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Running head: Group Process Analysis

Group Process Analysis

Tracy Hawthorne
SW 4010
Wayne State University
December 6, 2015

Assessment

Group Process Analysis

During the different sessions, it was sufficiently great to be a part of the group process of
developing in the intervening period between the introduction of individual member and leader. The
sessions helped us discover a lot regarding each member and to some extent their personality traits. As a
result, coming together with the group during this time had introductions that were the beginning stage of
group therapy. It was positive as the client learns about one another forming into a groups as a whole
developing a relationship. The group discussed the relationship that was toxic in their life due to this
reason being the relationship were failure played a significant role in this group sessions, even though
they may be in denial.
The communication between the total members is not lacking, there is much bickering and
interrupting one another, because each wanted their thoughts and viewpoint about their particular
relationships heard. It was a positive change to see the members beginning to form cohesion by opening
up to one another sharing most of their issue, even if they have not agreed with each other. While
observing Crystal, the first member; you notice her interpersonal skills. Crystal stutters and is silent.
There seems to be a deficiency of exchanging of information from Crystal; she does not appear to have
any views. The cohesion started when Crystal spoke about her emotionally painful life experience of
losing her grandmother while being on drugs. This led to the group emotionally understanding Crystal
situation and loss. Crystal speaks out expressing about her traumatic loss.
Crystal also mentions to the group she has 6,500 friends on Facebook that she has not at all met.
This could be the explanation for her interpersonal skills are not so sufficiently great. The deficiency of
communication is from Crystal, who during one of the session did not participate. Crystal, on the other
hand, cares deeply for men and react entirely different towards them. Crystal share regarding her
relationships and opinion on women. The more the groups shared different session you begin to see the
positive development forms within in the group, each person getting honest, especially Crystal. This forth
session mainly focused on Kyle this were his intervention period between him being place on the hot seat.
His observation of one's appearance of him impregnating five women and having six children is totally

Group Process Analysis

normal. He feels if these women had an abortion, which he would not be responsible for not having no
communication with his children on a daily base.
Also, he feels the system is robbing him blind by taking his money for child support. Kyle
explains after being a professional athlete; he wants to change his ways toward women. Kyle selfmonitoring of his behavior give the impression entirely normal and okay while the other women discover
it to be in opposition to the norms. The cohesion took place when this group formed an alliance against
Kyles opinions of child support and abortion. The group benefit since the members are being honest and
speaking their gut levels of opinions about important issues. Kyles observation of one's appearance of his
no longer existing employed for the NBA was that he looked upon as a product. Hollie is the member
who continuously over a period interrupts and voices her views. Hollie expresses the relationship she has
with her father and recalls a negative experience of her father striking her with a broomstick.
The communication interaction between Hollie and the rest of the people in the group is negative;
every time she opens her mouth there is always a rude comment added or voicing an opinion. This I
presume is affecting the group as a whole since they will be humiliated to open up about of great
significance issues. The operate in a proper or particular way of the group members essential to this
session is the members self-observation. Hollie speaks of her prior incident with her father at the same
time when Crystal opens up about her traumatic loss. This made the other members furious, especially
Hollie. Hollie spoke of her self-observations about as a child raised without a mother. We find out Hollie
use her music career to focuses on forming a bridge that would gap Americans blacks and white. Hollie
acknowledges to her extreme behavior cause her to uses men for sex.
This session had Hollie speaking of childhood incident about her aunties being too emotionless
taught her no compress her feeling. Shellisa is shy and self-conscious of what people think of her and her
sexuality. Shellisa has the hot seat in the session when she is confused about what being a real woman
means. In additional, members give their opinions. Self-monitoring her behavior outside of the group,

Group Process Analysis

Shellisa, realizes that her boyfriend also suspects she is transgender. Shellisa confronted about her
increased sensitivity. The women feel that she is too sensitive, even offering advice.
Group Dynamics
A person partly plays group Dynamics within a group that are shared by an individual with the
panel. The first important role is the external leader Ms. Hawthorne, who is the facilitator of the group.
The beginning task for this group is to become informal with the facilitator for counsel, comprehension,
and trust. To be aware of through observation, and feel relaxation with the facilitator is important. At the
beginning of the first session, the mediator speaks to the group regarding a issued need to be discussed at
a formal meeting and how the group will move along throughout the sessions. The group has to
dependence on the facilitator before they can be honest and presume their part played by individuals of
trusting one used to refer to an additional person in the group. As the population in the group began to
move in the direction that one is facing each member had to set up a set of rules on a stable level of trust
for the other people in the group.
The goals of the group are to get each involved and to communicate honestly and to feel relax. This will
support the individuals focus on why they are there in the group. As the group continues to come
together, the goals begin to form, and each member starts to take in their roles in the group dynamics.
Therefore, carefully thought about in phase one of the group. Phase one is when the individuals members
are beginning to be familiar with their surrounding in the environment and the culture of the group.
However, Ms. Hawthorne group, the hidden list of items to discussed at a formal meeting was to have the
individuals accept ownership and participate separately throughout the sessions. This gave each fact of
having a duty to deal with the fact of their issues and challenges.

Group Norms Middle Phase

Group Process Analysis

Norms shared expectations and beliefs about appropriate ways to act in a social situation; such as
a group (Toseland & Rivas, 2012 pg. 82). Norms developed between individuals form within the group.
As the group has different sessions, it is normal for natural group environment to create Norms. During
these sessions, it started with Hollie, tending to cause disruption and unacceptable behavior grows is
examine as a norm for her. Each person tolerated Hollies behavior as this grow to be the norms for the
individuals, as Hollies way of communicating. Norms are developed depending on whether the action
and interaction start with the others members. The individuals members place the tone what used to
indicate the norms of the group.
As the social worker, I introduce myself as Ms. Hawthornes with a little pitch moderate voice
along with my technique of facilitating was a norm for the member as well. The way I conduct the session
and permit each to be in the master of their observations, actions, and viewpoint were norms for the
group. The other norms, I notice with the individuals different technique of communication and the
power struggles linking the group members. There was a great deal of open communication throughout
the sessions the discussions linking the group members, with little degree redirection from me as I
facilitator. During the discussion it was a norm for Hollie, Shellisa and Kyle to be more verbal than
Crystal. Another norm for this group was the position arrangement for the clients seat. The group
members sat in away where all of them were facing each other and me, setting up the norm that took
place during every session.
Another norm for the group was the occurring challenging that conducts oneself between the
individuals within the group. Each meeting there was a structured conversation or continuation from the
last session. Besides, there was a diverse but tightly connected topic for the individual members to tackle
and elaborate. There were verbal norms and non-verbal norms that I notice in the group sessions. Roles
are very similar to norms. In the group meetings, I saw eachs role fitting into known for strong roles
within the group. In my opinion, Hollie situation is the deviant member in the group. Crystals role is the
private member of the group. Shellia would be the conservative member of the group. I would consider

Group Process Analysis

Hollie to be the monopolizer of the group. I observed Kyle in a couple different roles he can stand up as a
leader and sacrifice himself as the scapegoat.
Level of Cohesiveness Ending Phase
At this time, the magnitude of cohesiveness has been established. The group members have
become a closer association with one another bonding together by exchanging information on each other
background and a self-disclosure. As a facilitator, my goals along with a list of items that is up for
discussion as a part of a group session. Each has provided information with the group concerning
themselves; whether it is learning about their concerning in one's private life and professional. The
magnitude of communication is powerful, and the members are rather approachable. The group dynamics
notice is social integration, communication, influence, cohesion, and interaction. The individual of the
group is providing encouragement of one another with guidance, viewpoint and defending their
statements.
Many of the self-disclosure is admitting the group individuals to understand why additional
people may be in the group or their situation. As a facilitator enabling the group members as they advance
in a specified direction toward facing why more people are in the group. In this phase, positive emotions
are being confronted as well as negative emotions. There is the challenging situation Shellisa is facing,
and Crystal is involved then it is noticeable how she shy away.
Impression
In the first session, the group members are at this point introducing themselves. At once, my idea
of the individuals were therefore recognized as they started to introduce themselves. Crystal came across
as showing nervousness and passive. She stutters when her words came out and had an extremely soft
spoken. Crystal came across to me as the insufficient amounts of self-confidence, and I suppose she
experience with some establish of trauma or disability. Shellisa felt she was attending the meeting because
she is continuously over a period accused of being lesbian even though she is not. The impression of

Group Process Analysis

Shellisa is that she have a desire to possess help in finding out why others perceive her as a lesbian.
Lastly, Hollie comes across offensively impolite, tending to cause disruption and showing a lack of
respect to other group members. She kept interrupts other people in the group conversation while the
person was speaking and interjects with ill-mannered comments.
As the facilitator, this primarily purposes why some ground rules for the group established. I
emphasized the requirements because it is essentially important to respect other individuals in the group
which are clearly not noticed by Hollie. During the second session, As the facilitator leading the group to
familiarize oneself how they viewed with being in relationships and made me interested looking forward
to what the next phase would be about. Hollie begins saying that her father hit her across the head with a
broomstick when she had an argument with his girlfriend. As it goes on, Hollie suggested that her father
was a punk, I became not interested. There was not anything professional when using vulgar language.
I did feel Hollie disclose deeper emotional problems with her father and men in general. She seems
resentful that her father did not give her anytime and that she did not have a mother in her life. I feel her
outburst of lack of respect and referring to men as punks are as a consequence of the dysfunctional
upbringing she felt she had. It was not until as the facilitator asks Shellisa about her boyfriend that my
feelings changed. When Hollie interrupts Shellisa, she uses a mumble racial mark that I felt was very
disrespectful. It seems like she was patiently delaying to attack verbally her. Crystal instantly starts acting
as if she took on the role of facilitator in the group during the time of the meeting when Hollie interrupts
Shellisa. Hollie comments after Shellisa states her boyfriends indiscretions give the impression that
Shellisa was passive and did not handle her personal situation the right way. Also, as the facilitator
Crystal was addressed to inquire about her relationship. Crystal speaks about the people in her life and
how her aunt and uncle was the parent. I felt deep regret for her when she talked about her uncle death. At
that moment, it was as if Hollie showed concern for Crystal situation.
Plan of Action Plan for Change

Group Process Analysis

During the different sessions, the group has taken a changed in their behavior from being irritable
and rude to one another to working properly with each other as a group. However, they may not become
best of friends but a lease they respect each other. Therefore, one of the ways for the group to continue to
be effective is keeping their regular session and from the meeting the group can learn to understand their
background. Just like at the beginning of this session identifying is what help change each of their
behavior, even if these clients only notice that it is three women, and one man in this group make them
don't see any similarities that they can identified. When the group realizes the more they have in common,
a bond will be formed that can help hostile behavior when it arrive toward each other.
Group Effectiveness
For this group to be more effective, they need to stop putting each other down. For example,
Mickey is constantly picked on for being too emotional or accused of being homosexual. For a group to
strive and be effective, they need to learn to bring each other up and work together to help each of them
notice their own potential. Once the group continues to work together, which they have done throughout
the sessions, they will be effective.
Diversity and Plan to Respond
With this group setting, though many of the individuals would be stereotyped as being the same,
the group is really diverse and has a lot of differences from each other. Though the diversity throughout
this group is very evident, they also have a lot of similarities. I believe a great way to address the
diversity, is to address the similarities. Many of the group members have already taken the liberty to
explain how they are different, and some better than others. They have not taken the time to appreciate
why they have all been brought together to the same group and what similarities that they have. Through
addressing their similarities, I believe that not only will the group appreciate their differences but they can
also work together effectively and respect each other.
Ending Phase

Group Process Analysis

The social workers behavior will continue to change throughout the group stages. In the
beginning phase, the social workers emphasis is on relationship building. In the middle phase, the focus
is on the consolidating of relationships, defining roles and strengthening the trust in those relationships
within the group. There is a deepening of the interpersonal relationships and a greater group cohesion
that begins to appear during the middle stage. We were able to see a strong group cohesion form during
the third session of the group. The cohesion was evident when Herb spoke about his traumatic life
experience. This led to the group feeling sorry and was understanding of Herbs situation and loss.
The final phase or end stage includes forming those links between the members of the group to
enable them to work to the end and continuing to progress. The ending phase is also characterized by the
completion and evaluation of the groups efforts. Where an assessment of the groups members would be
make to highlight their accomplishments and the area that may still need work. Dr. Bruh would ensure
that achievement of the groups goals was met. There are many factors that lead to the ending or
termination of a group. Because we did not witness any termination of group members it is safe to say
that termination would be planned.
Members of the group took on many roles throughout the process recordings. The roles
experienced in the sessions were. Dr. Bruh was the facilitator who accepted his role with in the group.
Our group defined Jermaine as the deviant member in the group who at times denied his role but most
time accepted the role. Crystals role is the quiet member of the group. I believe that he did not accept
his role only because he did not see himself as others may have interrupted him. Mr. Clyde was the
defensive member of the group. Mr. Clyde accepted his role but was unsure as to why he was included in
the group in the first place. Mickey was known to monopolize the group. I personally believe that he was
in denial of this role. I observed Carl (Divine) in a couple different roles; the scapegoat and the leader.
There were times where he was a strong leader of the group and would help lead meaningful conversation
between them members of the group. Then there were times where he was the one playing the victim and
the perpetrator.

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Communication is an essential part of the process. It is important to realize how critical

communication can be and how it can lead to a productive meaningful session.

References

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Shulman, Lawrence, (2009). The Skills of Helping Individuals, Families, Groups, and
communities (6th ed). Itasca, ILL: Peacock Publishing.
Toseland, R. W., & Rivas, R. F. (2012). Understand Group Dynamics. An introduction to group
work practice (7th ed., pp. 82,87). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.