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Psychotherapeutic Group Plan: Social Skills
Amanda Littlefield
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
Psychotherapeutic Group Plan: Social Skills
Topic Overview
Group therapy offers treatment to multiple individuals at one time, treating many
conditions such as anxiety, depression, trauma, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),
others (Malhotra et al., 2024). Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy, using different
strategies to provide insight to participants to help them increase self-awareness and work
together together to help increase each participants skill. These groups can encourage members
to step out of their comfort zone to practice social skills, emotion regulation, relationship
building and maintaining skills, executive function skills, and many more topics to help decrease
stress, anxiety, and other mental health problems, while also increasing self-esteem and
selfawareness.
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Adolescents are typically not self-referred to psychotherapeutic groups, therefore the
therapist leading the group sessions should prepare for lack of motivation to participate in the
group sessions and resistance, anger, and defiance, thinking outside of the box will be important
when building a group therapy schedule and plan for the adolescent age group (Shechtman,
2025). Also understanding the stressors that adolescents experience in their everyday life is key
for a therapist to build a successful group plan. Middle school is specifically a difficult time for
students in terms of stress, with focus on developing relationships with peers and teachers,
academic stress, self-esteem issues, and basic social skills (Hinze et al., 2023).
Although some students have never been taught appropriate social skills there are also
some who have and this can still be a difficult time with extra support and guidance needed.
Group therapy can help participants increase social skills through several different activities
such as role playing, games, guided group meditation, and others to develop appropriate age
level social skills (Shechtman, 2025).
Through mindfulness in a psychotherapy group setting, participants will develop the
necessary skills to be successful in their everyday life as well as encouraging others to
participate to overcome daily stressors experienced by adolescents. Research has shown that
most mindfulness-based interventions are geared towards adults and then later adapted to
youth, this is important for a therapist working with youth to recognize which mindfulness-
based interventions have not been adapted to fit youth yet so they can adapt them to fit their
group session with the participants they have (Bender et al., 2023). Kalmer et al (2022) found
that mindfulness is not only beneficial during individual sessions but through group sessions as
well, however their study revealed that using this intervention may be most beneficial at certain
times during the group, but encourages it to be used at some point during every group session.
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Understanding how to implement mindfulness and when to do so is key for it to be
effective. Mindfulness can be an effective alternative for increasing adolescent mental health
however, without understanding the group dynamic and the mental health illnesses that are
within the group, mindfulness may be less effective than hoped (Reangsing et al., 2020;
Saarinen et al., 2021). This is important for understanding what techniques would be most
beneficial for supporting participants who struggle with mental health, executive functioning,
and social skill difficulties. Although mindfulness is beneficial for improving adolescent mental
health, adding other interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy in a group setting,
together with mindfulness added the best total outcome for treating adolescent mental health
and improving behavior, executive functions, over all well-being, and social skills (Wong et al.,
2023).
This proposed psychotherapeutic group will focus on the topic of social skills among
middle school students, ages 11 years old to 14 years old, during the school day. Students will
participate in activities to increase and develop social skills to help them be successful in their
daily life. Using group therapy as a treatment for youth mental health encourages and allows for
participants to freely express their feelings, ideas, and opinions as well as provides useful
strategies and techniques to use increase their emotional, cognitive, and social challenges
(Felver et al., 2023; Scafuto et al., 2024).
Psychotherapy versus Psychoeducation
Similarities
Psychotherapy and psychoeducation both strive to increase the psychological well-being
of the individual while supporting growth in a safe place. They both allow engagement between
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group participants, sharing experiences, ideas, emotions, and opinions, to further encourage a
safe space where participants will not feel embarrassed or alone in their own experiences
(Yalom & Leszcz, 2020). Although psychotherapy and psychoeducation can both be explored in a
group setting and are sometimes used hand in hand, they differ slightly on the approach,
techniques, and goals of the group.
Psychoeducation
Beginning with psychoeducation, this approach aims to educates participants while
incorporating therapeutic interventions so that participants can increase knowledge and
develop the skills need for a positive outcome (Ericson et al., 2022). Psychoeducational groups
are intended to provide information to group members regarding several different issues, so
that they can gain the necessary skills to be successful in everyday life (Brown, 2018). These
groups educate participants on specific diagnoses with material that is directed towards that
group’s topic, while providing information that encourage the use of techniques that help
develop a deeper understanding on how to manage one’s psychological illness more effectively
(Baourda et al., 2021). In conclusion, psychoeducation group’s main goal is to provide
information and for participants to build skills from the information learned.
Psychotherapy
On the other hand, the main goal of a psychotherapy group is to provide techniques that
treat, while exploring participant’s emotions, executive functions, behaviors, and the ability to
process those areas (Yalom & Leszcz, 2020). Participants in this group setting are encouraged to
share their own experiences and engage in conversation with one another to increase positive
relationships and positive emotions (Wei et al., 2021). Within this type of group therapy,
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receiving feedback from other members and the therapist help for growth to develop in
behavior, executive functions, and emotions, allowing for the group itself to be an added tool to
the participants toolbox of strategies to use. Group therapy according to Yalom and Leszcz
(2020), allows for participants to develop a sense of belonging, increasing hope, meaning, and
altruism.
Group Design
Group Composition
The purpose of this psychotherapy group is to provide a structured, safe environment for
students to interact with one another in a respectful manner, allowing for free expression of
emotions, and discussion of personal experiences. This will help to increase their ability to
communicate effectively and appropriately, problem solve, build and maintain relationships
with peers, learn emotional regulation, and increase their self-esteem, this group will provide a
foundation for students to use coping techniques outside of the group atmosphere. The target
audience for this social skills group will be intended for both males and females, ages 11 years
old to 14 years old, all races and ethnicities. This group will be provided to those students who
have had at least three referrals for disruptive behavior in the classroom or inappropriate social
behavior with peers or staff. This composition is beneficial and supportive for the therapeutic
goals as it will allow for participants to explore similarities, developing a sense of belonging,
increasing positive relationships, positive and effective communication and social skills, while
also increasing self-esteem and self-awareness.
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Setting and Structure
This group will be a small group of students, with a maximum number of ten students. It
will be facilitated by a trauma-informed mental health professional trained in leading
psychotherapy groups. The group will take place after normal school hours, once a week, for at
least one hour but not longer than two hours. In addition, students will be able to ride the
activity bus home if transportation after group is needed. Students will meet in the therapy
room to allow for confidentiality of the participants.
Goals
1. Each participant will increase social skills that are effective in building positive
appropriate relationships, support emotional regulation, and increase conflict
resolution through role-playing, games, and other group related work. Each
participant will initiate a conversation with a new peer two times a week.
2. Each participant will identify two nonverbal cues from other participants during each
group session and will use an appropriate nonverbal cue to communicate to others
how they are feeling.
3. Each participant will identify triggers and apply an appropriate coping strategy by the
end of the eight-week psychotherapy group.
4. Each participant will demonstrate appropriate conflict-resolution b identifying one
conflict from the previous week and the strategies used to resolve it weekly.
Guidelines and Expectations
Students will adhere to the following rules and expectations to help provide a safe space for
sharing:
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1. Be respectful to peers and therapist at all times, do not judge.
2. Participation is key to learning; all students must participate in group activities.
3. Confidentiality provides a safe space for all to learn, what is said in this room stays in
this room.
4. Do not interrupt others while they are speaking, your turn will come.
5. We do not discuss those who are not in group.
6. Avoid getting the group off the task or topic at hand.
7. If you are uncomfortable during a discussion please express to therapist.
Group Leader
Role of the Leader
The role of the leader will depend on the type of group and also the style of the leader.
However, no matter the leadership style of the group type, it is key for the leader of the group
to provide a safe, welcoming, and encouraging group setting to the members. The leader
ensures the group’s expectations are being followed and the goals are being met (Nuha et al.,
2024). It is important that the leader model the behavior they are looking for out of the
members. The attitudes of the members will reflect the attitude of the leader. Due to the
participants of this group are not self-referred and may not be motivated to participate, it is
critical for the leader to show they believe in the group and the outcomes it will have. This will
reflect to participants the importance of the group, encouraging openness in the group,
belonging, and that the group will be beneficial for the mental well-being (Brown, 2018).
Middle school students have this extra sense where they may not have confidence and
may not be able to recognize it, but they can recognize when someone else is not confident. As
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a group leader it is important to be confident in the group topic discussion and the information
being delivered. It is also crucial that as the leader one is confident in the ability to deliver
supportive and effective responses to participants. This goes back to modeling behavior and by
modeling self-confidence, the leader is demonstrating to the participants how to be confident
and how that looks to others (Brown, 2018).
Biblical Integration
Guiding Adolescents
Scripture mentions topics that are fitting for most middle school students and topics that
are mentioned during therapy such as respect(1 Peter 2:17), self-confidence (Romans 12:3),
selfdiscipline (2 Timothy 1:7), perseverance (James1:12) , hope (Romans 15:13), self-control
(Titus
2:6), and self-identity (1 John 3:2).
Proverbs 22:6 encourages that if a child is trained in the right way although they may
stray from the right path, they will never depart from it. By providing therapy to adolescents
and encouraging therapeutic techniques for them to be successful in their daily life, this will be
something that never leaves them. They may not also use appropriate coping strategies, or
appropriately express their emotions, but they know how to and they will be able to use them
and develop them as they grow.
Setting a positive example and modeling behavior is key for an effective leader as
mentioned above. Scripture also talks about setting a positive example and being a role model
as a leader. Teens need guidance and as an important part of their development 1 Tim 4:12 and
Eph 4:2 encourage leaders to be a model that guides teens in love, patience, love, speech, and
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kindness. Demonstrating self-control is also important for youth to witness and is encouraged
Biblically as well (Titus 2:6).
Conclusion
This group plan is designed provide effective therapeutic techniques in a safe and
encouraging environment so that participants feel comfortable sharing personal experiences,
emotions, and opinions. Providing expectations and rules to students provide the foundation
that the group will be based on and that is required so that all participants feel safe in sharing
and to be successful. Students in this group will participate in activities that will encourage
growth and allow for participants to create a toolbox to use when the group is completed.
Allowing students to interact with one another, without interruption from the leader allows
students to work through conflicts and grow in conflict resolution skills, increases
communication skills, and gives the opportunity for students to practice impulse control so they
do not interrupt.
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