CSAM Group Therapy & Facilitation 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A facilitator observes that one member consistently receives positive feedback from the group but dismisses all of it. This pattern most likely reflects:
- Low frustration tolerance
- Difficulty receiving care, possibly linked to shame or mistrust underlying the anger (Correct answer)
- Lack of group cohesion
- Poor psychoeducation retention
Correct answer: Difficulty receiving care, possibly linked to shame or mistrust underlying the anger
Dismissing positive feedback often signals shame-based beliefs or attachment difficulties that can fuel anger, making it a key therapeutic focus.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes 'interpersonal learning input' as a therapeutic factor in anger management groups?
- Members learning anger triggers from the facilitator's lectures
- Members receiving honest feedback about how their behavior impacts others (Correct answer)
- Members practicing breathing techniques together
- Members learning from printed handouts about communication styles
Correct answer: Members receiving honest feedback about how their behavior impacts others
Interpersonal learning input occurs when members gain insight into how their anger-driven behaviors affect others through direct, real-time group feedback.
Question 3: During the termination phase of a closed anger management group, the facilitator's primary task is to:
- Introduce new anger management techniques to fill remaining time
- Help members consolidate gains, process the group ending, and plan for relapse prevention (Correct answer)
- Encourage members to form ongoing friendships outside the group
- Conduct formal assessments of anger reduction for each member
Correct answer: Help members consolidate gains, process the group ending, and plan for relapse prevention
Termination work focuses on reinforcing skill gains, processing the loss of the group, and developing individualized relapse prevention plans.
Question 4: When establishing group norms at the outset of an anger management group, it is most therapeutic to:
- Present a list of rules for members to sign without discussion
- Collaboratively develop norms with members to increase buy-in and ownership (Correct answer)
- Avoid explicit norms to allow organic group culture to develop
- Use the same norms for every group regardless of membership
Correct answer: Collaboratively develop norms with members to increase buy-in and ownership
Collaboratively developing norms increases member investment in upholding them and models the respectful communication skills central to anger management.
Question 5: A facilitator working with an anger management group notices that sessions consistently run over time. This most likely indicates:
- The group is highly motivated and engaged
- A facilitation boundary issue that may mirror members' own difficulty setting limits (Correct answer)
- The curriculum is insufficient for the time allotted
- Members need longer sessions to process their anger effectively
Correct answer: A facilitation boundary issue that may mirror members' own difficulty setting limits
Chronic boundary violations around time by the facilitator can model and reinforce the same limit-setting problems that contribute to members' anger difficulties.
Question 6: Which of the following is a contraindication for including a client in a standard anger management group?
- History of passive anger expression
- Active untreated psychosis or severe cognitive impairment that prevents group participation (Correct answer)
- Mild social anxiety about speaking in groups
- Court-mandated referral
Correct answer: Active untreated psychosis or severe cognitive impairment that prevents group participation
Active psychosis or severe cognitive impairment prevents a client from engaging meaningfully with group process and can disrupt the therapeutic environment for others.
Question 7: In an anger management group, a member says, 'This is the first time I've felt understood about my anger.' This statement reflects which Yalom curative factor?
- Catharsis
- Universality (Correct answer)
- Altruism
- Existential factors
Correct answer: Universality
Universality is the experience of relief and connection that comes from discovering others share one's struggles, reducing the isolation anger often creates.
CSAM Group Therapy & Facilitation 5
A facilitator observes that one member consistently receives positive feedback from the group but dismisses all of it.
This pattern most likely reflects: