International Perspectives on Group Work : Leadership, Practice, Research, and Teaching

The counselling profession in the United States is calling for increased international collaboration, engagement, and understanding of the global issues which impact the way in which counsellors conduct their professional practice, teaching, and research. This book shares a variety of world views, principles, and practices focused on group work in different cultures across the globe. The themes developed move past colonialism to integrate indigenous and culturally competent approaches to group work leadership, practice, research, and teaching in diverse populations and settings. This book was originally published as two special issues of The Journal for Specialists in Group Work.

The counselling profession in the United States is calling for increased international collaboration, engagement, and understanding of the global issues which impact the way in which counsellors conduct their professional practice, teaching, and research. This book captures the experiences of group workers the world over, inviting them to describe how they facilitate group work to restore wellness, promote healing, and create opportunities for reducing isolation and alienation by tapping into the wisdom of multicultural or indigenous practices. The group work profession underscores the importance of training and service delivery that is rooted in humanistic narratives, with a focus on understanding cross-cultural dynamics.

Included in this collection are examples of the rich, creative, and diverse world of group work applications, all of which contribute to a greater knowledge, awareness, and understanding of the many ways in which the power of group membership and leadership can be harnessed for positive change. Group work teachers, practitioners, and counsellor educators will enjoy learning about these creative and important efforts, and take away ideas to implement in their own group work. This book was originally published as two special issues of The Journal for Specialists in Group Work.