Therapy sessions Essay

Group Therapy Schedule and Attendance

Every week, group therapy sessions should be held at the same location, at the same time, and on the same day. Because of the established schedule, this will motivate many people to attend the meetings. To encourage complete attendance and involvement, it is critical to screen each group member to establish whether the participants have memory or cognitive impairments. After this is established, members who exhibit such behavior should be reminded to attend the sessions via phone calls or letters, ideally a day before the meetings. Attention must be given to the space size of the conference hall, the location and how accessible it is to those who are expected to attend the sessions. The acoustics, temperature, illumination as well as the sitting arrangement plays a significant role in setting the right mood and providing the best atmosphere for the group session (Bonhote, Romano-Egan & Cornwell, 1999).

Increasing Group Interactions

Another strategy is to increase group interactions which can improve on positive outcomes of the sessions. This can be achieved by introducing activities that all participants can be able to carry out with a focus on making them feel good about themselves, improve the quality of life and adaptation to the present. The positive outcomes from such activities can be attained when the group is kept intact throughout the sessions and monitoring of the whole process by protecting the weak members and addressing the negative issues that may cause the sessions to deteriorate (Wheeler, 2014). It is important to note that one should not prod or press for insights from the participants, rather one should act as an informal and caring leader of the group. One should strive to know something about each member and give everyone equal attention, will improve the relationship of the group and avoid disagreements that may lead to deterioration of the group sessions. Initiating discussions by sharing some few memories with the members as well as assuring them of confidentiality improves the effectiveness of group therapy with older adults (Rice, 2015).

References

Bonhote, K., Romano-Egan, J., & Cornwell, C. (1999). Altruism and creative expressions in a long-term older adult psychotherapy group. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 20(6), 603– 617. doi:10.1080/016128499248394

Rice, A. (2015). Common therapeutic factors in bereavement groups. Death Studies, 39(3), 165– 172. doi:10.1080/07481187.2014.946627

Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2014). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice. New York, NY: Springer.