Quick Guide for Clinicians - SAMHSA Store - Substance Abuse and ...

Group Leadership: Concepts and Techniques 45Clients who flee a session. Clients who run out ofa session often are acting on an impulse thatothers share. It would be productive in suchinstances to discuss these feelings with the groupand to determine what members can do to talkabout these feelings when they arise.Other Common ProblemsComing late or missing sessions. Sometimes,addiction counselors view a client who comes togroup late as a person who is behaving ‘badly.’ Itis more productive to see this kind of boundaryviolation as a message to be deciphered.Sometimes this attempt will fail, however, and theclinician may decide the behavior interferes withthe group work too much to be tolerated.Silence. A group member who is silent is conveyinga message as clearly as one who speaks.Silent messages should be heard and understood,since nonresponsiveness may provide clues to aclient’s difficulties in connecting with his or herown inner life or with others.