Working with groups

Groups are a fundamental part of human existence (Lindsay and Orton 2014) with the potential to foster a sense of mutual sharing, support and collective problem solving. When used therapeutically groups can offer a sense of community, promote engagement in meaningful occupations, provide an opportunity for the learning of new skills, build confidence, reduce isolation and create bridges to promote interaction between generations. The aims of group-work are therefore fully cognizant with the core philosophy of occupational therapy, enabling individuals to recognize and build on their strengths and to act as a resource for themselves and others and in doing so to realize their occupational potential. It comes as no surprise that the World Federation of Occupational Therapists regards group work as a key skill of occupational therapists and includes it within its standards of proficiency (WFOT 2011). However, group-work for some years has been regarded very much as sitting almost exclusively within the domain of mental health. While the contribution of group-work here should not be underestimated, it is important not to limit it to this area. In physical rehabilitation group work can offer a way of enabling individuals to develop skills and techniques that can promote rehabilitation or manage and adapt to some of the physical and psychological challenges that living with a long term condition can bring. Increasingly as health services are reconfigured to place more emphasis on self-management, on disease prevention and on recognizing the importance of drawing on resources in the community, group-work will play an increasing role across all occupational therapy practice and will assume a key role in the continued renaissance of our profession.