ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the components of group counseling and how influential group therapy can be for clients. The focus of the chapter is on group leadership, curative factors, stages of group counseling, and group theory. Group leaders need to possess certain group leadership skills, including linking and blocking, to lead effective group interaction. This group interaction progresses through five different stages and can be influenced by 11 curative factors which play a vital role in the group process. A discussion of several different group theories, including psychoanalytic, psychodrama, person-centered, rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), and reality/choice group theory, occurs throughout the chapter, focusing on group leadership, skills, and terms. Group examples are highlighted with a focus on specific activities that have been used in past groups as well as an example of a group disclosure statement.
