Population Target And Promotional Plan

The proposed population target are young married couples in a church in Singapore. A direct way to promote the group therapy would be to use available channels already present in churches. Some of the usual modes of promotion used in such contexts include the printing of information in a weekly bulletin and the sharing of home news during services. Churches in Singapore generally emphasise the importance of healthy marriages and families, and also communicate the message that the struggles which young married couples face are common experiences in marriage. Due to this open acknowledgement in the church, the stigma attached to couples struggling in their marriage may be reduced, and the couples may be encouraged to seek help and support. As such, traditional forms of promotion in the church may be considered efficient and appropriate.

Ethical and Cultural Issues

Facilitator’s Competency

The facilitator has to be able to navigate the unique features of group therapy. Some of the unique competencies include fostering group cohesion, maintaining group consensus, and the ability to contain the emotions of group members. An amount of group cohesion has to be present for therapeutic progress, yet excessive cohesion can be detrimental, especially if it suppresses diverse opinions or leads to victimisation (Knauss & Knauss, 2012). Additionally, the facilitator should be a Christian who has been married for more than 10 years. His/her marriage need to be stable but need not be perfect, for it is not realistic to expect a marriage to be without problems. The facilitator is then able to empathise with the group members and share his/her experiences with them. The facilitator should also be competent in the issues relating to the content and process of the discussion topics, whether through rigorous study or prior experiences.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality may become an issue especially in the setting of a church where there may be a culture of finding out life details of the church members, leading to blurred boundaries. There is also the issue of people in “higher authority” (eg. a pastor or elder) requesting the disclosure of information. Some suggestions to mitigate breaches in confidentiality include having the facilitator emphasising the need for confidentiality at every session. While the group members are encouraged to socialise after the group – because one of the purposes of the group is to build relationships and strengthen the support system – they are to avoid speaking about things that have been discussed in the group. Blurred, Conflictual, Dual, Multiple relationships.

The facilitator’s affiliation with the church can become an issue, especially when relating with members in the same church where dual and multiple relationships can occur. In order to preserve clear boundaries between the facilitator and the group members, it would be ideal if the facilitator is from another church. If this is not possible, or if this support group is one of the ministry in the church, then the facilitator and the group members need to discuss and agree on the actions to be observed so that conflictual relationships can be avoided.

Gender Differences and Gender Roles

Gender differences and roles are topics that the facilitator should be sensitive toward, especially in group therapy with young couples. It should be noted that gender roles are very much tied to the cultures that group members originate from. Therefore, the facilitator should be aware of how cultural differences affect gender roles. This includes national culture, social class, and religion (ie church cultures) that group members have originated from (Ember & Ember, 2003).

Screening Process

The selection process is to facilitate (a) the provision of information to prospective members in order to facilitate true informed consent; (b) gathering information to decide whether they would benefit from participation in the group (DeLucia-Waack, 2006).

Pre-group Disclosure

Through the process of informed consent, the potential group members will learn about group therapy and decide on their participation (Glass, 1998). Thus, it is the facilitator’s responsibility to ensure that the potential group members are fully briefed regarding the following, and to address any questions or concerns that they may have: (a) the nature of the group experience; (b) the goals of the group; (c) the general guidelines and ground rules of the group; (d) procedural information; (e) what is expected from the member.

Selection Criteria

The criteria is designed to encourage diversity in order to achieve a good number and mix of couples. Smead (1995) calls this “role balance”. She emphasises that a goal of member selection should be to achieve diversity. In this way, individuals who are facing similar issues in early marriage are able to find a variety “coping models” in other group members simply by being exposed to each member’s uniqueness. As such, the following selection criteria are suggested:

• There should be a mixture of family situations or problems among the couples with variation in living situations, communication skills, or strengths and weaknesses. These differences will serve to provide alternate viewpoints and solutions to problems.
• To minimise scapegoating and increase cohesiveness, similarities in gender, race, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity of group members should be taken into consideration (Hines & Fields, 2002). Group members should share enough similarities that they do not feel isolated, and are able to connect with each other around the topic of the session.
• No two group members should have a history of significant conflict with each other as the existence of this group is planned to be brief and there is no time to repair damaged relationships. Group members must be compatible for trust to be established (Riva, Lippert, and Tackett, 2000). If group members have a relationship that might negatively affect the group process or put confidentiality at risk, then these members should not be included.

The couples who will not be selected are : (a) couples who are unable to commit to attend more than 6 out of 8 sessions of the weekly 1. 5-hour group meetings; (b) couples whose goals do not match the group goals; (c) couples who are likely to become group deviants; (d) couples who have long-standing and/or unresolved issues; (e) individuals who cannot empathise with others; (f) individuals who are extremely sensitive to criticism; (g) individuals who are in crisis or suicidal. The method of pre-group screening for the purposed group therapy will be an intake interview of the potential couples. The interview will be conducted by the facilitator and will last between 45 to 60 minutes.

Informed Consent for Group Therapy

Welcome to the Married Couples Support Group

Group therapy is a unique relationship in which a group of people who are experiencing similar difficulties come together to both give and receive help from one another. In order to create an environment where honest and interpersonal exploration can occur that will benefit all members, there are certain guidelines that need to be agreed upon by each participant.

A Safe Environment

A safe environment is created and maintained by both the facilitator of a group and its members. The primary ingredients for a safe environment are mutual respect and a chance to create trust. Another primary ingredient has to do with confidentiality. It is important that every member of the group agrees to uphold the confidentiality of all of its members and the discussions in the sessions. This means that members agree to keep names and identities of the other group members confidential and also not to mention anything that is discussed in the sessions with anyone outside the group.

Limits of Confidentiality

Every effort will be made by the group facilitator to hold your information in confidence. However, there are certain limitations to confidentiality of which you need to be aware. Your facilitator will be ethically required to release this information to the proper authorities for your protection and safety in the following situations:

• Evidence of self-harm and/or harm to others
• Abuse or neglect of a child and/or an elderly
• Legal DisclosureAttendance

Your presence in the group is highly important. A group dynamic is formed that helps create an environment for growth and change. If you are absent from the group, this dynamic suffers and affects the experience of you and other members of the group. Therefore, your facilitator would ask that you make this commitment a top priority for the duration of the group. It is understandable that occasionally an emergency may occur which will prevent you from attending the session. If you are faced with an emergency or sudden illness, please contact your facilitator before the session begins. If you decide not to go on or are unable to continue with the group, kindly discuss your reasons with the group and your facilitator.

Active Participation

Members of effective groups actively share their thoughts, reactions and feelings during group meetings as a way of increasing their self-understanding and contributing to the growth of other members. To support that goal, the facilitator will strive to establish and maintain a climate of respect within the group. Each member will undoubtedly share in different ways and be comfortable with different levels of disclosure. It is requested that as a participant you share what is comfortable and actively listen, attend to other group members and show empathy towards them. Participation does not necessarily mean talking. It can also mean listening to what other members have to say. No one will be forced to share anything that they are not comfortable sharing. You should not interrupt when someone is speaking. If you wish to speak, please indicate by raising your hands.

Risks and Benefits

Therapy has risks and benefits. Often, therapy involves discussing difficult parts of your life, which may cause you to experience uncomfortable feelings like anxiety, sadness, guilt, anger, frustration and helplessness. Therapy also has benefits for people who go through it. Therapy can be an effective and valuable avenue for growth. It often leads to improved coping skills and better relationships. However, there are no guarantee on the experience or results you will have.

Group Goals and Schedule

The purpose of this group is to provide you with the opportunity to achieve the following:

• Increase awareness of some common issues faced by young married couples;
• To be educated regarding the topics that are agreed upon, and also to be equipped with knowledge and skills to cope with common issues faced;
• Learn from shared experiences and strengthening social support.