Verified Document

Group Dynamics In Support Groups Research Paper

The groups I attended were well organized. There is a rule however that was constantly broken in each of the group sessions I attended. The rule is called cross-talk and when a member is sharing their story or whatever it is they decided to participate to the group, the other members are supposed to be in complete silence. Each member is given between three to five minutes to speak as they please with no interruptions. However, members were often interrupted in meetings. It seemed as if many of these interruptions may have been caused by newcomers who were not used to the format. Yet in each case, if the disruption was too disruptive to the group then the leader would moderate and redirect the group to the speaker's attention.

Even if the distractions were not so prominent, they were still present. People would nod their heads in agreement or mutter some kind of message under their breadth. However, just gestures did not really cause much of a disruption for the speaker and in many cases it actually helped them to feel more comfortable. In both AA groups that I attended the meetings flowed smoothly from the different steps of the meeting. The NA meetings did not run quite as smoothly however.

Some of the members of the NA meeting...

Some of them would doze off during at different points in the meeting. Others would have trouble sitting straight up in their chairs. And still others were shaky and disoriented. However, in the AA meetings I did not notice anyone that seemed to be under the influence of alcohol while at the NA meetings some of the members were clearly "using" at the time. Apparently, most of the AA members where there voluntarily, while a greater percentage of the NA meetings participants were there under some kind of mandate by an authority of some sort. The NA meetings were less effective in my opinion with the quality of participation by the members were much lower.
Works Cited

Harris, J. (2013, June 8). The Group Dynamics of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Meetings and the ritual ceremonies of Bill Wilson chanting and worship. Retrieved from Orange Papers: http://www.*****/forum/node/1638

Sharma, M., & Branscum, P. (2010). Is alcoholics anonymous effective? Journal of Alcohol & Drug Education, 3-6.

Young, L. (2011). Alcoholism and identity: How an alternative framing of identity can facilitate Alcoholics Anonymous research. Addiction Research & Theory, 213-223.

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Harris, J. (2013, June 8). The Group Dynamics of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Meetings and the ritual ceremonies of Bill Wilson chanting and worship. Retrieved from Orange Papers: http://www.*****/forum/node/1638

Sharma, M., & Branscum, P. (2010). Is alcoholics anonymous effective? Journal of Alcohol & Drug Education, 3-6.

Young, L. (2011). Alcoholism and identity: How an alternative framing of identity can facilitate Alcoholics Anonymous research. Addiction Research & Theory, 213-223.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Group Dynamics the Objective of
Words: 1528 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

The social worker in group therapy has a responsibility to avoid personal bias and to enable others in the group to do the same and rather than being put off by differences among group members to respect and embrace those differences. Bibliography Context, Engagement, Assessment, Intervention, Evaluation: The Heart of Social Work Practice -- Chapter 8, The Social Group Work Process. (2011) School of Social Work, Texas State University -- San

Group Stage of Development Individual
Words: 2146 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

The AA also provides a strong network of relationships that is important for the recovery and support process as pointed out by Khantzian & Mack, (1994, pp.348). The steps are important since they assist the alcoholics in becoming patient. They also admit that they are reckless and out of control. They also give up the alcoholic struggle with self and the bottle in order to allow the higher power as

Group Therapy Case Study John
Words: 2325 Length: 7 Document Type: Case Study

In understanding further that the session referenced is focused on imparting ways in which group members may improve their own lives, group members additionally view John not as a friend but as an enemy capable only of passing judgment upon them. Leader Interventions and Potential Outcomes At this point, in viewing the severe lapse in productivity due to power structure and lack of trust within the group, it is clear that

Group Social Work: Nurturing Father's Program the
Words: 2494 Length: 8 Document Type: Essay

Group Social Work: Nurturing Father's Program The group investigated for this paper is the Nurturing Father's Program. I encountered the Nurturing Fathers Program while working for my state's child protective services division (DCFS). The NFP is an evidence-based, 13-week training course designed to teach parenting and nurturing skills to men. Each 2 1/2-hour class provides proven, effective skills for healthy family relationships and child development" (Nurturing Fathers, 2012). The goal of

Group Dynamics: Working As a Nurse-Midwife Working
Words: 895 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Group dynamics: Working as a nurse-Midwife Working as a midwife requires me to function as a member of a team, not simply an individual nurse. The midwife must coordinate her advice with other components of the patient's obstetric treatment team. The midwife must also work well with the patient's family. Groups are often said to be either task-oriented or person-oriented (Group Dynamics 1 PowerPoint, Slide 8). In the case of the

Group Observation the Breaking Down
Words: 1302 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

At the third session, the same member expressed sympathy for the same woman and both of them shed some tears. By the third session I observed it became apparent that the group was solidly within the third stage, developing the cohesiveness necessary to meet the group goals. When any group member exhibited resistance or antagonism, another member would point it out before a leader had to say anything. I

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now