Definition of Focus Groups in Counseling

Although typically used for market research in business, the focus group has proven useful in the counseling field. Counseling groups are unique because they encourage people to work together in ways that are not normally found in other forms of counseling, such as one-on-one and standard group counseling. In essence, a group culture is formed that is designed to help each participant's development.

Focus Group Definition

• According to the 1994 article, "Integrating Focus Group Research and Group Counseling," by Gary E. Holmes, "A focus group for human services research is created by bringing together a small group of individuals who interact with one another instead of being interviewed separately." These groups can be used for planning, needs assessment, program design and asset analysis, with the group focusing on a specific topic.

Focus Group Model

• Focus groups are easily adapted to group counseling and group therapy. The Holmes article recommends that the format include a welcome, followed by an overview and topic, followed by the ground rules, and then the first topic question. The range of questions should be determined by the group's focus, which can include research, treatment options or planning. Holmes says that the group interaction may produce insights not normally found if each member of the group were interviewed individually. This is the key component of focus group usefulness.

Counseling Focus Groups

• Focus groups can also be used as a treatment method within the context of group counseling by combining research and group counseling. Holmes believes this is useful because the topical discussion can allow the group counselor to understand each individual client's life as it pertains to the issue at hand. It also gives the group members an understanding of the concerns that they share. The topic of a focus group can be anything that is normally covered by counseling, including alcohol and drug issues, family and marital problems, anger management, etc.

Implementing the Counseling Focus Group

• Since suicide is a possible counseling focus group subject, Darren A. Wozny and Kirck Zinc have formulated an example of a structured counseling focus group model on suicide called, "Development of a Suicide Intervention Training Workshop: Utilizing Counselor Focus Groups," 2007. The article's pre-workshop focus groups determined a primary need for suicide-related knowledge and suicide assessment/intervention skills. This information was then utilized to develop a three-hour suicide intervention workshop outline. The outline was organized into a one-hour attitudes and knowledge component that covers the suicide model (attitudes/knowledge/behavioral components), the myths of suicide (quiz and discussion of myths) and conducive caregiver attitudes toward suicide. The second section of the outline is a one-hour knowledge component that covers suicide warning signs and risk factors, and the final portion is a one-hour knowledge and behavioral component that covers suicide risk assessment, case vignette exercises and safety-based suicide interventions.