George M. Gazda

Organizational and Political Issues in Counseling Psychology Recommendations for Change

The Organizational and Political Issues Group focused on managerial, structural, and political issues in counseling psychology. Papers were presented by 11 counseling psychologists on 13 basic issues that had been identified by the planning

Life skill training: psychoeducational training as mental health treatment.

Fifty-four patients of a Veterans Administration Medical Center were assigned to either a life-skill training program that emphasized psychoeducational instruction and skill building or to a group counseling control condition. Subjects assigned to life-skill training were provided with 28 hours of instruction in interpersonal communication, purpose in life problem solving, and physical fitness/health maintenance. Control subjects received equal time engaged in psychiatric treatment that emphasized the analysis and exploration of personal problems, but with no direct coping skill training. Significant differences between the two groups were found on measures of interpersonal communication and meaningful purpose in life. Both groups received lower staff ratings on psychopathological behavior and demonstrated improvement on ratings of health and physical fitness upon completion of treatment. Twelve- and 24-month follow-up data that include rehospitalization rates are presented for each group.

Looking to the Future Themes from the Third National Conference for Counseling Psychology

Across the five work groups that comprised the Third National Conference for Counseling Psychology a number of common themes emerged. Discussions of identity affirmed the value of the scientist-practitioner model and of traditional strengths such as prevention, life-span development, and skill-building as well as innovative and nontraditional functions. Among the ideas that were endorsed by multiple workgroups were strategies to enhance counseling psychologys visibility and political strength and to build mechanisms for proactive planning into governance. Ways to improve the training of counseling psychologists by enhancing rigor, scientific thinking, professional identity, and ability to work in diverse and emerging settings also received substantial attention. Overall, deliberations of the groups resulted in substantial convergence and a set of specific goals and plans for the future.

An Overview of the Third National Conference for Counseling Psychology Planning the Future

This report (a) describes the issues and planning process that led up to the Georgia conference and (b) summarizes the background and characteristics of the conference participants.

Extended Group Interaction Interpersonal Functioning as a Developmental Process Variable

The relationship between interaction style and the duration of a counseling or therapy group suggests that differential processes or stages occur as the group develops over time. The group leader recognizes that it takes time to build into a group the characteristics which facilitate growthful interactions and that early interpersonal exchanges are qualitatively different from the later ones. Some writers (Bonney, 1969; Gazda, 1972; Hill, 1965) view the development of group interaction style as an orderly, sequential progression which, in successful groups, leads to optimal group conditions. Based on clinical experience, Gazda (1972: 33-35) proposed four stages in the development of group process: the Exploratory stage, the Transition stage, the Action stage, and the Termination stage. Hill (1965) found in studying several different groups that interaction can be classified into two general dimensions termed content and work style with subclassifications that make up an interaction matrix. The cells generated by the matrix describe qualitatively different interaction and can be conceptualized in ierarc ica or er

Group counseling and therapy: A perspective on the future

Abstract The development of group procedures and current practices is reviewed, and deficits in traditional procedures are cited. A proposal for training in social and life skills is provided.

Multidimensional Scaling: A Technological Breakthrough for Family Therapy

Abstract This article explains a technique for assessing perceptual structure known as INDSCAL multidimensional scaling. Its successful development from psychophysics to small group dynamics suggests a particularly optimistic future for its application in families. Rather than limiting the familys structural assessment to the criteria chosen by the experimenter or clinician, INDSCAL allows for the idiosyncratic evaluation of this small group based on what the family believes is important. In general, INDSCAL can serve as a supplemental assessment instrument to make initial plans for therapy or as an evaluation of the process of therapy

Rex Stockton and the Association for Specialists in Group Work: The Power of Working Together

ABSTRACT This article examines the breadth and depth of Rex Stocktons contributions to the Association for Specialists in Group Work since its inception.