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RUNNING HEAD: SIX SESSION GROUP COUNSELING CIRRICULUM

Six Session Group Counseling Curriculum Brave Girls: Building Self-Esteem Alana Sopko Malone University

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SIX SESSION GROUP COUNSELING CURRICULUM

I. Six Session Curriculum: 1. Title of the Group: Brave Girls: Building Self-Esteem 2. Type of Group: The group will be based off of the Counseling and Support approaches. Members come to group with a common problem (in this case low self-esteem) and together members work to support one another with the leaders help and guidance. 3. Focused Theme: Developing a sense of self-worth and self-confidence in girls. We will also deal with issues of emotions, body image, healthy relationships and so on. 4. Rational: Adolescent and teen girls are one of the most vulnerable populations to threats on self-esteem and therefore at higher risk for: Unhealthy expression of emotions & depression Poor body image Difficulty dealing with stress Trouble making friends and peer pressure

5. Population: Girls from grades 6th through 8th 6. Number of Members: 6 through 10 7. Process of Identifying Members: Teacher Referral Form, Attached 8. Potential Concerns: Topics that become mute or not relevant: shifting topics Members who dominate or members who do not participate Members not going deep enough Members who stop attending or only attend occasionally Not being able to connect with members Not having adequate time, space, resources, etc.

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9. Proposal Letter: Attached 10. Screening Information: Attached 11. Agreement of Participation Form: Attached 12. Informed Consent: Attached (in conjunction with the Agreement of Participation Form) 13. Theoretical Approach Used: (CBT) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and (REBT) Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy 14. Role of Group Leader: Primary responsibility is to make sure that individuals work on their issues and get the best help possible: Create a safe environment Generate member to member interactions while maintain control. Implement activities designed to generate personal growth. Encourage students to engage in activities that build confidence in themselves. Encourage clients to think logically: Identify patterns of self-blame.

15. Activities and Techniques: Because this group will be conducted under the REBT theoretical framework activities be either: cognitive, emotive or behavioral. Some activities and techniques that may be employed are: Disrupting Irrational Beliefs- Attacking shoulds, oughts and musts Doing Cognitive Homework Role Playing Rounds, Dyads and Triads Creative Exercises Written Exercises Movement Exercises

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16. Desired Outcomes: Promoting the Self-Esteem in Adolescent Girls Finding Healthy Ways to Deal With and Express Emotions Developing a Healthy Body Image Dealing with Difficult issues in Constructive Ways Making Friends and Handling Peer Pressure Happy to be Me, Promoting Self-Worth

17. Brochure: Attached 18. Six Session Plan: Attached

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Process of Identifying Members Teacher Referral Form: Dear Faculty and Staff, We are pleased to announce that we will soon be kicking off a Brave Girls counseling and support group in our school district. We are requesting your assistance in pinpointing students whom you believe would benefit most from a group created to shape girls' self-esteem through the group counseling process. Students who participate in our program will be in charge of completing any and all missed work and all homework assignments. Please indicate the name(s) of your students whom you think would benefit most from our program. Each student recommended will be invited to discuss readiness and determine willingness in the program. Feel free to make any comments at the bottom of this sheet. Students Names: _____________________ ____________________________, _____________________ ____________________________, _____________________ ____________________________, Comments: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for your time and participation, Alana Sopko Malone University School Counseling

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Proposal Letter School Administrators, Principles and Superintendent, I am asking you as the school counselor to permit me to put together and run a selfesteem building group here in our middle school. There is a dire need for a group like this in our school district as our students are facing threats to their self-esteem on a daily basis. The group will be counseling and support group for our middle school girls, it will run for six weeks with the meetings taking place once per week. I am recommending that teachers be able to refer students that they believe could benefit from such a group. Once an ample number of students have been identified I plan to accept 6-10 members for my initial group. In the group, which I have entitled, Brave Girls, the students will focus on building confidence through empowerment. Each week I will be discussing a specific topic ranging from dealing with emotions to body image to developing healthy relationships. The girls will learn essential tools for developing and maintain their self-esteem along with coping strategies. This group will run under the REBT theoretical framework and many of the theories and techniques associated with it will be employed. I ask you again to please consider approving this group as I believe it could greatly improve the climate of our school as well as the individual development of our girls. I would like to begin the referral process as soon as possible so please get back after you address the school board and make your decision. Thank you for your time and consideration, Alana Sopko Malone University School Counseling

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Screening Information Student Completion Form: Name: _________________________________ Date: ____________________

The following is a character evaluation that will assist the counselor in getting to know potential members. This self-assessment will help establish your match within the Brave Girls program. All answers given will be treated as confidential and used only to help facilitate the group counseling process. You will be notified if your needs fit those of the Brave Girls program. If for some reason you are not a match for our program, please do not despair, there are plenty of groups offered in our area and ample information on these programs will be provided. Using the following scale, 1 being low and 5 being high, please rate yourself on the following: 1. I Am A Good Listener 1 2 3 4 5 2. I Am Accepting 1 2 3 4 5 3. I Am Confident 1 2 3 4 5 4. I Am Dependable 1 2 3 4 5 5. I Am Good At Handling Peer Pressure 1 2 3 4 5 6. I Am Helpful 1 2 3 4 5 7. I Am Open-Minded 1 2 3 4 5 8. I Am Trustworthy 1 2 3 4 5 9. I Have Leadership Skills 1 2 3 4 5 10. I Have Sufficient Decision Making Skills 1 2 3 4 5 Comments: ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Thank you for your participation. Alana Sopko Malone University School Counseling

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Agreement of Participation Form Dear family of ___________________, We are pleased to announce that we will soon be kicking off a Brave Girls counseling and support group in our school district. This group is intended to promote the self-esteem and development of girls. You are receiving this letter because your daughter has been selected to participate in this groundbreaking program. We will be meeting for six weekly sessions starting on April 16th. In order to participate in the program, your daughter will be expected to finish all class assignments and homework on time. We believe in every student and feel that your daughter's involvement will only strengthen the Brave Girls program! If you would like your daughter to participate in our program please fill out the attached permission slip. Please be aware that this is a volunteer counseling and support group and that the signing the attached document acts as an Agreement of Participation and outlines the details of Confidentiality and Informed Consent. Please carefully read over the Informed Consent document and return the attached form to your daughters school counselor by April 23, 2012. If you have any additional questions please contact Alana Sopko, Phone: (724) 456-4318. Email: agsopko1@malone.edu

Alana Sopko Malone University School Counseling

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Informed Consent The mission of Brave Girls is to encourage the healthy development of self-esteem in all girls. The program is developed under the Cognitive Behavioral theoretical framework and is aimed at peers supporting peers. As such there will be many different techniques employed, some of these being: rounds, dyads, triads, creative exercises, written exercises, role playing and doing cognitive homework. Although the group is on a volunteer basis, once accepted, participation is mandatory. The group will meet weekly for six weeks, each meeting lasting 45 minutes. A full list of ground rules will be distributed during the first session and all students will be expected to follow these guidelines. Students are to respect the multicultural differences of all group members and recognize the validity of opinions that may be different from their own. Students must understand that all information discussed is strictly confidential. Any breach of confidentiality will result in that members immediate dismissal. Exceptions to confidentiality include intentionality to harm self or others; in such cases the proper authorities will be contacted immediately. The counselors role is to help identify strengths of the group while encouraging participation and creating a positive atmosphere. The leader will control the direction of each session to help ensure the maximum amount of growth and development. During a counseling group many members experience feelings that are very powerful and sometimes difficult to deal with, this is a possible risk that the student should be aware of. However, benefits of group therapy outweigh the risks many times over especially if the student is aware of where their emotions are coming from and healthy outlets for them.

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Agreement of Participation and Informed Consent Dear Parents and Potential Members, We are excited to have you join the Brave Girls group! Please be aware that by signing this document you agree to all of the rules, regulations and statements above.

Parent or Guardian Signature: ______________________________________________ Students Signature: ______________________________________________ Counselor Signature: ______________________________________________ Date: ___________________ Date: ___________________ Date: ___________________

Please return to your Counselor by April 23, 2012

Thank you for your participation. Alana Sopko Malone University School Counseling