Group Dynamics

Description

Groups have become a part of everyday life and practitioners who are capable of understanding self and environment in relationship to groups will succeed. This program is designed for students who want to increase their knowledge and skills in working with groups. We will focus on the unique characteristics and common qualities of small groups. The course will cover group issues such as leadership, decision-making, power and creativity. Students will gain awareness of their own behavior in groups as participants and/or leaders. The students' skill focus will be to develop effectiveness in groups; to improve skills in problem-solving and decision making in groups; and to improve skills in process observation, use of self, feedback, and communication.

As a group participant/observer students will learn to discriminate between observation, interpretation, judgment, description and evaluation. Students will observe and attend to group levels of systems, the individual, interpersonal, sub-group, group and organization. A gestalt perspective will be used as a foundation for group analysis of the internal and external dynamics affecting the group.