The original Processing: Activity, Relationships, Self (PARS) model provided a concise map for beginning group leaders to debrief experiences through the stages of reflecting, understanding, and applying. Since the model's publication, three particular developments have impacted group counseling including (a) the field-wide adoption of trauma-informed principles, (b) the centrality of multicultural and social justice responsiveness, and (c) the normalization of synchronous telehealth for group services. In this article, the authors synthesize the original PARS model and propose an expanded framework of PARS that integrates trauma-informed (TI), culturally responsive (CR), and telehealth (TH) perspectives into the implementation of the model. Drawing on systematic reviews and professional guidelines, the authors outline concrete prompts, ethical procedures, and implementation steps for group leaders, discuss challenges related to processing, and identify priorities for training and research. The goal is to preserve the simplicity of PARS while better equipping group leaders with skills to facilitate safer, more equitable, and more effective groups across settings and methods of delivery in today's settings.
Self-efficacy is a key concept in counselor development and a crucial predictor of success in training and practice. As group work increasingly moves to online formats, counselors-in-training (CITs) must build confidence in leading technology-mediated groups. This study examined factors that influence CITs' self-efficacy in online group leadership. Eighty-two CITs from CACREP-accredited programs completed validated measures of counseling self-efficacy, online group leadership, and training/experience indicators. Results showed strong associations between online group self-efficacy and counseling skill areas, with facilitation experience and confidence significantly related to self-efficacy. Findings suggest that experiential training opportunities may be relevant for supporting the development of online group self-efficacy.
Up to 65% of inpatients may exhibit trauma symptomology, and inpatient admissions in and of themselves may be experienced as traumatic. To date, evaluations of psychological interventions targeting trauma symptomology are limited, despite growing attention in practice being paid to the conduct of psychological therapy groups on inpatient wards. The present practice article describes the preliminary implementation and evaluation of a trauma-focused group for female psychiatric adult acute inpatients. The group protocol was developed using cognitive behavioral therapy and compassion-focused therapy principles, reflecting existing evidence and guidelines for trauma-focused therapy and adult psychiatric inpatient groups. The group recruited women admitted to a psychiatric unit who were self- or staff-identified as experiencing concerns with trauma-related symptomology. For the preliminary evaluation, data were gathered on attendance, retention rates and self-reported experiences of the group. Analyses included descriptive statistics and a qualitative content analysis. Twenty-four patients attended, with 11-29% of the total bed stay attending at least once. Retention was 89%. Qualitative themes indicated that learning psychological concepts and skills, connecting with staff and peers were appreciated and beneficial. The facilitators reflected that female psychiatric inpatients reported finding the group beneficial for providing a safe, constructive space to learn about the impact of trauma. Practical skills alongside group discussions were reportedly beneficial. Challenges included maintaining safety amongst challenging group dynamics and external disruptions from the ward environment. Future groups may benefit from slightly longer sessions, continued focus on practical trauma-focused coping skills, and attention paid to group dynamics.
The Zones of Regulation is a group social-emotional learning curriculum grounded in a cognitive behavioral framework, originally developed to help children build emotional insight and regulation strategies. This pilot study examined a family-centered adaptation that included caregivers alongside children. Using a single group pretest-posttest design, 18 caregiver-child dyads (n = 36) completed quantitative measures of socio-emotional competences. Paired-samples t tests suggested improvements in parent reactivity and children's emotional skills. Preliminary findings highlight the potential benefits of adapting child-focused programs to involve caregivers, with implications for family-centered interventions promoting emotional well being.
Psychodrama has emerged as a therapeutic approach for counselors who provide services to clients who have experienced trauma. A systematic review was conducted to identify articles that implemented psychodrama as a group modality for addressing trauma. This search yielded 18 articles across two databases, PubMed and PsycINFO. Overall, we found that group psychodrama shows promise in addressing trauma as it has been shown to decrease symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, depression, and mental distress as well as improve quality of life and encourage post-traumatic growth among multiple populations. We discuss implications for group psychodrama interventions and future research.
Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms. Mental health issues are commonly experienced by those with PD, yet virtually no positive psychological treatments designed to address these mental health issues have been evaluated or described. This practice article outlines a six-week positive psychological therapy program, the Strengths, Hope and Resourcefulness Program for People with Parkinson's Disease (SHARP-PWP). The theoretical framework and current evidence for SHARP-PWP are reviewed, followed by a practical description of the program. Potential implications for psychological therapy with people with PD and related health concerns are discussed.
This scoping review aimed to determine the extent of qualitative research focused on online psychoeducational, counseling, and therapy groups published between 2014 and 2024, identify publication trends, and characterize the groups and populations served by the groups. It utilized the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist, a systematic search in the PsychINFO and Google Scholar databases, and study selection based on preset inclusion criteria. Ultimately, 18 studies were included. Data were charted on a review question-based matrix, which revealed novel trends in publication, study design, and group characteristics. Implications for future review and research are provided.
This qualitative research examines supervisors' interventions and their role in supporting professional development in group career counseling during triadic clinical supervision. Video recordings of supervision sessions and critical incidents were analyzed. Results highlight how facilitative, prescriptive, conceptual, confrontive, and catalytic interventions were used by supervisors, and how they facilitated or hindered supervisees' professional development in terms of self- and other-awareness, motivation, and autonomy. Facilitative and prescriptive interventions appeared to be facilitating early in the process. Afterward, mobilizing the 5 intervention types to support reflection in supervision, while taking into account fluctuating motivation, were found to be conducive to professional development.
Use of telehealth group interventions has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals who have experienced both membership and leadership may have a unique understanding of online group work. Collective autoethnography (CoAE) provides ways to explore the intersection of online group membership and leadership within its sociocultural context. Two individuals with both statuses collected data through conversations about their online group work experiences, analyzed them using the CoAE process, and derived four themes related to personal, professional, and cultural contexts, metaphoric understanding of online group work, engaging in a transformed landscape, and navigating membership and leadership. Discussion and implications are provided.
Child mental health providers' usage of telehealth services has expanded exponentially since COVID-19, and applying evidence-based group services through telehealth has tremendous promise for reducing disparities in rural communities. Adopting abuse prevention treatments for problematic sexual behaviors (PSB) of youth is of particular interest due to the potential harm of untreated PSB. Group-based cognitive-behavioral therapy for PSB (PSB-CBT) has been found to reduce future PSB and has been adapted for telehealth. PSB-CBT group services via telehealth require specific safety, clinical, and technological considerations. This article provides a brief overview of PSB and rural communities, and considerations for group telehealth for PSB.
The evolution of telemental health (TMH) has necessitated online group facilitation training in counselor education. We propose a framework for teaching online video group counseling, including ten focus areas: 1. Technical Skills, 2. Legal and Ethical Issues, 3. Group Type, 4. Group Membership, 5. Establishing Online Groups, 6. Online Group Facilitation, 7. Building Rapport in Online Groups, 8. Creating Connections in Online Groups, 9. Managing Emotions Virtually, and 10. Group Assessment and Evaluation. Emphasizing the importance of pre-group planning and online group facilitation, this framework equips counselors in training (CIT) to navigate online group counseling in a multicultural context.
Providing group counseling in an online format has increased in popularity in recent years, highlighting the need to offer opportunities for counselors in training to participate in online groups to enhance their professional development. This article will offer considerations for designing, facilitating, and assessing effective counseling groups for graduate students in an online environment to create an engaging and meaningful learning experience. Strategies and activities to enhance the group process and dynamics in an online format will also be explored, along with diversity and ethical considerations.
Building on the long-standing relationship between the Black church and the African American community, this instrumental case study examined how Black churchgoers experience a church-based group counseling intervention designed to support positive racial socialization. Participants included four African American women and one African American man. Data were explored using qualitative analysis of participants' weekly journal entries and focus group interviews. Findings revealed five themes: (1) Supportive Community, (2) Processing of Race-based Experiences, (3) Personalized Feedback, (4) Evolved Perspective, and (5) Direction for Younger Generations, suggesting that activities within the group counseling experience promoted the primary dimensions of positive racial socialization.
This paper presents a pilot study of a group counseling intervention that aims to address the effects of anti-Asian racism through guided storytelling. The objective of the group is to provide a space to explore Asian Canadian identity and enhance well-being by fostering connection with others with shared experiences. For the pilot, four programs were completed with a total of 12 participants and a mixed methods evaluation was conducted. The results indicated improvements in the areas of mental wellness, connection to ethnocultural identity, and sense of belonging. Implications for group psychotherapy for the Asian diaspora and future directions are discussed.
Group psychotherapy can be a powerful intervention for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults. The nature of group work has specific implications for TGD individuals who benefit from a sense of belonging and from reduced stigma in a TGD-specific space. Despite these benefits, there is a lack of research and literature on group psychotherapy with TGD adults. Additionally, prior published research has focused solely on short-term and highly structured interventions. We developed an open-ended process group from a psychodynamic orientation for TGD adults. The current article discusses the group establishment and details its themes and interventions. We offer two clinical vignettes that demonstrate the utility of the psychodynamic group when working with TGD adults. This group therapy approach is an important addition to the ongoing development of interventions for TGD individuals and offers a resource for clinicians who seek to work with this population. Suggestions and guidelines for working with TGD clients in group as well as other practice settings are discussed. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This paper is based on clinical experience and practice, and provides recommendations for working with TGD clients. We describe a protocol for establishing a psychotherapy group for TGD clients from a psychodynamic perspective and highlight how this approach is highly beneficial for the target population. PURPOSE STATEMENT This manuscript presents the development, structure, and clinical insights from Transcend, a psychodynamic group therapy specifically adapted for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults. By integrating a process-oriented, exploratory therapeutic model with an affirming stance on gender identity, this article aims to support clinicians in understanding how psychodynamic approaches can be ethically and effectively tailored to meet the complex mental health needs of TGD clients. Through detailed discussion of recruitment strategies, leadership stance, clinical vignettes, and implementation adaptations, this work offers a model for inclusive, non-pathologizing group psychotherapy that fosters psychological growth and relational depth within TGD communities.
This scoping review aimed to determine the extent of qualitative research focused on online psychoeducational, counseling, and therapy groups published between 2014 and 2024, identify publication trends, and characterize the groups and populations served by the groups. It utilized the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist, a systematic search in the PsychINFO and Google Scholar databases, and study selection based on preset inclusion criteria. Ultimately, 18 studies were included. Data were charted on a review question-based matrix, which revealed novel trends in publication, study design, and group characteristics. Implications for future review and research are provided.
