Facilitating therapeutic groups

Learn how to use yourself to facilitate the development of collaborative relationships, mobilise the group process and help individual group members to benefit from the group. Visit course page on our website to download an application form. This course is aimed at counsellors, other helping professionals and trainees.

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Key course information

Dates
27/04/12 - 13/07/12

Day(s)
Fri

Duration
12 weeks

Time
14:00 - 17:45

Fees ?
Full fee: £335
Senior fee: £199
Concession: £110

Venue
KS - Keeley Street

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Course code
PT500

Availability
Contact department

Essential documents

Course outline

What is the course about?

A group is more than the sum of its individual members and every group has a life and power of its own. There are no rules or recipes that tell us what to do and being in the role of facilitator can be challenging, stimulating and sometimes very hard. If a group goes well, its members congratulate themselves, if it goes badly, its members blame the leader. This experiential course aims to increase participants' confidence in their ability to use themselves* to facilitate therapeutic groups.

What topics will we cover?

The role and task of the group facilitator, facilitator styles, models and interventions, the group dynamic/process and difficulties within it, boundaries. There is room for negotiation of content and process.

By the end of this course you should be able to:

Identify new awareness of self in a group
Describe some group processes.
Identify and apply some group facilitation skills.
Identify some personal attributes you bring to groups and group facilitation.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course is for people who are currently facilitating therapeutic groups (e.g. therapy, personal development, support groups), and for those who have had counsellor training and group work experience and are hoping to work as group facilitators.
( * a humanistic orientation and way of being as a facilitator is assumed).

NB: Courses for people teaching or training groups of adults are run by The City Lit's Centre for Teacher and Management Training.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

The emphasis will be on learning from being in this group. We will spend part of each session in an unstructured experiential group which may, depending on negotiation, be facilitated by members of the group other than the course tutor. During the other part of the session we will discuss facilitation issues and draw on various group theories to explore the group process.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

There are no additional costs.
Recommended Books:
Houston G 2001 'The Group Alive' (formerly Being and Belonging, Chichester, Wiley), Rochester Foundation.
Rogers, C 2005 'On encounter groups' , Pelican (out-of-print)
Whitaker DS 2001 'Using Groups to Help People', Brunner-Routledge.
Yalom ID 1995 'The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy', Basic Books
Yalom ID 2005 'The Schopenhauer Cure', (a novel based around a group), Piatkus.

Do I need to have an interview before I can enrol?

This course requires the completion of an application form.

What feedback will I get?

You will receive regular feedback from your tutor throughout the course, as and when appropriate. At the end of the course you and your tutor are asked to assess the progress you have made. You will have the opportunity to reflect on your learning at the end of the course and to identify future learning goals.

How will I be able to give my views on the course?

Please complete the evaluation form at the end of your course. These are monitored and help us to continually improve our courses.

How do I find out if I can get some support for my learning?

You may be interested in: education and careers advice; financial and childcare support; disability support; support for Deaf and hearing-impaired students; dyslexia support; English and maths support; counselling, and library services (supported learning centre). To find out what may be available to you, and how to apply, see page 213 of the 11/12 course guide, or visit www.citylit.ac.uk/students

When I've finished, what course can I do next?



General information and advice on courses at City Lit is available from the Information and Advice Shop, open Monday to Friday 12:00 – 19:00 during term time, and Monday to Friday 12:00 – 17:00 out of term time. See the course guide for term dates and further details.

Who can I contact for further information?

Tel: 020 7492 2530

counselling@citylit.ac.uk

Drop-in course advice (term-time only) Tuesdays 13.30 - 14.30 (please ask at the Department Enquiry Desk).



To enrol on a course, call 020 7831 7831.

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Contact us

Psychology, counselling & personal development

Tel: 020 7492 2530

counselling@citylit.ac.uk

Drop-in course advice (term-time only) Tuesdays 13.30 - 14.30 (please ask at the Department Enquiry Desk).



To enrol on a course, call 020 7831 7831.

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