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SOC-OFE Masters Students - Field Experience Manual:
Appendix C. Group Counseling

Group Counseling

Per CACREP, Section 3, E., “students must lead or co-lead a counseling or psychoeducational group.” As such, you are required to accrue at least 10 hours in facilitation of co-facilitation of group counseling relevant to your program of study during internship.

Many sites use group counseling on a regular basis and you can earn hours even beyond the 10 that are required. If you are not at such a site, we encourage you to consult with your site supervisor to generate ideas to assist you in meeting this requirement. Other possibilities may be considered:

  • Offer to begin a group. This is a tremendous learning opportunity for you and an often-used solution. Consider the community and population you and your site are serving. Consider what need a group counseling format could meet. Offer to meet that need through a group counseling format.
    • Social skills and assertiveness for adolescents,
    • Parenting tools for single parents,
    • Coping skills to adjust to recent life stressors,
    • Grief process group for seniors, and/or
    • Career exploration group for students.
    • Keep in mind that satellite offices of the main site are still considered the site and are acceptable for earning hours if your site supervisor or a designee is on location. Similarly, school counseling students may engage in group counseling hours at a different building within your district if your site supervisor or a designee is on location. You must confirm with your field site that any alternative location you might work with is covered by their affiliation agreement with Walden.
  • Consider a secondary site for the purpose of group hours. Many students add a secondary site during one or both quarters of internship for the purpose of group counseling hours. A site that utilizes group counseling on a regular basis is often open to having a student intern co-lead. Keep in mind this will require an additional site supervisor and application process.
  • As a reminder, group counseling can be done remotely (students do need specific approval to engage in TMH).
  • Finally, rely on your site supervisor to define what is and is not considered a counseling or psychoeducational group.