures that the group is in line with the AA principles and traditions. The facilitator encourages the group to follow certain processes and presents reading materials for discussion or assigns the sharing to other group members. The only qualifications a group facilitator must have is a willingness to follow the 12 steps and 12 traditions and principles. Group facilitators are often recovering addicts as well who have been in the program for some time. Group involvement in facilitating groups is the backbone of the program, since group members seek to give something back to their community and/or fellow recovering addicts. Giving to others a major pillar in the philosophy behind AA. The theory is that when individuals purposely chose to get involved with others in a positive and real way, they are more fulfilled and satisfied with life, which ultimately supports their recovery as well as the recovery of others. In this way, you might say that an AA group is always growing new facilitators and any given group relies on the inputs of all its members to operate in its most successful manner.
   The importance of giving back to others that is taught in AA groups reminds me of Existentialism and Adlerian Theories. These practices are touted as a way of creating meaning in ones live in the theory of Existentialism, while Adlerians would say that social interaction was a huge component of mental health. In the same way, many of the 12 steps of AA follow a more Cognitive Behavioral approach. Steps such as “accepting we are powerless of alcohol” or “continuing to take a personal inventory” seem to address how to change thinking that is not producing desired results. I would say that my group is an Adlerian’s CBT approach to Existentialism, with no shortage of person-centered therapy in there. Some of the most important techniques involved in my group are evaluating thought patterns and seeking to change those that are inaccurate of not beneficial and enriching members lives by helping them find meaning through acts of service.
   Each member will have an opportunity to share their goals and needs with the group or with their individual sponsor. Each member gets assigned a sponsor who is there for additional support. Sponsors are members of the program who have been successful at meeting their goals for a certain period of time. There will not be any hard and fast rules about how long and what goals they have met, but rather each group member decides when they feel they are ready to fulfill the role of sponsor for another member. A sponsor listens to and guides members on their journey to meet their goals. A sponsor is available outside of meetings to help someone through a tough night or situation on their journey of recovery.
   Individual consultation happens primarily through sponsors, but I would be the main point of contact for individuals who wanted to talk privately or needed additional help. I would do this in an informal way by being available to members after a group each week and by proactively checking in with new members. I would not turn someone away from the group, unless they did not meet the only condition of membership, which is to be struggling with alcohol use and wanting to make a change. However, I could see needing to refer an individual to a mental health counselor, doctor or facility for additional mental health or physical health needs.
Format and Flow
   Informed consent would involve sharing with all the group members that the group members should remain anonymous. The name Alcoholics Anonymous is based on this principle. I would also inform the group members that there was no way to guarantee that they would remain anonymous, but that this was a major principle of the group that we should respect. I think anonymity is kept fairly well in AA groups because everyone has a story that they do not want others to know about. Since each group member starts out on equal footing, I feel like they are able to respect this rule more consistently. I would also inform group members that there would be additional involvement on my part if I suspected they might harm themselves or others. 

Some of the ground rules of group sharing are no cross talk or advice giving. What this does is prevent group members from trying to fix others in the group. When someone shares, other group members just listen. Group members do not offer solutions, quick fixes or what has worked for them. These ground rules support the idea that each individual is on a unique path, and they are capable of coming to their own answers along the way. These ground rules keep the lines of communication open and allow individuals to share freely, without concern about what others will say. These ground rules are reviewed on a regular basis, within the group.
   The ethical guidelines of the group are to protect anonymity, respect what others share, include everyone who meets the criteria of the group, and look out for the welfare of group members always. If there is an activity or event that may not be in the best interest of the group members, group facilitators bring this up and discuss possible alternatives. Media and public actions are actively avoided, in order to maintain anonymity.
The stages of the group are experienced on an individual level, rather than as a whole, in an ongoing group. What this means is that each individual is at a different place in their group and personal process. Some group members may be in the active phase, while others are merely dipping their toes in in the initial stage of their process. Active group members are often sharing and even leading group discussions. Active group members have also done quite a bit of interpersonal work on their road to recovery. However, group members in the initial stage might still be actively drinking or may be skeptical about whether they even want to be there.
Since each member might be experiencing a different phase of the group process at any given time, I would engage in activities that build trust and encourage inclusiveness on a regular basis. For example, there may be portions of the group each week, that are designed specifically for those in the initial or transitional phases of their group process. At the same time, group members who are in the active stage of their group process are encouraged to engage new group members as a part of their service to others. Since the development design of the 12 steps is to ultimately guide others through the same recovery process, it fits for members at each stage to be involved in the group.
Conclusion
I am grateful to have experienced what it is like to be personally involved in the group process during this course, because I have become inspired to advocate for group counseling as a worthy addition to individual counseling. I feel that this is especially true when working with certain populations. Recovering addict groups seem to be especially effective in helping individuals through the recovery process. If I had to guess, I would say that this is due to the belonging and support they find in these groups. Many recovering addicts have burnt other bridges and are battling with a great deal of shame surrounding their addiction, which makes the acceptance, shared experiences, and friendships they find in recovery groups all the more valuable.
   I would consider it an honor to be involved in this process with those on the road to recovery, not only due to its effectiveness, but also because I believe people who are able to recover from such difficulty become brave, kind, and powerful individuals. Recovery is a scary process that few have the courage to engage in, but for those who do, the rewards are great. It would be a pleasure to utilize my group counseling skills to walk alongside these individuals.


References

Wilson, B. (2011). Alcoholics Anonymous: The Big Book. Ixia Press. 

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