GROUP LEADING PROPOSAL 2
Introduction and Background
I do not personally have any experience with leading groups. This is an area that I
always wanted to get involved in but due to different circumstances, it never occurred. I
currently work as a Behavioral Analyst for a company that provides residential services for
people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I study these individuals behaviors and
work with them on getting the negative behaviors to decrease.
When thinking about the type of group I wanted to lead for this assignment, my focus
kept coming back to the people that I work with. Due to different disabilities that they have, they
all struggle with anger management and how to effectively cope with the anger in which they are
feeling. Therefore, the meeting will be on the topic of coping skills. I have seen firsthand the
need of this type of group in the field in which I work.
Group Context
The group that I am wanting to lead would be created solely for this assignment however
if it goes well, the goal would be for it to continue long after this class is over. It will be a closed
group. The purpose of this group would be to have a place where those with intellectual and/or
developmental disabilities can meet to talk about coping skills.
They will be able to talk about what coping skills works for them and what coping skills
do not work for them. I will lead this group without a co-leader. I will provide the individuals
with a types of coping skills that may or may not be new to them.
Setting
The setting for this location will be at my office building in Northern Cambria,
Pennsylvania. We will meet on a September 23rd which is a Monday in the evening from 7:00 to
GROUP LEADING PROPOSAL 3
8:30 PM. The goal is to have between 6-10 individuals at the first meeting. The CEO of the
company has graciously agreed to allow me to hold this group there.
The requirement for the participants is that they have an intellectual and/or
developmental disability and that they are currently struggling with anger issues. Those that are
attending will be between the ages of 21 and 45. As I became aware of this assignment, I had
begun talking with those that I work with to see if any of them would be willing to participate in
a group of this type. Many of those people are eager to participate and just wanted to be made
aware of the date and time to attend so there will be no need for advertising for this group.
Meeting Goal and Norms
The goal of this meeting would be that these individuals can see that they are not alone
with dealing with anger issues and that each person is different in what works for them when it
comes to coping skills. Due to different disabilities, many of these individuals immediately react
to things in anger without taking the time to think about alternative ways to dealing with what
upsets them. Therefore, learning coping skills is essential to help curb the potential of anger
taking over. The warm-up activity that I plan to use is that of “Two Truths and a Lie” where we
will take turns going around the room having everyone tell two truths and one lie and see if the
other members can determine which one is a lie.
My expectations and norms that will be discussed at the beginning of this meeting is that
an attendee does not need to share vocally if they do not feel comfortable and that no one is to
disclose anything that they are not comfortable with others knowing about them (since some of
those with these types of disabilities have difficulty with remembering confidentiality). I will
also be sure to make it known that I am the leader and that I will do my part in keeping the
meeting flowing.
Meeting Content and Process
GROUP LEADING PROPOSAL 4
After introducing myself as the leader and explaining the purpose of the group meeting, I will
discuss the expectations and norms of the group. We will then complete the ice breaker of Two Truths
and a Lie. This should only take about 15 minutes.. I would then lead the meeting into talking about the
topic of coping skills by first asking to complete a round for each member to say one thing that makes
them upset. A round gives each member the opportunity to talk (Jacobs et al., 2016). Also during this
time, I will use the skill of linking by tying together the examples given with what other members have
already stated to show that a lot of people feel the same way (Jacobs et al., 2016). After this round is over,
I will explain what coping skills are and how they are beneficial to helping people cope with difficult
times. I will give an example of a coping skill that works for myself and then by 7:45 PM, I will ask if
anyone else would like to share about coping skills that either work or does not work for them. During
this time, I will use the skill of active listen. Active listening is when the leader listens to not just what is
being said but also listening to the speaker’s body language and tone of voice (Corey et al., 2014). I will
also ask clarifying questions and summarize what was said. If need be, I will also use the skill of cutting
off if a participant is taking up too much time.
After people are done sharing, approximately by 8:10 PM, I will move the group into working on
an exercise concerning deep breathing. I would explain how the use of breathing, as an emotion
regulation skill, is an important tool to use and then would go on to lead the group into having each
member practice a breathing method. To do this, I will have them all close their eyes and take a few big
breaths. Then when they breath in again, I will encourage them to imagine that the air is filled with a
sense of calmness. I will then have them breath out. Once this is done, I will ask for volunteers to
explain how the breathing made them feel. After this is completed, at approximately 8:20 PM, I plan to
use a prop which is a toolbox. This toolbox will be called my coping skills toolbox. I will put into the
toolbox the different coping skills that I know that works well for me so that I have it ready to go if ever
an emergency were to arise that required pulling out a coping skill from the toolbox to help resolve the
issue at hand. I would then go on to encourage everyone to have their own coping skill toolbox in their
mind. I will then end the meeting by 8:30 PM.
GROUP LEADING PROPOSAL 5
Conclusion
I am excited about the thought of leading this group session with these individuals who
each have an intellectual and/or developmental disability. These individuals are great people
who struggle with knowing how to cope appropriately instead of letting their anger overtake
them. Therapy of this type is almost non-existent in our local area, and I feel as though so many
individuals could benefit from it.
References
Corey, C., Corey, M.S., & Haynes, R. (2014). Groups in action: Evolution and challenges (2nd
ed.). Cengage, (DVD and workbook).
Jacobs, E. E., Schimmel, C.J., Masson, R.L., & Harvill, R.L., (2016). Group counseling:
Strategies and skills (8th ed.). Cengage.
