Portfolio

Group Counseling:
Anger Management
Created by Britni Kay & Gabriela Quintero

Chapman University
Table of Contents
1. School Site
2. Needs Assessment
3. Participants
4. Consent Form (English/Spanish Forms)
5. Literature Review
6. Design of Intervention
7. Evaluation: Pre/Post Test
8. Self-Reflection
9. References
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1. School Site
David Starr Jordan High School in North Long Beach was our school that we selected to introduce our group
counseling sessions. Jordan High School serves 2,646 students and 87.6% of the
students are socioeconomically disadvantaged (California Department of Education,
n.d.). Among these students, there is a 0.8% of students who are in foster care and about
7.4% of the students have been suspended at least once. There has also been an increase by
1.4% of students who were suspended in the last school year (California Department of
Education, n.d.). Based on the data provided by the California Dashboard website, it
states that 17.6% of African American students are suspended, 12.2% of Students with Disabilities and 25.6% of Foster
youth are suspended at least once. The highest increase among this group has been through foster youth, with an
increase in suspension by 6.4% (California Department of Education, n.d.).
The group that we created was focused on anger management, based on the needs of the students and the
counselors. After reviewing the data with the Intervention Counselor, Mrs. Whitaker-Smith agreed that the topic should
be focused on anger management. She also thought that it would be great to work with specifically with students in
foster youth because there was an increase of classroom disruptions and fighting in school among that population.
2. Needs Assessment
A needs assessment was conducted at Jordan High School and was sent to the 9th and 10th grade teachers.
Although the needs assessment was sent, we did not receive any responses. However, based on speaking with a group
of teachers and counselors, we got an idea that there was a need for social skills groups, leadership skills, and anger
management.
The main lesson learned from this needs assessment process is the importance of collaboration with teachers.
We were not able to have much communication with them about our group or the needs assessment specifically. In the
future when we have control over that process, we will do things differently. Ideally, when a needs assessment is sent
out to teachers, we would present the survey to them in an all-staff meeting to explain the importance of the needs
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assessment. The assessment will help the school counselors to determine what areas the students need help and what
the students need education on. Some of the topics that we focused on asking teachers were social-emotional and
academic based questions. If we received that data, we would be able to tailor our group topics based on the areas
teachers identified as being the most needed. In the future, we would send several reminders to teachers about the
importance of filling out the survey because the students will benefit from the counseling services. Reminders as well
as presenting the needs assessment in a staff meeting would increase the response rate. Involving teachers in this
process would also help us build a collaborative relationship with them in the future, so they would be willing to refer
students to us for future groups.
Jordan High School Teacher Needs Assessment

Hello Teachers!
We would love your feedback! The counseling department is working on identifying the academic,
college/career, and social-emotional needs of our students so we can create programs to best support them. We would
love to know what student needs you all see in your classrooms.
By completing this survey and returning it promptly, the counseling staff can make plans to better support your
students' education. The feedback we receive from you will allow us to establish interventions, such as a group
counseling intervention for a small group of students.
All responses to this survey will be kept confidential and will only be used in the counseling department.
Please take a few minutes to complete this survey and submit your answers by March 18th, 2019.
Thank you in advance for your valuable feedback!
Sincerely,
Britni Kay & Gabriela Quintero
School Counseling Interns
Jordan High School Counseling Department
1.What grade do you teach?
▢ 9th Grade
▢ 10th Grade
▢ 11th Grade
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▢ 12th Grade
2. What subject do you teach?
___________________________________
Social-Emotional
For the following questions, please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements:
3. Students need assistance with controlling/managing emotions.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
▢ Strongly Disagree
4. Students need assistance with their verbal communication/ listening skills
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
5. Students need assistance with their problem solving skills.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
6. Students need assistance with their decision-making skills.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
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7. Students need to learn more about being assertive.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
8. Students need to learn more about respect.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
9. Students need assistance with their collaboration skills.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
10. Students need assistance with gaining a positive attitude.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
11. Students need assistance with their stress management skills.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
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▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
12. Students need assistance with their social/interpersonal skills.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
13. Students need assistance with their conflict resolution skills.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
14. Students need to learn about mental health and coping skills.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
15. Students need assistance with managing grief.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
16. Students need to learn more about responsibility/ accountability.
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▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
17. Students need to learn more about healthy relationships.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
Academic/College-Career
For the following questions please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements:
18. Students need to learn more about organization skills.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
19. Students need to learn more about exploring college/career options.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
20. Students need to learn more about college financial aid.
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▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
21. Students need to learn more about the importance of school attendance.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
22. Students need to learn more about graduation requirements.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
23. Students need to learn more about interviews/creating resumes.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
24. Students need to learn more about study skills.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
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25. Students need to learn more about homework completion skills.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
26. Students need to learn more about test-taking strategies.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
27. Students need to learn more about using the library and internet for better learning.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
28. About how many students per class would benefit from learning the topics you selected?
▢ 0%
▢ 25%
▢ 50%
▢ 75%
▢ 100%
29. Please provide any additional feedback on how the counseling department can help students on campus with
their academic, college/career, and social-emotional needs.
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Thank you again for your support of the the Jordan High School Counseling Department. If you have any
questions, please contact us!
3. Participants
The anger management group at Jordan High School was intended to be a total of eight students, selected by the
Intervention Counselor, Mrs. Whitaker-Smith. Her caseload varies from 9th-12th grade students, which includes
students in foster care, students who are homeless and at-risk population. The target population was based on the
referrals provided by the intervention counselor. The intervention counselor selected eight students based on her
familiarity with them and belief that they would benefit from a group. Our goal was to work with students who are in
the same grade level or two to avoid students feeling uncomfortable due to differences in developmental level.
Out of the eight students that were selected to participate in the group, six students were pre-screened. The
students were screened to ensure that the students would be a good fit for the group. Some of the questions included the
following:
Pre-Screening Questions
1. Would you like to join a group where we will learn about social skills and leadership skills that you can
implement in your personal life?
2. How do you feel about participating in a group where other students share their experiences?
3. What is your understanding about the concept of confidentiality of your group members?
4. Would you be willing to maintain confidentiality in this group?
5. What are some values that would be important to you to see from your fellow group members?
6. What are some concerns that you may have about being part of the “Social Development Group”?
7. Do you have any further questions about the group?
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At the end of the pre-screening, five students agreed to participate in our group and returned permission slips. Two of
the students decided to not attend, so our final group participants were three students who are 9th and 10th graders.
Student Background
The students that were selected for our group had similar backgrounds. Many of them were having difficulty
with behavior and discipline record and are in foster care. One student had three discipline referrals for two class
disruptions and one failure to report to detention. Another student had two discipline referrals, one for fighting on
campus and one class disruption. The last student was a self-referral because she felt the need to join the group to learn
how to cope with her anger of being in foster care and being moved constantly.
Ideal Selection of Participants
Ideally, this group would be selected based on data, particularly disciplinary referrals. This data could be
retrieved from the school database, as well as by teacher or administrative referrals, or by student self-referral.
Referrals we would look for could be resulting from acts such as verbal or physical outbursts of anger, defiance,
conflict with peers or teachers, or difficulty managing emotions. We would then see which grade level or levels have
the most referrals and select group members based on those grade levels. We would only include students within one
grade level of each other, so only 9th and 10th, 10th and 11th, or 11th and 12th. If there was a greater need within two
grade levels further apart, that would require two separate groups. The next step in selection would be to meet with the
students individually to screen for group appropriateness. We would need to gauge their interest and willingness to be
in this group as well as to determine if they would be a good fit.
4. Consent Form
The consent form was adapted from a consent form previously used by the School Psychologist at Jordan High
School. Based on the data provided by the California Dashboard website, about 73.6% of the students at Jordan High
School identify as Hispanic or Latino (California Department of Education, n.d.). Therefore, we provided a consent
form translated in Spanish to accommodate parents or legal guardians whose primary language is Spanish. The form
was also updated to include details about the anger management group, called the “Social Development Group.” The
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lesson topics were included, as well as details on the length of the sessions and the start dates. Also included was a
statement on the importance of confidentiality, as well as the importance of parent and student consent. Active consent
was chosen instead of passive consent to ensure that both the parents and students were well informed about this group
and felt comfortable with all aspects.
English Consent Form
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Spanish Consent Form
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5. Literature Review
Adolescents face situations on a daily basis that can contribute to anger, such as conflict, poverty, divorce, and
abuse (O’Lenic & Arman, 2005). Anger is the most often expressed human emotion and can be the consequence of
many internal and external factors (Bhave & Saini, 2009). For example, internal factors are unpleasant memories,
hostility, tension or lack of problem-solving skills (Bhave & Saini, 2009). External factors can be negative parental
practices, loud noises, and environmental factors (Bhave & Saini, 2009). The inability of some students to effectively
cope with negative emotions can lead to disruptive behaviors or bullying, poor interpersonal relationships, poor quality
experiences in work and school, anxiety and depression, drug abuse, and health problems (Candelaria, Fedewa, & Ahn,
2012; Gansle, 2005). Negative behaviors can lead to fighting or aggression, which impact school climate. Candelaria,
et al. (2012) found that 22% of high school students reported being involved in a fight at school and 20% reported
experiencing verbal or physical aggression or bullying. To deal with anger in a healthy way, adolescents need to learn
skills that allow them to cope with those feelings (O’Lenic & Arman, 2005). One potential way for school counselors
to teach these coping skills and anger management is group counseling. Group counseling for anger management is
ideal because counselors can reach several students at once, and the groups can serve as both prevention and
intervention (O’Lenic & Arman, 2005). All adolescents can benefit from learning healthy anger management, and for
students who are already exhibiting behaviors from their anger can learn to control their anger before they become
potentially more aggressive (O’Lenic & Arman, 2005). In particular, groups are important for prevention because of
their contrast to harsher forms of prevention typically used in schools like surveillance and disciplinary rules and
policies (Wilson & Lipsey, 2007). Groups can be effective for anger management because they offer opportunities for
sharing, discussion, feedback, and flexibility for rehearsing strategies learned (Deffenbacher, 2004). When providing
group counseling for anger management, it is important to keep in mind any coexisting problems the student may have,
address resistance and readiness of participants, clarify confidentiality, be realistic about what can be achieved, and to
evaluate your program (Deffenbacher, 2004).
Anger management groups ideally teach adolescents to identify and recognize the negative emotions behind
their anger, identify, challenge, and replace unrealistic thoughts, and learn relaxation skills and stress reduction
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(O’Lenic & Arman, 2005). Anger management groups commonly incorporate coping skills training, discussion,
practice, emotional awareness and self-control, problem solving CBT, relaxation techniques, and role play and
modeling activities (Candelaria, et al., 2012; Gansle, 2005).
One of the most effective components of these groups is problem-solving CBT (Candelaria, et al., 2012).
Cognitive behavioral group programs are the most widely used intervention for anger (Henwood, Chou, & Browne,
2015). These groups aim to increase the ability to control anger and limit anger reactions through replacing negative or
false thoughts with reality-based explanations, addressing schemas related to aggression, teaching arousal reduction
techniques, and teaching alternative behaviors (Henwood, Chou, & Browne, 2015). CBT in anger management groups
involves identifying anger triggers and rehearsing self-statements that allow that student to think about the situation in a
more positive way (Gansle, 2005). This also involves practice, role plays and imagery (Gansle, 2005).
Another approach to anger management groups is social skills training (Gansle, 2005). These groups include
skill acquisition, enhancement of skill performance, reduction or removal or interfering behaviors, and the increase of
the generalization of skills over time and across other settings (Gansle, 2005).
CBT and social skills are examples are the two main themes of focus that anger management groups can use;
self-focused and socially focused (Gansle, 2005). Self-focused groups include teaching skills on recognizing and
labeling emotions, identifying triggers, identifying aspects of anger-provoking situations, and self-control skills
(Gansle, 2005). Socially focused groups include communication skills, social skills, and social problem solving
(Gansle, 2005). A meta-analysis of 20 studies showed that socially-focused anger management group interventions
were more effective than self-focused interventions (Gansle, 2005).
Additionally, Mindfulness can be incorporated into anger management groups in order to teach empathy and
reduce stress (Bohecker & Doughty Horn, 2016). Mindfulness-based strategies can be incorporated into interventions
or be used as an intervention by itself (Bohecker & Doughty Horn, 2016). An intervention group facilitators can draw
from for teaching mindfulness is Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Group Therapy (MAGT) (Fleming, 2009).
MAGT includes components of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction which
have been found to be effective in groups (Fleming, 2009). These strategies include the use of worksheets, role plays,
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goal creation, mindfulness exercises, and homework (Fleming, 2009).
Another approach to anger management groups is leadership development (Burt, 2018). Facilitators utilize a
strength based and wellness approach in groups to increase leadership and reduce anger (Burt, 2018). An example of an
activity in these groups is having students identify someone they think is a leader and compare themselves to that
person (Burt, 2018). Also, this group focuses on how emotions like anger may help or inhibit them from displaying
leadership (Burt, 2018). Members in these groups also get to lead their own group activities, promoting leadership
(Burt, 2018). One study found that these leadership groups had the most gains in anger control and highest reduction in
anger when compared to a traditional anger management group and a control group (Burt, 2018).
Outcomes to expect from an anger management group are a decrease in self-defeating behaviors, an increase in
self-awareness, knowledge of anger management gained, an increase in social skills, forgiveness, healthier self-
concept, and an increase in their ability to build healthy relationships (Candelaria, et al., 2012; O’Lenic & Arman,
2005). Student, teacher, and parent surveys are often used to observe these outcomes, as are discipline referrals
(Candelaria et al., 2012).
The data on which types of interventions work best for anger management are mixed. Research supports that
relaxation interventions, cognitive interventions, social/communication interventions, and a combination of these
produce positive outcomes in students (Deffenbacher, 2004). One meta-analysis found that in comparing relaxation,
social skills, cognitive, and cognitive-relaxation treatments, the relaxation groups were the most effective in treating
anger (Hyoeun Lee & DiGiuseppe, 2018). Another meta-analysis of 60 anger management group studies found that
anger management interventions had a small to moderate significant effect in reducing participants’ negative emotional
and behavioral outcome measures including anger, aggression, and loss of self-control, when compared to the control
group with received no anger management intervention (Candelaria, et al., 2012). A third meta-analysis of 249 violence
and aggression prevention programs and groups found that the effect sizes across all formats and treatments are similar,
meaning any evidence-based program should be nearly as effective as another (Wilson & Lipsey, 2007). They found
that the counselor’s confidence in the intervention and students’ engagement may actually by more important than the
selected program (Wilson & Lipsey, 2007). This meta-analysis also found that higher risk students achieved the most
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improvement (Wilson & Lipsey, 2007). In comparing the results of those meta-analyses and the individual studies
mentioned throughout this review, it seems that the findings by Wilson and Lipsey (2007), express the point best, that
most evidence-based interventions for anger can be effective if carried out with fidelity.
6. Design of Intervention
Intervention Outline: Anger Management
Rationale:
This group will teach students a variety of social-emotional based topics in order to facilitate students’ personal and
social growth. The goals of this group align with Jordan High School’s Personal/Social counseling goal that “Students
will acquire the knowledge, attitudes and interpersonal skills to help them understand and respect self and others.”
Over 7 sessions, this group will cover the following topics:
● Team Building
● Introduction to Anger
● Communication Skills
● Empathy and Emotional Regulation
● Stress Management and Coping Skills
● Conflict Management
● Self Esteem
All groups will be held in a restorative circle format to give all students the chance to speak and hear from each other.
We also believe this format will build trust between all of us participating in or facilitating this group.
This group was facilitated by two school counseling interns, Britni Kay and Gabriela Quintero. The Intervention
Counselor, Mrs. Whitaker-Smith also participated in each group.
We utilized two curricula in sessions 1-5 to provide students with some definitions of terms, examples, and role play
situations. These curricula will be cited throughout this intervention outline.
Data was collected throughout the process. The pre-survey was given to students on laptop during the first session.
Other perception questions we given to students orally during sessions one through five and results were written down.
The post-survey was given to students during the sixth session using a laptop. Outcome data was collected before the
first session and after the sixth session. More information regarding the evaluation plan will be provided in the
Evaluation section.
Week #1 : Introductory Session & Team Building

Start Date: Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Location/ Restorative Justice Room, 40 minutes, 2:00-2:40 PM

Duration:
Grade Level: 9th & 10th Grade
Guidance Team Building & Introduction to Anger
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Lesson Topic:
ASCA B-SS 7: Use leadership and teamwork skills to work effectively in diverse teams.
Mindsets & B-SMS 2: Demonstrate self-discipline and self-control.
Behaviors B-LS 1: Demonstrate critical-thinking skills to make informed decisions.
(Domain/
Standards):
Learning 1. To increase appreciation of role, purpose and group-established expectations.

Objective(s): 2. To promote individual and group growth by overcoming challenges.
3. To understand characteristics of what “anger” is and understand responses to anger
triggers.
Materials What is anger curriculum, effective teams curriculum, journals, pens, markers, poster board
Needed: paper, “talking” piece (encourage students to bring their own), M&M’s (Small bags for each
student)
Warm-up/Ice M&M’s Ice Breaker

Breaker:
❖ Students will receive small M&M’s and take 6 pieces.
❖ Student will select one color (red, green, yellow, blue, orange, or brown)
❖ Student will answer the question listed by the facilitator.
Red: What are your three favorite foods?

Green: What is something that makes you happy?
Yellow: What is your favorite book or movie?
Blue: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Orange: What is your favorite animal and why?
Brown: What is something you are good at?
Rationale: We are using this ice breaker because it is the first session and this is a “get to
know you” ice breaker. We hope students can feel comfortable asking these simple
questions and begin to relate to one another.
Agenda: 1. Introduction to group counseling - Social Development

a. Go around the class to have each student introduce themselves. (Name, grade
and their favorite ice cream flavor)
b. Explaining the focus of the groups and the way groups are organized operate
and outline what each session will cover.
2. Ice Breaker (M&M)
3. Confidentiality and Limitations will be discussed
4. Group norms, rules and goals for the sessions
a. What do you need to feel safe in this group?
b. Group norms and rules: Have students write their ideas on a post it and then
the post its will be collected and copied down onto a poster board to post
during our sessions.
c. Group goals: Write their goals in their journals and then share
5. Take the pre-survey evaluation (google form link on our laptop)
6. Discussion of anger & team building: We posed the following questions to students
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and we each answered in a circle format. The included references below provided
the facilitators with definitions to provide to students during these discussions.
a. What makes a team successful?
b. What is a strength you bring to this team?
c. What is anger?
d. Can anger sometimes be healthy? How?
e. What is something that makes you angry? How were you able to resolve that
issue?
7. Closing circle
a. What is something you are looking forward to this week/weekend?
Plan for Process Data: 3 students will meet once a week for 40 minutes. The first session covered
Evaluation: team building and an introduction to anger.
Perception Data: Pre-test
Outcome Data: Reduction in behavioral referral data.
References: American School Counseling Association (2014). ASCA mindsets and behaviors for student
success. Retrieved from
https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/home/mindsetsbehaviors.pdf
Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth. (2009). Module D: Personal and Social
Development, Lesson 1: Effective Teams. In Grade 12 active healthy lifestyles:
Manitoba physical education/health education curriculum framework of outcomes
and a foundation for implementation (pp. 179- 185). Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada:
Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth School Programs Division.
Pfeiffer, R. H. (2012). Getting started and the anger log. In Anger management workbook
and curriculum (pp. 1-11). Tucson, AZ: Growth Publishing.
Session One Notes: Session one was successful in building rapport with and between the students. The first thing that
we had the students work on is the pre-evaluation. The pre-survey took longer than expected, as did establishing group
rules and norms. We made sure we spent a good amount of time on confidentiality and limitations because we need to
make sure that the students felt comfortable going to the group. Since we were short on time, we skipped the discussion
about anger sometimes being healthy. Additionally, we did include the journal exercise for this session, but did not
continue it in future sessions. We encouraged them to write in the journal at home as a way to cope with any feelings or
stress.
Week #2: Communication Skills

Start Date: Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Duration:
Guidance Communication Skills

Lesson Topic:
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ASCA B-SS1:Use effective oral and written communication skills and listening skills.
Mindsets & B-SS 9: Demonstrate social maturity and behaviors appropriate to the situation and
Behaviors environment.
M 2: Self-confidence in ability to succeed.
(Domain/
M 5: Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes.
Standards):
Learning 1. Students will learn about how to communicate in a professional and respectful manner.
Objective(s): 2. Students will be able to communicate their emotions during a conflict.
3. Students will demonstrate specific facets of effective communication
Materials Communications skills curriculum, Pens, Pencils, Index Cards

Needed:
Warm-up/Ice 2 Truths, 1 Lie

Breaker: ● Give each student an index card
● Write two truths and one lie (3 minutes)
● Have the group as a whole guess which is the truth and lie
Rationale: We selected this ice breaker because it is about our topic this week;
communication skills. We will discuss what made this activity challenging or easy.
Agenda: 1. Opening Circle

a. What is something you’ve liked about this week so far?
2. Ice breaker (2 truths, 1 lie)
3. Copy of the group rules & sign their copy
4. Student self-reflection question: “On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel
in respectfully communicating during a conflict?”
5. Discussion: We posed the following questions to students and we each answered in a
circle format. The included references below provided the facilitators with
definitions to provide to students during these discussions as well as a sample role
play.
a. What are some good communication skills? (active listening, etc.)
b. Explain the three basic types of communication: Assertive, Aggressive,
Passive; and conversation role plays (Pfeiffer, 2012).
i. Which type would you say you are most of the time?
ii. What are some obstacles for being assertive?
c. How can you improve assertiveness?
6. Closing Circle
a. What is one thing that stood out to you today?
Plan for Process Data: 3 students will meet once a week for 40 minutes. The second session covered
Evaluation: communication skills.
Perception Data: Student self-reflection, “On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you
feel in respectfully communicating during a conflict?”
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Pfeiffer, R. H. (2012). Assertive communication. In Anger management workbook
Session Two Notes: This session went well. We originally had a plan to do a worksheet, but decided against that
because we did not find a worksheet we liked. We also had the students sign the group rules and norms. This session
included more teaching than most of the other sections. We taught the students about the communication types and
demonstrated a role play from our referenced curriculum. We explained the basic types of communications such as
being assertive, aggressive, and passive. Among the group, we discussed what we think our strengths and weaknesses
are regarding communication skills during conflicts. At the end, we had the students take a short survey on how
confident they felts in communicating during conflict. The results for the perception data questions were ratings of 4, 4,
and 5 out of 5.
Week #3: Empathy & Emotional Regulation


Duration:
Guidance Empathy & Emotional Regulation

Lesson Topic:
ASCA BS-LS 7: Identify long-and short-term academic, career and social/emotional goals.
Mindsets & B-SS 4: Demonstrate empathy
Behaviors M 1: Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental,
social/emotional and physical well-being.
(Domain/
Standards):
Learning 1. Students will learn what empathy is.

Objectives: 2. Students will learn how to use empathy to change behavior.
3. Students will enhance their emotional regulation skills.
Materials Empathy curriculum, pens, pencils.

Needed:
Warm-up/Ice Weather Emotions: Ask each students to describe their current mood using only weather
Breaker: adjectives. Examples can be sunny, cloudy, cloudy with a chance of sun, etc.
Rationale: This ice breaker introduces the topic of emotions and how to describe them.
Agenda: 1. Opening Circle

a. What are the easiest and hardest emotions for you to express and why?
2. Ice Breaker (Weather Emotions)
3. Student Self-Reflection Question: “On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you
feel in controlling your negative emotions?”
4. Discussion: We started by giving the students a definition of emotional intelligence.
Then, we posed the following questions to students and we each answered in a circle
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format. The included references below provided the facilitators with definitions to
provide to students during these discussions.
a. What is empathy?
b. How can you develop empathy?
c. What to do if you feel like you cannot control your emotions?
5. Emotional Regulation Activity:
a. For each of the situations given below, ask the following three questions: #1.
Name the feeling. #2. What's a helpful way to deal with it? #3. What's a
harmful way to deal with it?
i. What do you feel when you're blamed for something you didn't do?
ii. What do you feel if you are expecting to see a friend, and he or she
backs out at the last moment for no good reason?
iii. How does you feel when you work really hard for something and
you succeed?
iv. What do you feel when you do poorly on an exam because you didn't
study?
6. Closing Circle
a. What is one positive way you control your emotions?
Plan for Process Data: 3 students will meet once a week for 40 minutes. The third session covered
Evaluation: empathy and emotional regulation.
Perception Data: Self-Reflection: “On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel in
controlling your negative emotions?”
Pfeiffer, R. H. (2012). Judgement and critical reaction. In Anger management workbook
Session Three Notes: This session went by quicker than we expected, so we were able to go through all of the
scenarios in the emotional regulation activity, which we did not expect to be able to. The results of the perception data
question were student ratings of 2, 4.5 and 4.8 out of 5. We also originally had planned on a different ice breaker, but
changed that because we were unable to obtain the materials required. We did an ice breaker to check in based on their
“weather forecast”. The students enjoyed the ice breaker because they had never had an icebreaker activity like this.
Most of them reported back as having a “sunny day” because they were excited about group.
Week #4: Stress Management & Coping Skills


Duration:
23
Guidance Stress Management & Coping Skills
Lesson Topic:
ASCA B-SMS 7: Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problems.
Mindsets & B-LS 1: Demonstrate critical-thinking skills to make informed decisions.
Behaviors B-SS 9: Demonstrate social maturity and behaviors appropriate to the situations and
environment.
(Domain/
Standards):
Learning 1. Students will identify their social support system as well as personal coping skills.
Objectives: 2. To understand how to demonstrate their feelings in a healthy manner by learning coping
skills.
3. To learn how to manage stress in a healthy manner.
Materials Stress management curriculum, self-reflection worksheet, laptop, Paper, Pens, Pencils, &
Needed: Erasers.
Warm-up/Ice Mindfulness activity (body scan meditation):

Breaker: https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/mpeg/Body-Scan-Meditation.mp3
Facilitators will play the body scan video to guide the students through the activity.
Step 1: Sit with feet resting on the floor
Step 2: Bring awareness to the breath (exhale in and out)
Rationale: This ice breaker is an example of mindfulness and will put students in a relaxed
state for the group.
Agenda: 1. Opening Circle: “What is stress?”

2. Discussion of Mindfulness
a. What is mindfulness?
3. Ice Breaker- Follow up question: “What was that like for you?”
4. Student self-reflection question: “On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel
in using coping skills?”
5. Discussion of stress and coping skills: We posed the following questions to students
and we each answered in a circle format. The included references below provided the
facilitators with definitions to provide to students during these discussions.
a. How do you normally cope with stress?
b. What are early signs of stress?
c. Examples of ways to manage stress
d. What is something positive you can tell yourself when you are stressed?
e. Who is in your social support system?
6. Closing Circle: “What is your favorite coping skill we discussed?”
Plan for Process Data: 3 students will meet once a week for 40 minutes. The fourth session covered
Evaluation: stress management and coping skills.
feel in using coping skills?”
24
Pfeiffer, R. H. (2012). Stress and anxiety management. In Anger management workbook
Pfeiffer, R. H. (2012). Mindfulness. In Anger management workbook
Session Four Notes: This session was one of our favorite sessions. The students seemed very interested in the topic
and were very engaged. We moved some things around in this session. We started the group with mindfulness instead
of ending with it like we originally planned. Since the ice breaker was a mindfulness exercise, it made more sense to
cover that topic in the beginning of the session. After the mindfulness activity, we discussed the importance of knowing
different skills that they can use when they are feeling stressed out or overwhelmed. The students talked about how
they enjoyed the session because it helped them relax after a long day of class. The results of the perception data
question were 4.5, 4, and 4 out of 5.
Week #5: Conflict Management

Duration:
Guidance Conflict Management

Lesson Topic:
ASCA M 5: Belief in using abilities to their fullest to achieve high-quality results and outcomes.
Mindsets & B-LS 1: Demonstrate critical-thinking skills to make informed decisions.
Behaviors B-SMS 2: Demonstrate self-discipline and self-control.
B-SMS 7: Demonstrate effective coping skills when faced with a problem.
(Domain/
B-SS 1: Use effective oral and written communication skills and listening skills.
Standards): B-SS 8: Demonstrate advocacy skills and ability to assert self, when necessary.
Learning 1. To demonstrate self-control and self-disciple during conflict.

Objectives: 2. To communicate effectively by using oral, communication, and listening skills.
3. Students will learn how to advocate for themselves during conflict situations.
Materials Conflict management curriculum, conflict style worksheet, Pens, Pencils, Erasers, self-
Needed: reflection worksheet.
Warm-up/Ice Anything Goes p.43

Breaker: ● Have each pair stand face to face, right fist out and say together, “Nothing,
something, anything!”
● When the word “Anything” is said, the two participants will yell out the name of any
item they think of (dog, coffee, mug, shoe).
● Team members must debate as to why their item would “beat the other person’s
item. (2-3 minutes)
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● Time-out to discuss the difference between debate and dialogue.
● The team will continue their conversations to encourage to engage in a dialogue by
asking questions and listening to the answers and come to an agreement.
Difference between debate and dialogue is that true dialogue is collaborative. Dialogue
gives everyone a chance to be heard
Rationale: This icebreaker is an introduction to conflict. The debrief discusses the difference
between debate and dialogue.
Agenda: 1. Opening Circle: “On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel in demonstrating
self-discipline during conflict?”
2. Ice Breaker (Anything Goes)
3. Conflict Style Worksheet
4. Discussion about conflict resolution: We posed the following questions to students
and we each answered in a circle format. The included references below provided the
facilitators with definitions to provide to students during these discussions.
a. What are some conflicts you’ve experienced?
i. What emotions did you feel during those conflicts?
b. Why does conflict occur?
c. What are some ground rules for conflict resolution
5. Closing Circle: “What was your takeaway from today?”
Plan for Process Data: 3 students will meet once a week for 40 minutes. The fifth session covered
Evaluation: conflict management.
Perception Data: Student Self-Reflection: “On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you
feel in demonstrating self-discipline during conflict?”
success.Retrieved from
Pfeiffer, R. H. (2012). Conflict resolution. In Anger management workbook

The Blake Group Organizational Consulting. (2018). Conflict Management Styles

Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.blake-group.com/free-assessments
Session Five Notes: On week five, we focused our session about conflict management and how the students react
during conflict situations. We focused on the conflict management assessment worksheet. The students in the group
enjoyed the assessment because it helped them to evaluate what management style they use during conflict. We
elaborated on what someone who collaborates, is compelling, avoids conflict, accommodates or compromises during
conflicts. This was the students’ favorite activity and they requested to do more assessments for the future. At the end
of the session, we had students take a quick survey. The results of the perception data were 3, 3, and 4 out of 5. We also
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talked to the students about how the sessions were coming to an end. This helped to prepare the students about how the
group will be terminating in two weeks.
Week #6: Self-Esteem & Closing Session, Part 1.
Start Date: Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Duration:
Guidance Self-Esteem: “Be yourself”.

Lesson Topic:
ASCA M 2: Self-confidence in ability to succeed.

Mindsets & B-LS 4: Apply self-motivation and self-direction to learning.
Behaviors B-LS 7: Identify long- and short-term academic, career and social/emotional goals.
(Domain/
Standards):
Learning 1.To understand the difference of what is healthy self-esteem and low-self esteem.
Objectives: 2. To enhance the students skills by identifying why they need approval from others.
3. To develop social goals in motivating themselves to have healthy self-esteem that will
help them in the future.
Materials Self-esteem scale worksheet, pen, pencils, erasers, beach ball, sharpie
Needed:
Warm-up/Ice Beach Ball Activity

Breaker: ● Ask the students to get in a circle
● Tell them to toss the ball to another student
● Read the question that is closest to your right thumb and answer the question
○ What is your favorite meal?
○ What makes you laugh the most?
○ Who is your favorite singer or band?
○ Who inspires you to be better?
○ What is your favorite car?
○ What is your favorite sport?
○ What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Rationale: This ice breaker gets students thinking positively about themselves and what they
enjoy, to demonstrate the uniqueness of individuals and importance of self worth.
Agenda: 1. Opening Circle: “What is one thing you are really good at or like about yourself?”
2. Ice Breaker
3. Self-Esteem Scale Worksheet
4. Student Self-Reflection question: “On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel
in developing social goals?”
5. Discussion: We posed the following questions to students and we each answered in a
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circle format. The included references below provided the facilitators with
definitions to provide to students during these discussions
a. What are your strengths?
b. What is self-esteem?
6. Post-Survey
7. Closing the group discussion
8. Closing Circle: “What is one thing you will take away from today’s group?”
Plan for Process Data: 3 students will meet once a week for 40 minutes. The sixth session covered
Evaluation: self-esteem and what closing the group will look like.
feel in developing social goals?”
Leutenberg, E.A., Liptak, J.J. (2011). Teen Self-Esteem Workbook: Facilitator

Reproducible Self -Assessments, Exercises & Educational Handouts. Whole Person Stress &
Wellness
Publishers. pp 19-23
Session Six Notes: This session was fun and we incorporated many activities with the time that we had for the group.
We had to be flexible with our agenda and began the session by having the students complete the post-evaluation. This
took the students about 10-15 minutes. After the students completed the evaluation, we worked on a self-esteem scale
worksheet. After we completed the worksheet, we discussed the what are things that they are good at and/or like about
themselves. We also talked to the students that there will be only one session left in the group.
Week #7: Closing Session, Part 2. (Potluck)
Start Date: Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Duration:
Guidance This session will be for students to provide feedback to the facilitators about what they
Lesson Topic: gained from the group experience and what they think could make it better. We will also
have a potluck to celebrate the end of group and allow students to debrief.
ASCA M 3: Sense of belonging in the school environment.
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Domain B-SS2: Create positive and supportive relationship with other students.
Standards:
Learning 1. To enhance the students communication skills by interacting with other students.
Objectives:
Materials Food/snacks/drinks/napkins/cups/plates/utensils
Needed:
Guidance This session will be for students to provide feedback to the facilitators about what they
Lesson Topic: gained from the group experience and what they think could make it better. We will also
have a potluck to celebrate the end of group and allow students to debrief.
Warm-up/Ice N/A (Potluck)

Breaker:
Agenda: 1. Opening Circle: “What topic or area do you still want to work on improving?”
2. Potluck!
3. Closing Circle: “What topic or activity has been the most impactful for you?”
Prompt for N/A (Potluck)

Discussion/
Curriculum:
Plan for Process Data: 3 students will meet once a week for 40 minutes. The seventh session is a
Evaluation: closing session and debrief with a potluck.
Perception Data: NA
Session Seven Notes: This session was very informal. We wanted to give the students a chance to relax together and
ask us any last questions they may have. We brought food for all of us and talked to the students about what they had
planned for their future. We also asked them what their favorite part of group was and if there is anything we could
improve on. Lastly, we left the students with our contact information so they could reach out if they need to in the
future.
7. Evaluation: Pre/Post Test

Evaluation Plan
The evaluation plan for this group included process, perception, and outcome data. The process data are 3
students met once a week for 40 minutes. The perception data are a pre and post-test and a few individual questions
posed to students throughout the sessions. These individual questions were asked once at the beginning of session, to
gauge where the students felt they were at. Those questions are:
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● Session 2: “On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel in respectfully communicating during a conflict?”
● Session 3: “On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel in controlling your negative emotions?”
● Session 4: “On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel in using coping skills?”
● Session 5: “On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel in demonstrating self-discipline during conflict?”
The outcome data are the students’ behavior and discipline referral data. This data includes detentions, loss of
privileges, times sent out of class, or suspensions. Our hopes were that this group would increase the students’
engagement in school due to the establishment of our group as a supportive environment, therefore impacting their
behavior. We also hoped that this group would reduce the students’ behavioral referrals due to the anger management
and conflict resolution components.
Perception Data
The following results are the most robust changes in the students from the pre to the post-survey. The pre and post
evaluations shows that there was a change in the perception data, especially in statements such as, “I am aware when I
am feeling angry”, “I take responsibility for my actions”, and “ I am able to avoid fights with my peers because I am
using the communication skills that I learned.”
See the appendix for the full results of the pre and post-surveys.
Pre-Evaluation Data Post-Evaluation Data
On the Pre-Evaluation, we asked the students to answer the following statement, “I am aware when I am feeling
angry”. During the pre-evaluation, 0% of the students agreed on this statement. However, during the post-evaluation,
66.7% of the students agreed and 33.3% strongly agreed with the statement. The students perception of this statement
increased from 0% to 100%.
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The students were asked the following statement, “I take responsibility for my actions” during the pre-evaluation.
During the first evaluation, there were different opinions on this statement. 33.3% strongly agreed, 33.3% agreed and
33.3% were neutral about this statement. However, during the post-evaluation, 66.7% strongly agreed and 33.3%
agreed with the statement.
Students were asked the following statement, “I am able to avoid fights with my peers because I am using the
communication skills that I learned” during the pre-evaluation. About 66.7% agreed with the statement and only 33.3%
were neutral. In the post-evaluation, 33.3% strongly agreed and 66.7% agreed with the statement. There was an
increase of perception in students who strongly agreed.
Post-Survey Qualitative Data

16. Things I appreciated about being a member of the group:
● “The group was very effective because it helped me how to control my emotions it helped me have healthier
ways to cope with my stress and stuff.”
● “I appreciated, being apart of the group and speaking my mind and well overall just being here.”
● “I appreciate being in this group because it has taught me a lot of things that can help me control myself
whenever I feel mad, stressed, or sad. I also appreciated being in this group because it has taught me how to
communicate with others.”
17. Things about the group that I feel might need some improvement:
● “Nothing”
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● “Well, the group was awesome and I think it went well but I feel like more time would help.”
● “In my opinion the group is pretty good I don't feel like it needs some changes.”
18. Anything other comments you want to make?
● “I loved this group because it helped me out a lot.”
● “I appreciated being apart of this group and I love these types of things so thank you for letting me be apart of
the group and sharing! :)”
● “I want to say that they should continue doing this type of things because I feel like it would really help people
stress themself and learn how to control themself whenever there's a situation.”
The student comments show that the anger management group made an impact on them. We agreed that having more
time for the group would have been helpful, which was also a suggestion by the students for future groups. The
students comments also show that they learned how to cope with stress, conflict management, and enjoyed the topics
that were discussed every week. Another comment that was mentioned by a student was to have the group available
twice a week because they would benefit more from the group and to go into details on the specific topics presented to
them. Overall, the students enjoyed being a part of the counseling group.
The results of our weekly perception data are the following:
● Session 2: “On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel in respectfully communicating during a conflict?”
○ The results of the perception data questions were student ratings of 4, 4, and 5 out of 5. This indicates
students already felt confident about communicating respectfully during a conflict.
● Session 3: “On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel in controlling your negative emotions?”
○ The results of the perception data question were student ratings of 2, 4.5 and 4.8 out of 5. This indicates
two students felt very confident and one student did not feel confident controlling their negative
emotions.
● Session 4: “On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel in using coping skills?”
○ The results of the perception data question were 4.5, 4, and 4 out of 5. This indicates students already
felt confident using coping skills.
● Session 5: “On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel in demonstrating self-discipline during conflict?”
○ The results of the perception data were 3, 3, and 4 out of 5. This indicates that students felt more neutral
about demonstrating self-discipline during conflict.
These questions were posed simply to see how the students felt about the topic of the week. However, using these as a
daily pre/post test would have been more helpful.
Outcome Data
Before we began our group, two out of the three students had discipline referrals this school-year. One student
had three discipline referrals for two class disruptions and one failure to report to detention. Another student had two
discipline referrals, one for fighting on campus and one class disruption. The last student was a self-referral and did not
have any discipline referrals. After ending our group, we checked the students’ referrals again. None of the students
have had any behavioral referrals since starting group.
Limitations and Suggestions
Overall, our outcome data was the strongest indication of our group’s success. The students not having any
behavioral referrals since starting the group is a great achievement. The perception data was less strong. Most of the
32
questions had similar results from the pre to post-survey. However, the students’ comments indicate the group was
impactful for them and something they took away skills from. One limitation is that we only looked at one type of
outcome data, the referral data. Other data we could have collected could have been attendance data or grades. That
data could have let us know if our group impacted the students’ education in other ways, not just their social-emotional
development. Another limitation is that our weekly perception questions were only asked one time, so we do not know
if there was any improvement after the lesson. Additionally, we made edits to our pre and post-surveys after we gave
the pre-survey out. This means there were questions on our post-survey that we do not have pre-survey data on. More
data we could have collected would be teacher perception data. We would have liked to know if the students’ teachers
saw any changes in the students’ behavior. Lastly, because our group was pre-selected and not selected entirely based
on data, we did not see great changes in the perception data of our students. The students started out the group already
stating that they felt quite confident in most of the areas we covered. Because they started so high, there was not much
room for improvement. Ideally, future groups would have members who did not feel as confident before starting group.
Student Pre-Survey
Thank you for your participation in the Social Development group!
Please take this survey and complete it to the best of your ability. We will keep all your answers confidential and will
only be reviewed by the Counseling Department Interns.
Thank you,
Ms. Kay & Mrs. Quintero
1. I am aware when I am feeling angry.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
2. I am confident about my ability to manage my emotions.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
3. My relationship with my peers are healthy.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
33
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
4. My anger gets me in trouble.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
5. Sometimes I get so mad I don’t know what to do.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
6. I know how to avoid fights or arguments.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
7. I get along well with others.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
34
8. I take responsibility for my actions.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
9. I know healthy ways to cope when I am stressed.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
10. I am able to communicate effectively.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
11. I am able to avoid fights with my peers because I am using the communication skills that I learned.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
12. My team building skills have improved because I know how to build relationships with peers.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
35
▢ Disagree
13. How confident do you feel in controlling your negative emotions?
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
14. I can identify triggers that make me angry.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
15. I often think about how other people are feeling.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
Student Post-Evaluation
Thank you for your participation in the Social Development group!
Please take this survey and complete it to the best of your ability. We will keep all your answers confidential and will
only be reviewed by the Counseling Department Interns.
Thank you,
Ms. Kay & Mrs. Quintero
1.I am aware when I am feeling angry
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
36
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
2. I am confident about my ability to manage my emotions
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
3. My relationships with my peers are healthy.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
4. My anger gets me in trouble.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
5. Sometimes I get so mad I don’t know what to do.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
6. I know how to avoid fights or arguments.
37
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
7. I get along well with others.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
8. I take responsibility for my actions.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
9. I know healthy ways to cope when I am stressed.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
10. I am able to communicate effectively.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
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11. I am able to avoid fights with my peers because I am using the communication skills that I learned.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
12. My team building skills have improved because I know how to build relationships with peers.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
13. How confident do you feel in controlling your negative emotions?
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
14. I can identify triggers that make me angry.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
15. I often think about how other people are feeling.
▢ Strongly Agree
▢ Agree
39
▢ Neutral
▢ Disagree
16. Things I appreciated about being a member of the group:
17. Things about the group that I feel might need some improvement:
18. Anything other comments your want to make?
8. Self-Reflection
Gabriela Quintero:
The process of creating the anger management counseling group was a fun experience for me because it gave me
the opportunity to have administrators and counselors see my work at my practicum site. It gave me the opportunity to
work with my supervisor and the school psychologist for feedback on how they have run groups in the past. The
process of having to create a needs assessment, pre and post evaluations was the most difficult part for me because it
was difficult to create questions that students would understand and to make sure that we are able to obtain data from it
at the end. After creating the evaluations, it makes sense that data is very important to see if there have been any
improvements since the implementation of the group.
40
I learned from the process of creating a counseling group is that there are many small details that many people
do not see that you are doing behind the scenes. It is very hard to implement a group but it is worth it because you can
work directly with the students who are going through similar situations and also give them the opportunity to relate to
other students in their school. I also learned that selecting participants can be difficult when you have a large group of
students that you believe that will benefit from the group but can only select a handful of students. I also learned that as
counselors we need to be prepared to share why we are implementing a group to parents, students and administrators
because they will always ask the reason behind any program at their school and how their students will benefit.
My greatest strengths are that I am a good speaker and I know how to speak with students. I am also able to relate with
them in some aspects such as growing up in the same community as them with similar backgrounds. Although we are
different in age and did not have the exact same background, it was similar enough for the students to feel comfortable
to speak to me even after group.
The challenges that I faced during group counseling was trying to have students join the group because many of
the students thought that there was something wrong with them. This helps me understand that there is a stigma of
working with counselors or a school psychologist because students in the Latino and African American communities
believe that we should not talk about our problems and just move on with our lives. However, having the group helped
me work on how to speak with parents about how it is okay to have support from the school and that groups can
possibly help students in the long run. It also helped me understand that students believe that all staff members at
school are “out to get them”. As I spoke to the students in my group, they believed that they were in trouble for getting
selected but it was good to have them understand that they are great students that will benefit from a social skills group.
Working in a school was a good experience because it gave me an idea of how it will be when I begin to work
as a school counselor in the future. For example, when I first brought up the idea of an anger management group, one
of the assistant principals already had an idea of which students would benefit for the group and the lead counselor had
41
great questions about how the group would run and how to have students to keep coming to the groups.
My leadership skills and counseling skills have improved after the group. I noticed that my counseling skills
improved during the pre-screenings because a couple of the students that I had to meet with had a difficult time
speaking with. I used more of solution-focused questions to understand why they were reluctant about joining the
group. It helped out because I noticed that after I did that, I felt comfortable meeting with other students about different
reasons. I also felt like my leadership skills improved because I was taking the initiative to speak with the school
psychologist and the assistant principal about any feedback they had about groups. I also made sure I spoke to parents
and teachers and I had most of the work done before my supervisor would ask me if I had completed the task for the
preparation of the group. By the time I had to present the idea of the anger management group, I had a letter that I sent
out to teachers, the consent forms that I created along with the translated version and I had a list of students that I had
met with and a flyer that I provided for parents and the students to have more information about what the sessions
would entail. It was a great experience to take initiative to make sure that my partner and I had a successful group.
Working with a partner was a great experience especially because my group partner and I are very respectful of
each other and shared similar beliefs about helping students. We also were able to coordinate well and it was great to
have a co-facilitator in case one of us had to step out of the room. For example, on a day that the room we used to host
our group was locked, I was able to have my partner redirect students them to the temporary location while I prepared
the room for the students to come in without losing any time from our group.
One of the things that I would like to do differently in the future is run a group with more students because I
believe many more students can benefit from group counseling. Another thing that I would do differently is giving
myself more time to present the group to students and parents to be able to have a larger group because we ended up
with three students out of the six students that signed up for it. Creating a counseling group was a great experience
because it helped me understand that it takes a lot of effort to pre-screen students, talk to parents and other counselors
42
and the logistics of the group.
Britni Kay:
Overall, this was the best first group experience I could have hoped for. I was very intimidated and nervous to
begin this process. So much work and forethought is required before starting a group. At first, it feels as though you
need to predict the future in a way because you need to have back up plans and be so thoughtful about possible
outcomes. Coming up with our own needs assessment and surveys was particularly hard, but now I know that I can do
it if future schools or curriculum do not have those things in place. Combining aspects of multiple curriculum was a
challenge as well. Research can take a lot of time, and sometimes it can be hard to find evidence-based activities to
work with. It is a difficult process planning for a group, but all of that planning is truly so necessary. In addition to
learning how challenging the process is, I also learned that groups are worth it. Our students were so wonderful and
loved coming to group. Their positivity made every bit of work worth it.
My greatest strength in group counseling is my organization. I made sure we had every single thing planned out,
like when we would say or ask certain things, when we would do activities, what to say after those activities, etc. I
knew having activities and questions to ask was not enough and that we needed to deliver instruction at times as well.
To do that properly, I needed to find research-based curriculum that explained our topics. Another strength I have is my
empathy. I feel that I am good at meeting students where they are and listening non-judgmentally to their experiences. I
may not always relate, but I am good at listening and validating. Additionally, I am comfortable with some self-
disclosure and being vulnerable with students. That was really helpful in gaining rapport with the students and helping
them feel comfortable being vulnerable in group as well.
My greatest challenge in running groups is my lack of confidence. I get nervous quite easily. I am not someone
who enjoys talking a lot, so something as simple as explaining an activity can be a little scary for me. I also found times
where I did not know what to say or stumbled over an explanation. I need to work on being a clearer and more
confident communicator. Another challenge is being flexible. I do not always think well on my feet and am
43
uncomfortable when things do not go according to plan. One week we had to start quite late because the office did not
send out the call slips and our room was locked. That threw me off a bit, even though it ended up working completely
fine. This group was really sweet, but I also worry about what will happen in future groups when I have students who
over-share or say inappropriate things. That is something I will experience at some point and although I am nervous,
hopefully I will know what to do.
Working in a school that I was not familiar with was a great experience. Although I did not get to do the work
of collaborating with school staff, I did get to experience working with a population of students that I had not had any
experience working with before. Our group is a low SES school with mostly students of color. Learning from their
experiences was invaluable. I really was made aware of my privileges and gained a lot of insight into some of the
struggles these students have on a daily basis. In our group in particular, I learned that being genuine with students is so
important. They may not have people in their lives to hear their thoughts and feelings in a non-judgmental space, or
adults who are not strictly authority figures.
My counseling and leadership skills have improved. This group helped me feel comfortable with silence as well
as with simply thanking students for sharing. Sometimes students just need to be heard, and not every interaction has to
include a ton of questions. I previously felt the pressure to always have the perfect SFBT question ready to ask, but this
group allowed me to be present in the moment. My leadership skills have improved, but I still have some work to do.
Since Gabi did the work on her site of collaborating with school staff, I have less experience being a leader in that area.
However, being a leader in the group was a great experience. I had to accept that I was the adult in the room and was in
charge of leading this group. I had to be prepared ahead of time, and move the group along. I also got to talk about this
group in my internship interview and I felt confident explaining the process and what our group was about.
Working with a partner was unbelievably rewarding. Gabi and I were able to split the work-load in the planning
part of group which eased a lot of my stress. I learned a lot about collaborating with a colleague and working to each
other’s strengths. Having a co-facilitator during the groups also eased a lot of stress and pressure. If I forgot to mention
44
something or was having a hard time coming up with an explanation, Gabi was able to step in and clarify things. We
met before each group to review our agenda and assign who would lead each part. That made our groups flow really
well and also allowed one person to stick to the script in a sense and the other person was able to interject and add more
information. I also think having two facilitators with different life experiences was valuable for the students. We each
had different valuable input to bring to the table and different experiences the students could relate to, or new
experiences they were able to learn about.
Next time, I would like to see how well I do starting and running a group on my own. I believe having two
facilitators is best practice, but that is not always possible in the field, so I need to be able to run groups alone as well as
with a partner. I particularly would like to work on collaborating with staff at my own school sites, particularly teachers
and parents. Talking to teachers about groups can be a challenge, because they require students to miss their class,
which is not always welcomed. Parents may have similar concerns in addition to possibly feeling offended that their
student is being asked to be in a group. However, I do feel like I know how to describe the importance of groups and
listen to feedback. In future groups, I would also like to include more worksheets or other hands on activities. The
circle format was invaluable, but the students also really loved those worksheets because they learned about
themselves. Our students were able to find out their conflict resolution style and their areas of strength in self-esteem,
which seemed to boost their confidence. So I will continue to use similar activities in the future. In future groups, I
would also like to use a curriculum that has more background information on my topic. For our group, we had to pull
information from different curriculum for things like definitions. I think starting out with a complete curriculum and
making changes as needed would be easier and have more fidelity than starting completely from scratch. Additionally,
in the future I will select groups based on data. That way I will know I am reaching students that need it the most and
will ideally gain the most from the group. On that same point, I will make sure I get teacher buy-in so I obtain results
from my needs assessment. Lastly, I would like to run a slightly larger group. I feel like three students was easier to
handle than a larger group, and I need to learn how to run a larger group in order to reach more students.
45
9. References
American School Counseling Association (2014). ASCA mindsets and behaviors for student success. Retrieved
from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/home/mindsetsbehaviors.pdf
Bhave, S. Y., & Saini, S. (2009). Anger Management. New Selhi: Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd; 2009.
Bohecker, L., & Doughty Horn, E. A. (2016). Increasing students’ empathy and counseling self-efficacy through a
mindfulness experiential small group. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 41(4), 312-333.
Burt, I. (2018). Leadership-Driven Anger Management Groups for Adolescents: Do They Really Work?. The
Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 43(1), 57-80.
California Department of Education. (n.d.). School accountability report card. Retrieved from
http://www.sarconline.org/Sarc/About/19647251934470
Candelaria, A. M., Fedewa, A. L., & Ahn, S. (2012). The effects of anger management on children’s social and
emotional outcomes: A meta-analysis. School Psychology International, 33(6), 596-614.
Deffenbacher, J. L. (2004). Anger-management programs: Issues and suggestions. Behavioral Health Management,
November/December, 36-40.
Fleming, J. E., Kocovski, N. L., (2009). Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Group Therapy for Social Anxiety
Disorder: A Treatment Manual. Unpublished manuscript, 1-80.
Gansle, K. A. (2005). The effectiveness of school-based anger interventions and programs: A meta-analysis.
Journal of School Psychology, 43(4), 321-341.
Henwood, K. S., Chou, S., & Browne, K. D. (2015). A systematic review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of
CBT informed anger management. Aggression and violent behavior, 25, 280-292.
Lee, A. H., & DiGiuseppe, R. (2018). Anger and aggression treatments: a review of meta-analyses. Current opinion
in psychology, 19, 65-74.
46
Leutenberg, E.A., Liptak, J.J. (2011). Teen Self-Esteem Workbook: Facilitator Reproducible Self
Assessments, Exercises & Educational Handouts. Whole Person Stress & Wellness
Publishers. pp 19-23
Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth. (2009). Grade 12 active healthy lifestyles: Manitoba physical
education/health education curriculum framework of outcomes and a foundation for implementation. Winnipeg,
Manitoba, Canada: Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth School Programs Division.
O’Lenic, C., & Arman, J. F. (2005). Anger management for adolescents: a creative group counseling approach.
VISTAS: Compelling perspectives on counseling, 55-58.
Pfeiffer, R. H. (2012). Anger management workbook and curriculum. Tucson, AZ: Growth Publishing.
The Blake Group Organizational Consulting. (2018). Conflict Management Styles Assessment.
Retrieved from http://www.blake-group.com/free-assessments
Wilson, S. J., & Lipsey, M. W. (2007). School-based interventions for aggressive and disruptive behavior: Update
of a meta-analysis. American journal of preventive medicine, 33(2), S130-S143.
47

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Group Counseling:

Created by Britni Kay & Gabriela Quintero

4. Consent Form (English/Spanish Forms)

7. Evaluation: Pre/Post Test

students are socioeconomically disadvantaged (California Department of Education,

increase in suspension by 6.4% (California Department of Education, n.d.).

students to us for future groups.

Jordan High School Teacher Needs Assessment

Thank you in advance for your valuable feedback!

1.What grade do you teach?

6. Students need assistance with their decision-making skills.

20. Students need to learn more about college financial aid.

implement in your personal life?

4. Would you be willing to maintain confidentiality in this group?

7. Do you have any further questions about the group?

Ideal Selection of Participants

in this group as well as to determine if they would be a good fit.

and felt comfortable with all aspects.

English Consent Form

evaluate your program (Deffenbacher, 2004).

modeling activities (Candelaria, et al., 2012; Gansle, 2005).

were more effective than self-focused interventions (Gansle, 2005).

(Candelaria et al., 2012).

relaxation interventions, cognitive interventions, social/communication interventions, and a combination of these

Week #1 : Introductory Session & Team Building

Location/ Restorative Justice Room, 40 minutes, 2:00-2:40 PM

Grade Level: 9th & 10th Grade

Guidance Team Building & Introduction to Anger

Learning 1. To increase appreciation of role, purpose and group-established expectations.

Warm-up/Ice M&M’s Ice Breaker

Red: What are your three favorite foods?

Agenda: 1. Introduction to group counseling - Social Development

Perception Data: Pre-test

Outcome Data: Reduction in behavioral referral data.

Week #2: Communication Skills

Location/ Restorative Justice Room, 40 minutes, 2:00-2:40 PM

Grade Level: 9th & 10th Grade

Guidance Communication Skills

Materials Communications skills curriculum, Pens, Pencils, Index Cards

Warm-up/Ice 2 Truths, 1 Lie

Agenda: 1. Opening Circle

Outcome Data: Reduction in behavioral referral data.

Week #3: Empathy & Emotional Regulation

Location/ Restorative Justice Room, 40 minutes, 2:00-2:40 PM

Grade Level: 9th & 10th Grade

Guidance Empathy & Emotional Regulation

Learning 1. Students will learn what empathy is.

Materials Empathy curriculum, pens, pencils.

Agenda: 1. Opening Circle

Outcome Data: Reduction in behavioral referral data.

Week #4: Stress Management & Coping Skills

Location/ Restorative Justice Room, 40 minutes, 2:00-2:40 PM

Grade Level: 9th & 10th Grade

Warm-up/Ice Mindfulness activity (body scan meditation):

Agenda: 1. Opening Circle: “What is stress?”

Outcome Data: Reduction in behavioral referral data.

Week #5: Conflict Management

Start Date: Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Location/ Restorative Justice Room, 40 minutes, 2:00-2:40 PM