47
Chapter 12
Counseling Families and Groups
FOCUS QUESTIONS
1. How is confidentiality different when counseling couples, families, or groups, as
opposed to counseling an individual client?
Points instructors may want to make:
2. Why do think marriage and family counselors end up embroiled in their clients’
lawsuits so often?
Points instructors may want to make:
3. What should counselors tell potential counseling group members to ensure adequate
informed consent?
Points instructors may want to make:
48
Copyright © 2020, 2016, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
o freedom from undue group pressure or coercion regarding participation,
decision making, personal disclosures, and suggestions from other members
IN-CLASS ACTIVITY
Title: Difficult Issues in Counseling Families and Groups
Learning
Goal: To become more comfortable with difficult issues related to family and group
counseling, by practicing how to deal with potential and observing how other
students deal with such issues.
Procedures: Groups of students can be assigned the following role plays to be prepared and
presented during class:
A group leader is setting ground rules related to ethical considerations and
group members ask for clarification of the rules.
A group leader is discussing the issue of confidentiality and members ask for
clarification.
A family counselor is discussing the goals of family counseling with a new
family.
Discussion
Questions: What worked for you in the role plays?
What didn’t work for you?
Would you have handled any of the situations differently?
Which strategies would you use in similar situations?
Point/Counterpoint (Debate) Topics
Title: Dealing with Nonparticipating or Reluctant Family Members in Family
Counseling
Learning
Goal: To consider the advantages and disadvantages of various clinical perspectives
and agency policies regarding nonparticipating family members.
Procedures: Assign (or allow students to volunteer) 2 groups of students (preferably 3-5
students per group) to each take one of the positions described below and
prepare a 5-minute argument in favor of that position. Have each group present
its argument. Next, allow the groups to confer for 2 minutes and then have each
group present its rebuttal to the other group’s argument. Lastly, have the class
members who served as the audience vote for which side was most persuasive.
Point: Counselors should agree to counsel the family members who want to receive
counseling, even if all family members do not agree to participate.
vs.
49
Counterpoint: Counselors should insist that all family members who are contributing
to a family’s problems or issues must attend counseling sessions.
Title: Counseling Couples involved in Domestic Violence
Learning
Goal: To consider the risks and benefits to both members of a couple when the couple
is presently involved in domestic violence.
Point: Counselors should counsel the members of a couple individually if domestic
violence is presently involved in their relationship.
vs.
Counterpoint: The best way to resolve issues of domestic violence in a couple’s
relationship is to counsel the partners as a couple.
OUTSIDE CLASS ACTIVITY
Title: Family Violence
Learning
Goal: To learn more about family violence and the current state of the literature
related to appropriate interventions.
Procedures: Review the current literature on family violence and report findings, including
appropriate interventions.
Topic for Self-Reflection/Journaling
Topic: Reflect on possible family-of-origin issues, stemming from your own
upbringing, that could potentially interfere with your ability to counsel families
effectively. What are some steps you can take, before you begin practicing
professionally, to resolve those issues and/or safeguard against potential
impairment?
CASE STUDY
Judith is a counselor in a public high school. Many of the students she has seen this year
are experiencing difficulties because their parents have recently divorced. She has decided to
create a group for adolescents whose parents are divorced. What should be covered in her pre-
group screening/interviews with the students?
Case Study Discussion
In responding to this situation, students should consider the process of screening members
as well as topics such as informed consent (including its related documents and the process of
notifying parents/legal guardians and obtaining their written consent), potential psychological
risks, the services that can and cannot be provided in the group, the rights and responsibilities of
members, and procedures for leaving the group.
50
SHORT PAPER OR ORAL CLASS PRESENTATION TOPICS
1. Personal Counselor Values That Commonly Affect Marriage and Family Counseling
2. The Pros and Cons of Using Risky Techniques in Family and Group Counseling
3. Summaries of Current Journal Articles Related to Topics in the Chapter