Choose 3 of the following questions and respond.
1) What are the Major Ethical Issues in Group Counseling that have been consistently identified in the literature?
2) What is Informed Consent? What information should be given in writing to potential group members does the ASGW (2008) “Best Practice Guidelines” suggest?
3) Create a professional Informed Consent disclosure statement for group members of a Psycho-Educational group. What part of your should be given to your group at the first meeting of the group and what could be can best be addressed after some therapy has transpired. How would you explain both the potential benefits and the risks of group therapy in the Informed Consent disclosure statement? What are some of the possible risks of therapeutic groups? Describe in detail. What are ways of reducing these risks? How can a contract minimize psychological risks in groups?
4) When group participation is mandatory, much effort needs to be directed toward clearly and fully informing members? What needs to be considered when group participation is mandatory? How would a group leader deal with issues of trust in groups where participation is mandatory? Are the rights of participants different in mandatory participation groups?
5) How would you prevent a group member from leaving a group prematurely? What are some fears group members might have that could be addressed in the group?
6) It is especially important because in leading a group you must not only keep the confidences of members but also get the members to keep one another’s confidences. In group therapy it may not be possible to prevent some members from disclosing personal information about others in the group. Give an example of an ethical breach of confidentiality involving a member disclosing personal information.
7) Wheeler and Bertram (2012) point out that the risk of breach of confidentiality is heightened in situations if members of a counseling group engage in social media. How should Group counselors establish ground rules to address the parameters of online behavior? How can group counselors help educate group members to avoid unintentionally breaching confidentiality? Group leaders do well to express the importance of maintaining confidentiality. What steps beyond a contact should be taken?
8) How would you as a group leader explain the ethical and legal responsibilities of the potential consequences of breaching confidentiality of group members?
