How a group leader ends group sessions are an important part of the group being successful. Depending on the group composition this can be a tricky process. Group leaders must keep a watchful on their group members and understand how closing a session will affect them. Keeping group members involved and engaged is an important component to keeping members wanting to return to the next group session. Making the transition easier is the goal of a group leader and finding different exercises that help this process can make the difference between it being a positive or negative experience. Member Summarization A group leader can help group members feel included by having the members summarize. This is comprised of each group member give a “summary of what transpired during the session” (Gladding, …show more content…
This is a great tool “to gain an accurate picture of how group members have assessed the group session” (Gladding, pg. 156). Group members “fill out the rating sheet and return it before the session ends” (Gladding, pg. 156). Members have the freedom to rate “themselves, other members and the leader of the group” (Gladding, pg. 156). They can rate “involvement, goals, feedback and productivity” (Gladding, pg. 156).
Homework
Homework is “work given by the group leader to members to complete after a session ends” (Gladding, pg. 156). Homework may be a necessary component to “complete tasks the group leader has given group members” (Gladding, pg. 156). Homework in therapy is considered “real world non group exercises that can include thinking, feeling and behavior experiences” (Gladding, pg. 156). Group members “learn from homework how to transfer learning in the group to everyday events in their lives” (Gladding, pg. 156). Taking homework home actually “allows group members to be more concrete in determining their between-group goals” (Gladding, pg.