Implications for Group Leaders Cong

Implications for Group Leaders Congruent group leaders avoid using their
professional role to keep themselves hidden; instead, they are naturally themselves
in their way of relating to members in the group. Although group leaders
are essentially honest in their encounters in the group, they are not indiscriminately
open, and they know the boundaries of appropriate self-revelation.
They realize the importance of taking responsibility for any feelings they express
in the group and the importance of exploring with clients any persistent
feelings, especially those that may be blocking their ability to be fully present.
Through their own authenticity, congruent group leaders offer a model that
helps their clients work toward greater realness.
Some group leaders have diffi culty “being themselves.” Often that diffi culty
stems from the misapprehension that genuineness entails expressing every
immediate thought or feeling or being spontaneous without any restraint or
consideration of the appropriateness and timeliness of one’s reactions. Another
diffi culty arises when leaders, in the name of being “authentic,” make
themselves the focal point of the group by discussing their personal problems
in great detail. Leaders need to examine their motivations for discussing their
personal issues and ask themselves whether the disclosure serves the members’
needs or their own. Therapists use self-disclosure to validate a client’s
reality, normalize experiences, strengthen the alliance, or present alternative
ways of thinking or acting (Norcross, 2010). Leader self-disclosure should
be done with careful attention to timing and with the purpose of helping the
group advance its capacity to support growth.