Group Counseling in the Schools

Abstract

School psychologists are increasingly being confronted with a wide spectrum of psychological, psychosocial, familial, and home-school issues impacting child development. With one in six children raised in alcoholic families, with divorce impacting approximately 60% of families, and with such issues as teenage pregnancy, parental neglect, as well as sexual and physical abuse affecting large numbers of children and youths, many practitioners are interested in interventions which can directly assist children in school settings. Group counseling represents one viable and valuable intervention. This article reviews existing studies on group counseling, discusses major stages of group process, outlines legal and structural issues in forming school groups, provides a case study, and generally explores the positive contributions of group counseling in the schools.

Key Words:

• Groups in schools
• school counseling
• child problems
• family counseling
• school psychologist involvement