| CODE | COU5117 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Using Helping Skills in Group Contexts | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Counselling | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | In this study-unit on helping skills at the group level, students will engage in a comprehensive exploration of effective interventions and strategies for facilitating growth and change within group dynamics. The focus will be on developing essential helping and support skills tailored to the collective context, encompassing active listening, conflict resolution, and group facilitation techniques. Through theoretical frameworks, case studies, and practical exercises, students will acquire the skills necessary to navigate and enhance group dynamics, fostering a supportive and conducive environment for collective growth. This unit seeks to empower students to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios, promoting the well-being of individuals within the broader context of group interactions. Study-unit Aims: This study-unit focuses on developing helping, processing, communication, and facilitation skills within group contexts. While it does not aim to qualify students as counsellors or provide formal counselling training, building on COU5101, it intends to: - develop effective interventions and strategies for facilitating growth and change within group dynamics; - enhance essential helping and support skills tailored to the collective context, including active listening, conflict resolution, and group facilitation techniques; - integrate theoretical frameworks, case studies, and practical exercises to understand group dynamics and interventions comprehensively; - equip students with the skills to navigate and enhance group dynamics, fostering a supportive and conducive environment for collective growth; - provide learning opportunities for course participants to empower themselves to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios, promoting the well-being of individuals within the broader context of group interactions. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe and explain processes generally experienced in group dynamics and interactions; - Describe and explain group behaviours and outcomes in learning environments; - Explain and critique the Emotional Intelligence/Literacy Model鈥檚 relevance to group dynamics and collective emotional processing; - Reflect on the effect of personal values, attitudes, and beliefs on group dynamics for effective human communication within workplace groups; - Explain the processing concept and critique the processing experience within group settings, including its impact on group functioning; - Discuss processing to develop emotional literacy within group interactions; - Describe the theory of helping skills as it applies to group settings; - Discuss the historical context of counselling and its relation to helping skills within group dynamics; - Differentiate between counselling, helping skills, and giving advice in the context of group facilitation; - Demonstrate listening, empathy, and feedback within group interactions; - Discuss approaches to basic helping skills between facilitators and group members. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Identify and practice essential skills necessary to facilitate daily interaction with others within group settings; - Practice and analyse essential skills necessary to function effectively as a group and/or team member, focusing on collaboration and group dynamics; - Appraise and analyse the effect and management of personal values, attitudes, and beliefs necessary for working with people in group contexts at the workplace; - Identify challenging personal issues, including sexuality, within group interactions, teamwork, and dynamics; - Plan personal strategies to address challenging personal issues in group settings; - Recognise and experience processing skills as observed and practised during group sessions and in classroom settings; - Critique their processing experience within the group, focusing on group dynamics and personal growth; - Address Egan鈥檚 three-stage model of basic counselling related to communication and helping skills in group contexts; - Demonstrate attending skills necessary to help others within group interactions; - Demonstrate listening skills used when attending to group members; - Demonstrate feedback skills necessary for effective communication and helping within groups; - Demonstrate basic helping skills within group contexts; - Apply helping skills learned in diverse group situations, adapting to various group dynamics and needs. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Required Text: - Corey, G. (2023). Theory & practice of group counseling (10th Ed.). Cengage. - Yalom, I. D. & Leszcz, M. (2020). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy, 5th ed. Basic books. Reading List: - Alonso, A., & Swiller, H.I. (1992) Group therapy in clinical practice. American Psychiatric Press, Inc. - Bernard, H. S. & MacKenzie, K.R. (eds.) (1999), Basics of group psychotherapy. Guilford Press. - Bieling, P.J., MacCabe, R.E., & Antony, M.M. (2006). Cognitive-behavioral therapy in groups. Guilford Pub. - Corey, G. (2023). Theory & practice of Group Counseling. Cengage. - Goleman, D. (2011). The brain and emotional intelligence: New insights. Regional Business, 94-95. https://www.nwmissouri.edu/academics/pdf/rbr/2014.pdf#page=99 - Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. E., & McKee, A. (2013). Primal leadership: Unleashing the power of emotional intelligence. Harvard Business Press.鈥� - Heron, J. (1999). The complete facilitator's handbook. Kogan Page Publishers. - Rogers, C.R. (1970) On Encounter Groups. Harper & Row. - Shulman, L., Krause, D., & Cameron, M. (2009). The skills of helping individuals, families, groups and communities. Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning. - The Journal for Specialists in Group Work. https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/usgw20 - Whitaker, D.S. (1987) Using Groups to Help People. Routledge & Kegan. - Yalom, I.D. & Leszcz, M. (2005) The Theory & Practice of Group Psychotherapy, Basic Books . |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Seminar | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Marlene Cauchi |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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