Counseling Children in Groups

To be human is to “live” in groups. The infant is born into a group and does not survive without the care and nurturance of others. Most children have their first group experience in a family, and the influence of that group is both substantial and critical to development (Hart & Risley, 1995). As the child grows, it moves farther and farther out-away from family (parents and siblings) into new and increasingly larger peer groups. Within family and peer groups, children gain language and voice; they create a place for themselves, define their self-worth, and discover what is possible within the boundaries of their lives. The impact of the group on each child is readily observed whenever the child participates within it