Group Work
I am doing group work (or a series of life-changing workshops, as I have learned to re-word them) at the community mental health center, based on ACT. I am wondering if anyone else is doing similar work.
I started using ACT as soon as I learned of it, with some clients, and started seeing very good outcomes. It seemed natural to me to incorporate it in a group.
The problems inherent in doing this work in a CMHC are myriad. No one else at my agency has even heard of ACT, so I recieve no supervision on what I am doing. Also, there is a severe shortage of time and resources, so I just kind of DO it.
Yet somehow, it seems to be really working well.
Creative hopelessness in a group is almost beautiful.
Today's group focused on defusion exercises for very painful thoughts. Group, (adults, mixed gender), decided they would like create artwork based on this exercise, such as the thought portrayed in purple glitter, or on a page with the words rearranged. (We contracted to do this last class).
I have seen some impressive behavior change in a very difficult to treat and wonderful to work with population, all of whom have had many previous years of therapy.
If anyone has anything to add to this discussion, I would appreciate it.
Thanks.
Thank you for your comments.
Thank you for your comments. That is really helpful!
I think that I have had one drop out from group, which is fine. In the DBT group that I co-lead we get many more drop outs than that!
I am finding pacing a bit difficult. Last week, it seemed that clients wanted all the answers Right Now, and it was only week 3 of a 6 week series. I found that I kept saying that we were going to get to that....but that didn't seem satisfying. I'll take a look at the links, and see how others have organized content.
Self-as-context right away
Hi again Laurie,
Great that you find those comments useful!
I know what you mean by they want answers Right now.....what I do is:
In the informed consent beginning part of the group, I tell participant that they might sometimes feel confusion and I ask them permission to be willing for it.
I also start the group by inducing self-as-context right away (I do it first week) to quiet the mind and pressure to get right now answers. It connects participants with something deeper than the bla-bla-bla and then they can start laughing watching their mind eager to figure it out.
Once self-as-context (observer self) in, you can use it saying "Notice what your mind is doing right now" if they do not see it on the moment. I wish you a rich experience with your group.
Being ACT inspired!
Hello Laurie,
It is a pleasure to read how ACT is inspiring people to create interventions in their community. I am also inspired by the same momentum of doing an ACT Group in my community health center.
After experiencing Kevin Polk's and Jerold Hambright's PTSD group at Togus as "an observer", I made a proposal to the direction of my health center (a little presentation of ACT theory, philosophy and general outline of the group content) and they were more then open to it.
The group is called 'choosing your life".
if you want to see comment of other people about Kevin Polk's and Jerold Hambright's group: http://www.contextualpsychology.org/node/3210
Kevin Polk also did a DVD called "Surfing your stress to succes":
http://www.contextualpsychology.org/node/3989
There is also the treatment protocols section of this website, I find "the general therapy manual" protocol useful too
http://www.contextualpsychology.org/zettle_complete_act
Thanks for sharing your interest with us
ACT In Groups
Laurie,
My colleagues and I do a lot of group work. I have often commented on "Creative Hopelessness" in group. It's a much richer experience than in individual. Overall I find ACT in group to be a very powerful experience. Because of the functional contextual nature of ACT, it is a great way to bring people into the therapy process. I have often advocated for clients coming into a clinic setting be offered a "General Orientation to Therapy" class that provides the functional contextual overview of ACT.
I am happy to hear of your positive experience with ACT in groups. In workshops I often tell people, "If you can put together and ACT group, do it!" I also think that group work is the fastest way to learn ACT.
Contact me if you would like to chat about ACT in group.
Cheers,
Kevin
Kevin L. Polk, Ph.D.
www.drkevinpolk.com
Group
Nice to hear others in groups, i have been doing up to 4 groups per week for 15 years now in the Drug & Alcohol sector. I had some training in ACT one year ago and began to use some of the techniques in one of my groups which was mostly CBT style approaches. After doing an advanced ACT training i decided to go the whole way and begin an ACT specific group, called "Ready 2 ACT". I have many resources since becomin a menber of ACBS. I am wondering if anyone has good resources or access to evaluation forms. Alternatively some suggestions as to how to best create one would be helpful.
Evaluation forms
Yes, it depends what you want to measure.
if I want to measure the impact of the group on psychological flexibility, I use:
The AAQ2
Behavioral activation in direction of values - you have different options: Bull's eye, QVV, or life manual (Polk's version)
General psychological distress (french questionnaire!)
Satisfaction of workshop (usefulness, what they liked not liked, would they recommend it, etc.)
I want those questionnaires to be short. Are you talking about this kind of evaluation or case conceptualisation? If the latter, let me know.
Evaluation
Thanks for your reply,
I was more interested in some raw data that clients can state the value of the group for them and maybe some simple pre and post group questions. Say a client answers at the begining of groupwork and then after 6 weeks answers same questions. Its to build an evidence base for some Goverment funding in my area. I am not highly trained in research so its somewhat qualitative.