Ed Jacobs

When Leaders Are Challenged: Dealing With Involuntary Members in Groups

Leading groups can be challenging and difficult. Leading groups in which members are involuntary and negative increases the level of difficulty and creates new dynamics in the group leading process. This article proposes specific skills and strategies for dealing with three specific issues related to involuntary members in groups: groups where all members are involuntary; groups where some members are involuntary; and groups with open membership where involuntary members join groups that are already in progress. The emphasis is on leaders using creative and multi-sensory interventions to insure that members are actively engaged in the group process.

Creative Interventions Using Chairs: Going Beyond Gestalt

In this article, we present numerous ways in which chairs can be used to enhance the counseling process beyond the traditional Gestalt use of chairs. Counselors can use chairs to help clients bring issues into the present, make issues more clear and concrete, understand how interactions unfold, and understand how past experiences affect present-day functioning.

Creative Counseling Techniques Applied to the Business World: The Use of Theory and Creativity in Consultation

ABSTRACT This article presents an overview of the use of impact therapy, a multisensory, creative approach to counseling, in a consultation project the authors conducted with the managers of a local car dealership. The purpose of the consultation was to help the managers with the stress and anxiety associated with working in the car sales industry. Principles of impact therapy, including counseling theory and creative techniques, as well as principles of executive coaching, were used throughout the consultation project.

Learning the Ropes: A Creative Orientation Approach for Counseling Students

ABSTRACT Although the literature base for student retention and attrition within counselor education is somewhat lacking, we can glean much from the general literature on student retention. This study examines a unique orientation program for counseling students aimed at increasing the factors related to counseling student self-efficacy and completion of graduate work. A consensual qualitative research-modified design was used to analyze student reactions to an outdoor orientation program geared toward increasing comfort and reducing student anxiety in regards to beginning their program.