Get Instant Help From 5000+ Experts For
question

Writing: Get your essay and assignment written from scratch by PhD expert

Rewriting: Paraphrase or rewrite your friend's essay with similar meaning at reduced cost

Editing:Proofread your work by experts and improve grade at Lowest cost

And Improve Your Grades
myassignmenthelp.com
loader
Phone no. Missing!

Enter phone no. to receive critical updates and urgent messages !

Attach file

Error goes here

Files Missing!

Please upload all relevant files for quick & complete assistance.

Guaranteed Higher Grade!
Free Quote
wave

Evaluate the benefits and challenges of group counselling as opposed to one-on-one counselling, based on the life-issues faced by any one of the following groups - 

• Children 
• Teenagers or adolescents 
• Young adults 
• Elderly 

Your essay should include:

• An introduction to group counselling.
• An analysis of a life-issue commonly encountered at the particular age group. 
• A description of challenges associated with their particular life-issue. 
 An analysis of the pros and cons of group counselling as applied to their life-issues.
• A conclusion on the effectiveness of group counselling. 

Introduction to Group Counselling

The concept of group counselling consists of a group of around ten to twelve people who meet on a weekly basis along with a trained counsellor or a therapist in order to discuss about the problems and the struggles which they are facing. These sessions also help in finding suitable solutions to problems which the participants face so that they might lead stress free and better lives. The nature of the problems which these groups discuss might range from a vast amount of problems to certain specific issues. The concept of group counselling is considered to be effective in the sense that it provides an opportunity for the participants to interact freely and understand each other’s problems as also to suggest possible solutions. The members are also provided with opportunities to develop their social skills and different methods of relating to different methods of the society in a representative smaller space. There are bound to be positive as well as negative aspects of group counselling. Nevertheless the therapeutic powers of such sessions cannot be underestimated in any way. There have been several positive instances of people being benefited by such sessions where they learn to look at the positive side of life.

The target group chosen in this particular scenario is that of young adults basically aged between 18 to 30 years. The issues which these category of people face including that of peer pressure, family issues, balancing school or university along with work are also discussed. The benefits of group counselling in this particular aspect are discussed.

Young adults have to face several issues in their lives. These issues are bound to make their lives more and more complicated. The most significant issue faced by young adults is peer pressure and the pressure to always be better than the others. This is also in connection to balancing the studies and work life (O'Rourke & Worzbyt, 2013).

These issues influence the lives of the young people and due to this reason they face problems in balancing their lives along with their other commitments and responsibilities. Peer pressure can be a huge impediment or a problem to a section of the young adults. Very rarely the issue of peer pressure is positive. It is rather negative in most of the cases. Based on the individual’s social group the concept of peer pressure is representative of the social influences that affects the young adults (Feltham, Hanley & Winter, 2017).

Analysis of real-life issue faced by young adults

There are different types of stress that might lead to the problematic patterns in behaviour and degrees of recklessness. The peer pressure is responsible for young adults’ decisions ranging from the types of clothes they wear to the usage of drugs. It is believed that parents need to intervene at certain severe situations so that the individuals no not commit major errors. The young adults need to be properly explained by their parents and guardians so that they can control the amount of pressure which arise in their lives from their peers (McLeod, 2014).

In several situations the peers influence one’s life in ways one cannot realise. Spending time is often an influential factor in giving pressure to the individuals working or studying together. It is normal nature to listen and learn from other people in one’s group. Peer pressure is basically the social pressure by members of one’s peer group to take a certain action or adopt certain values or otherwise conform to normalities in order to be accepted. The age group of young adults is that phase in which there is the maximum amount of exposure to the world outside and the time when a majority of the time is spent with friends or members from the same age group (Geldard, Geldard & Foo, 2015).

It is necessary to understand the importance of peer pressure in connection to risk factors and the levels of difficulties involved in surviving. The risk factors are basically those situations which might influence the chances of the youth’s engagement in risky behaviours. These factors have been identified with individuals, family environments,, social requirements and the communities (Baer, 2015).

Peer pressure is basically a type of normative social influence. It basically arises from the need to be liked as well as accepted by others. It happens that there is a subconscious need to conform to particular patterns of behaviour for conforming to others expectations. Peer pressure by itself is neither positive nor negative. Both high and low academic achievements are closely linked to peer influences. The peer groups are a major factor in the academic as well as workplace success. People get influenced by the group of which they are a part. The bad habits or influences which are negative are bound to happen if they are the habits of members of their group (Dowling & Rickwood, 2013).

There are several challenges associated with the concept of peer pressure. There are numerous issues related to the concept of body image and issues of self esteem. There are feelings which are associated with the concept of the image and their own self respect. There are situations where the young adults rarely like anything in themselves. They feel that they are not up to the mark. They also suffer from the problems of identity crisis. They have issues of adjusting to the norms and conditions which are basically considered to be popular. These might lead to negative behavioural patterns and very low self esteem. Negative comments might lead the young adults to feel low (O'Rourke & Worzbyt, 2013).

Description of challenges associated

Another severe issue faced by the young adults is that of trolling. Trolling is not necessarily related to the lives of the adults. It might also be regarding the ways in which they behave and react. Cyber-trolling which occurs as a result of the technological advancement demeans the individuals and makes them suffer from inferiority complex in several cases. This leads to destroyed friendships and even other forms of relationships. This needs to be avoided as much as possible (Dumas, Ellis & Wolfe, 2012).

Peer pressure in many cases directly or indirectly leads to the problems of depression. It might arise from a plethora of reasons. Poor sleep patterns and eating disorders occur in individuals suffering from depression. In case of young adults there often is an increasing urge to feel accepted. It might also happen that the individuals might experience imbalance in the sleeping patterns, declined interest in normal and also healthy activities and preferred reasons for isolation. Therefore it is necessary to choose one’s company wisely (McMahon, 2014).

Drugs and alcohol addiction are one of the most severe issues which the young adults face. This issue might lead the individuals to face issues with the law and be scarred for life. However in the particular age group discussed, it is quite difficult for the youth to refrain from such an addiction as they do not realise the significance of such problems before they harm their lives.

Cyber addition is also an issue which needs proper mention in this connection. Often the ability of an individual to think clearly and genuinely is wasted. It This leads to issues which might cause the youth to remain engaged for long hours to the different variants of technology and ultimately become cyber addicts which might lead the youth to face issues like distress, issues of withdrawal, mental and physical issues which is responsible for impairing the quality of their lives.

Of all the issues which the adults face today the most significant and impactful is that of peer pressure which is as discussed above. To stop the negativity from impacting the lives of the youth and to help those already in trouble counselling is a noteworthy option which might remove the stigmatic and detrimental issues from their lives.

Group counselling is a way out to resolve the issues that young adults have to deal with. It might prove beneficial to the individuals if they diligently follow the techniques and suggestions that the guides or counsellors provide at the sessions.

Group counselling is beneficial as it helps expose the participants to a variety of problems which arise in the lives of young adults. It provides an opportunity to learn from past mistakes. Important aspects about coping with life are mentioned in these sessions which educate the participants and helps cultivate a positive attitude. Group therapy helps come to the realisation that an individual is not alone and he or she has people to share problems with. It is true that different people have different problems and different struggles but it is good to realise that they are not alone which is possible by group counselling.

Several individuals who come to the group counselling sessions might feel lonely and isolated and the engagement with other members of the group help them in overcoming their feelings of isolation. Once they have overcome their loneliness, they are more receptive to the suggestions of positivity, hope, inspiration, encouragement and improvement (Kiran-Esen, 2012).

It is often considered that group therapy is unfocussed and impersonal. The counsellors often give guidance on the nature in which the conversation should flow and not on the actual solutions to the problems. The facilitators need to be properly experienced in order to discuss potentially harmful situations instead of ignoring them.

One-to-one counselling is that method in which an individual can discuss his or her problems on a one on one basis with a counsellor or expert. This method of counselling has the benefits of confidentiality and stating the issues one is facing freely to the expert. In this situation a person does not have to worry about what other people might think of his or her problems. Thus an individual can freely confide and share any problem he or she is facing.

In case of individual counselling the adults who share and discuss their problems do not have to worry about the reactions of other individuals belonging to the same age group who might be more successful or established in comparison to them.

In several cases the individual or group counselling is applicable specifically. The issue needs to be studied and group or individualistic therapy methods are to be applied depending on the state of the individual and which form of therapy he is receptive to.

The final decision to join the session depends on the individual and hence it is solely in their hands. In several cases therefore individual counselling is better as it caters to the individual needs of the clients and the counsellors give their complete attention to the problems which they state.

The rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) is basically a type of emotive therapy which focuses on resolving the emotional and behavioural problems and disturbances in a person’s life. It helps in the resolution of emotional and behavioural problems and disturbances which enables the young adults to lead happier lives (McMahon 2014).

Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy distinguishes itself from other cognitive behavioural approaches by placing irrational and rational beliefs at its core. According to this therapy, rational beliefs are defined as beliefs which are flexible, non-extreme and logical. In contrast to this, the irrational beliefs are rigid, extreme and illogical.

Research in this field has led to the conclusion that irrational beliefs in an individual are related to or in other words or associated with a vast range of emotional and also the behavioural outcomes that weaken the mental health. Therefore the research examines the mental health outcomes and indicates that the irrational beliefs are a risk factor for mental illness and the rational beliefs are a protective factor for mental illness.

The group counselling helps a particular adult discuss and determine which aspect of his life leads him or her to think irrational thoughts and have negative thinking procedures.

Conclusion: Effectiveness of group counselling:

Group counselling is an important tool to benefit people suffering from severe issues related to peer pressure. There are different opinions on the effectiveness of group counselling. While many people feel that it is a genuine effective tool, others feel that other forms of counselling or individual counselling are comparatively better. No matter whatever the issue, the importance of group counselling and therapy cannot be ignored.

In significance to this, the challenges and limitations faced by the group counsellor are important. It is basically the nature of the counsellor or how he is as a person which helps facilitate the process of the conduction of group counselling. The counsellors who work with the clients who have faced severe problems themselves deal with pain on hearing their stories. The issues which are related to abuse of any nature are bound to impact the minds of the group counsellors or the conductors of the sessions as well. It it also worthwhile to note that the counsellors are themselves humans and deal with their own problems and stress in their daily lives. Balancing their responsibilities and personal expectations and also conducting therapy sessions might sometimes prove to be daunting. The training and competence of the counsellors are also questioned.

Multicultural counselling is also common where the multicultural expertise and competence of the counsellor is at test. The survivors of severe abuse in the past might put forward many relational challenges to the counsellor. It is necessary that a counsellor be trustworthy and always provides a safe relational context which is in contrast to the possible past experiences to the client. There are also certain issues facing the counsellors who are just beginning taking sessions regarding starting of the group, the techniques to be used, the time to wait for the group to start an activity, the effects of preferring some people over the others and the effectiveness to deal with several issues.

Thus the effectiveness of the counsellor as a person is also crucial in order to make the therapy sessions a success.

References:

Baer, R. A. (Ed.). (2015). Mindfulness-based treatment approaches: Clinician's guide to evidence base and applications. Academic Press.

Dowling, M., & Rickwood, D. (2013). Online counseling and therapy for mental health problems: A systematic review of individual synchronous interventions using chat. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 31(1), 1-21.

Dumas, T. M., Ellis, W. E., & Wolfe, D. A. (2012). Identity development as a buffer of adolescent risk behaviors in the context of peer group pressure and control. Journal of adolescence, 35(4), 917-927.

Feltham, C., Hanley, T., & Winter, L. A. (Eds.). (2017). The SAGE handbook of counselling and psychotherapy. Sage.

Geldard, K., Geldard, D., & Foo, R. Y. (2015). Counselling adolescents: The proactive approach for young people. Sage.

Kiran-Esen, B. (2012). Analyzing peer pressure and self-efficacy expectations among adolescents. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 40(8), 1301-1309.

McLeod, J. (2014). Doing research in counselling and psychotherapy. Sage.

McMahon, G. (2014). Handbook of counselling. Routledge.

O'Rourke, K., & Worzbyt, J. C. (2013). Support groups for children. Taylor & Francis.

Cite This Work

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below:

My Assignment Help. (2021). Group Counselling Vs One-on-One Counselling: Benefits And Challenges For Young Adults. Retrieved from https://myassignmenthelp.com/free-samples/tsl688-applied-research-project/concept-of-group-counselling.html.

"Group Counselling Vs One-on-One Counselling: Benefits And Challenges For Young Adults." My Assignment Help, 2021, https://myassignmenthelp.com/free-samples/tsl688-applied-research-project/concept-of-group-counselling.html.

My Assignment Help (2021) Group Counselling Vs One-on-One Counselling: Benefits And Challenges For Young Adults [Online]. Available from: https://myassignmenthelp.com/free-samples/tsl688-applied-research-project/concept-of-group-counselling.html
[Accessed 29 March 2024].

My Assignment Help. 'Group Counselling Vs One-on-One Counselling: Benefits And Challenges For Young Adults' (My Assignment Help, 2021) <https://myassignmenthelp.com/free-samples/tsl688-applied-research-project/concept-of-group-counselling.html> accessed 29 March 2024.

My Assignment Help. Group Counselling Vs One-on-One Counselling: Benefits And Challenges For Young Adults [Internet]. My Assignment Help. 2021 [cited 29 March 2024]. Available from: https://myassignmenthelp.com/free-samples/tsl688-applied-research-project/concept-of-group-counselling.html.

Get instant help from 5000+ experts for
question

Writing: Get your essay and assignment written from scratch by PhD expert

Rewriting: Paraphrase or rewrite your friend's essay with similar meaning at reduced cost

Editing: Proofread your work by experts and improve grade at Lowest cost

loader
250 words
Phone no. Missing!

Enter phone no. to receive critical updates and urgent messages !

Attach file

Error goes here

Files Missing!

Please upload all relevant files for quick & complete assistance.

Plagiarism checker
Verify originality of an essay
essay
Generate unique essays in a jiffy
Plagiarism checker
Cite sources with ease
support
Whatsapp
callback
sales
sales chat
Whatsapp
callback
sales chat
close