Ten Tips for the Facilitation of Virtual Groups

ABSTRACT

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked new challenges that disrupt both individual daily routines and the collective ability for people to collaborate through group work. As the necessity of technological integration expands throughout all occupational fields, group workers and helping professional must also adapt to new virtual landscapes. The ten tips included in this article were created by the ASGW Special Initiatives Committee to provide useful considerations and practical strategies that will aid in the facilitation of ethical, effective virtual groups.

KEYWORDS:

• Group work
• virtual counseling
• virtual groups
• group facilitation
• online

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lorraine J. Guth

Dr. Lorraine J. Guth is a Professor and Clinical Coordinator of Master’s Degree Programs at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on group work, multiculturalism, social justice, sexuality, international counseling, and technology in counselor education. She has published and presented extensively on these topics. She has also participated in cultural immersion/service learning/teaching experiences in Bhutan, Malawi, Italy, Ireland, Turkey, Puerto Rico, and the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota. She is currently the President of the Association for Specialists in Group Work and member of the Special Initiatives Committee.

Emily L. Pepper

Emily L. Pepper is pursuing a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She also has a BA in anthropology from West Chester University. She was a member of the ASGW Special Initiatives Committee and has an interest in community mental health.

Adam F. Stephens

Dr. Adam Stephens is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at SUNY New Paltz. His clinical work has included individual, family, and group counseling at a chemical dependency treatment center and at a residential facility for adolescents with co-occurring diagnoses. His research focuses primarily on issues within counselor preparation and wellness. He currently serves as co-chair of the Association for Specialists in Group Work Special Initiatives Committee.

Brittany L. Pollard-Kosidowski

Dr. Brittany Pollard-Kosidowski is an Associate Professor and the Assistant Chairperson of the Department of Counseling at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her clinical work has centered primarily around counseling marginalized and underserved populations, including clients living with HIV and those incarcerated in maximum security penal institutions. Dr. Pollard-Kosidowski's research focuses on the experiential training of graduate students in niche areas of counseling, such as group work, human sexuality, grief and loss, and social justice advocacy. She has published and presented extensively on these topics. She is active in several professional organizations and currently serves as Co-Chair of ASGW's Special Initiatives Committee, as well as in the role of President for the Pennsylvania Association for Specialists in Group Work.

Jessica Garrow

Jessica Garrow received her Master of Art in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2021. She has experience working with children, adolescents and adults in community mental health facilities.