From the Inside Out: Group Work With Women of Color

Abstract

This article will present two models for conducting group work with Women of Color (WOC): the SisterCircle Approach and the Group Relations Model. The authors contend that the models, when used together, combine an internal and external focus (“inside out”) of group work that can assist group workers to conduct individual and group-level identity work with WOC and support them in developing integrated identities within social and political contexts that can be hostile to their existence. Theoretical foundations of the models, application, and best practices will be presented. Implications for practice and research will also be discussed.

Keywords:

• group work models
• women of color

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ellen L. Short

Ellen L. Short, Ph.D., and Wendi S. Williams, Ph.D., are associate professors in the Department of Counseling and School Psychology, School of Education, at Long Island University–Brooklyn.