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.
