Groups In Action Movie Review Sample

Psychology

Icon 17: Questions 1 and 2 (p. 59)
A member (SusAnne) tells you she wants to work, yet she keeps herself very vague and global. What do you say to her?
I would tell her that if she was not ready, then she should take her time and not put another member on the spot. It is not a good idea to force someone to tackle an issue if they are not ready to do so. I would then shift the focus from her to others, hoping that she would let me know when she is.
As the leader of a group you ask, “Who would like to work?” a long silence ensues and no one gives an indication of the desire to work. Which assumptions could you draw from a situation such as this? What would you say?
My assumption would be that they are not yet ready to tackle their issues. I would therefore move on to something else and return to it when they seemed more ready. I could start by asking each member why, but let them talk it through with each other and decide who was and who was not.

Icon 19: Questions 2-5 (pp. 61-62)

Assume that after Casey disclosed that she was gay, one member of the group said, “Casey, I need to let you know that I have a hard time hearing this, because I am not comfortable with homosexuality.” How would you intervene?
I would intervene by telling the others that her sexual orientation should not be an issue as she is the same person she was before she disclosed that she was gay. I would let them know that they should view her as a person without being judgmental and in light of the struggle that she is obviously going through, they should just try to be kinder to her.
While engaged in role playing, Casey had a conversation with her role mother in Vietnamese. When she did so, what was your observation?
I observed that when she spoke in English, she was emotional, but when she spoke in the Vietnamese language, which her mother understood, she was able to speak a lot more comfortably.
Would you have any concerns for Casey if she indicated her intention to tell her mother that she is gay? Would you address your concerns with her? Why or why not?
I would have concerns that her mother, being from Vietnam, would not be fully understanding of the situation, or not fully comprehending the different sexual orientations that exist in society today. She would probably not accept it as the norm and think badly of Casey. I probably would advise her against telling her, for now, because she may have a serious problem with her mother’s reaction.
What would you say if several group members began pressuring Casey to talk to her mother in real life and let her know about her sexual orientation?
I would tell her that she should not let anyone pressure her into doing anything and that it was completely up to her if she wanted to tell her mother and when she wanted to do so..

Icon 20: Question 2 (p. 63)

How would you decide what to focus on with Jyl? Would you focus on her sadness over losing her father? Her issues with men? Her disappointment of not having become a pianist? What would guide you in your decision?
I would make the decision to focus on the pain and regret that she was experiencing, both for the loss of her father and his failure to encourage her in a meaningful way. In losing her father, I would encourage her to go through a period of mourning. Just try to blot everything out and mourn for her dad. Her issues with men may have stemmed from the distrust and disappointment that she experienced with her father, so I would encourage her to talk to someone about it. For her disappointment in not having become a pianist, I would let her know that it is never too late and that she can still pursue that dream. My guide in my decision would be the obvious pain that she was going through and my willingness to alleviate some of that pain.

Icon 21: Question 2 (p. 64)

Given that Jackie has insight into her behavior, would you be inclined to suggest homework to her, and if so, what would this be?
I would definitely suggest homework for Jackie. I would suggest that she try to find her mom and find out why she had left. If that was not possible, I would suggest that she talk to a therapist about her feelings of inadequacy.

Icon 22: Questions 1 and 2 (p. 64)

Jacqueline talks about striving to get her mother’s approval. What strategies would you use to facilitate her work?
I would strongly suggest she spoke to her mother and see if they can have a common ground. Sometimes role-playing is not able to derive the same results as the actual thing.
Discuss what you consider to be the pros and cons of the leader being utilized by group members in role play.
The pros are that they are able to use pretend-play and get some of their pent up feelings out, they can feel much better after, they can also resolve some of their issues by talking it out. The cons, however, are that it is not a real scenario, they can get false hope from these situations and nothing compares to the real thing.

Icon 23: Questions 1 and 3 (p. 67)

How were you personally affected as you observed Darren’s work described above? How might that influence the way you work with him?
I was personally affected by his emotional outburst. Men normally do not cry, but he was obviously feeling a lot of pain and regret about his childhood. It would help me to get an understanding of what he is going through and make the necessary recommendations to help him.
Assume you are leading the group and after Darren’s work, he announces, “I’m feeling vulnerable and embarrassed. I can’t believe that I lost control like that.” How would you deal with this statement?
I would tell him that it happens to the best of us and that he has no reason to feel embarrassed or vulnerable. I would let him know that we fully understand his situation and have been there at some point or other in our lives.

Icon 24: Questions 3 and 6 (pp. 69-70)

Assume that several members displayed anger toward James for having hurt a woman in his life. How would you respond?
I would tell them that it is obvious that he regretted his actions and ask them to show a little empathy as he is going through a lot himself. I would also tell them that people do things for different reasons and they should ask James why he did what he did to get a better understanding of the situation and to allow James to talk it out with someone.
Observe the nonverbal behavior of James when SusAnne is finished handing over to him the hurt she’s been keeping inside. How might you work with the nonverbal behaviors James expresses?
James seemed a bit pensive, remorseful, as if he was thinking about his own situation and the hurt that he had caused someone. Seeing it from her point of view was obviously different for him. I would capitalize on his nonverbal behaviors by asking him then what were his thoughts and feelings to help him to voice his concerns.

Icon 25: Questions 2 and 3 (p. 72)

Andrew says, “It’s like I’ve been stabbed, in my heart and my core.” What possibilities do you see of working with his symbolic and powerful words? Did any other words catch your attention for possible exploration?
These symbolic and powerful words would help me to understand just how deeply Andrew was hurt. It would enable me to be more understanding to his feelings when he refused or hesitated about being open. He said that he ind of wanted to open the door a little bit and that tells me that he wanted to be helped, but that it was a gradual process.
Andrew says, “I want to let my hurt go out the back door. I want to put it in the freezer.” How might you intervene?
I would intervene by telling him that it may not be such a good idea to let his hurt go out the back door or put it in the freezer as it could come back to haunt him at a later date. I would tell him that unresolved feelings can lead to a greater level of distress later on.

Icon 26: Question 1 (p. 78)

What value do you see in journal writing once a group terminates? Explain.
Icon 27: Questions 1 and 2 (p. 79) and Question 2 (p. 81)
How do you deal with endings in your personal life? How might that influence the manner in which you address group endings?
It depends on the type of ending, the outcome can be either sadness or happiness. For a group session, it is therapeutic, so the ending would be a sad one as the members support would be missed. In my personal life, I would deal with an ending by taking from it all of the positives that I could. I would tell them to take the positives and maintain contact with their fellow members as a form of support system.

What are your ethical responsibilities to group members with regard to the termination of their group? Explain.

My ethical responsibilities would be to see to it that they left feeling a sense of accomplishment in resolving their issues. I would want to know that I was somewhat instrumental in helping them to resolve their issues and showing them another, more positive side of themselves.
What would you say to a member in your group that said he was extremely disappointed in himself for doing so little in the group?
I would tell him that he can take whatever he learned from the group and use it in other situations. I would also tell him to identify someone from the group that he felt close to and maintain close contact with that person so he could talk to that person.

Icon 28: Question 1 (p. 82)

As a leader, how will you deal with a conflict that does not surface until the end of a group?
I would let the affected person air their thoughts on the matter and get feedback from the perpetrator. Sometimes what is perceived is not actually the case when it comes to light.

Icon 29: Questions 1 and 2 (p. 83)

A member says, “I don’t want this group to end. I’d like to see us continue meeting as a group.” What would you be inclined to do?
I would be inclined to maybe either set up follow up meetings or further sessions, or encourage them to keep in contact and meet on occasions and talk about issues as it helps to do so.
Assume Jyl were to say, “I revealed a lot about myself and took risks. Now I am sorry that I did because I feel more vulnerable and won’t have any place to go for support.” What might you say or do?
I would tell her that she can still get support from the group by maintaining contact, or air her concerns in the follow up sessions.