Cognitive Group Session Outline

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Group title: OTP531 Lab Group Cognitive-Behavioral Lesson

Session title: OT Super Sleuths

Author: Diane Makovsky, OTS

Frame of reference: Cognitive-behavioral. According to Cole and Tufano (2008, p.155), the

cognitive-behavioral approach has been found to work well with clients who are capable of self-

awareness and inductive and deductive reasoning. This frame of reference can be applied to the

skills necessary for everyday social interactions (Cole & Tufano, 2008, p.156).

Purpose: The purpose of this one-time group is to expose first-year MOT students to a cognitive

group. This group will utilize the seven-step model outlined by Cole (2005), and have the

students undertake a fact-finding activity that illustrates how the role of observation can transfer

to students’ future role as an occupational therapist.

Goal for this session: Clients will discuss the value of keen observation with regard to the

specific activity and whether it can be applied to occupational therapy practice.

Rationale: As clinicians, occupational therapists will be called upon to use the skills of

observation. They will be presented with facts and opinions, and through their use of evidence-

based practice, observation, standardized assessments, experience, and reflection, they will

formulate courses of treatment. The goal for this activity is to enable group participants to see

how observation skills transfer to all areas of life.

Limitation: This is a one-time group in which members are attending to fulfill an academic

requirement.

Outcome criteria: At the end of the group, each participant will be writing a reflection for

submission to the course professor.

Group membership and size: This will be a closed group, made up from half the members of

lab 1 minus the coordinators of the two groups held on March 3, 2011.

Time and place of meeting: Hopkins house, Bay Path College, Longmeadow, Massachusetts.

March 3, 2011 at 3:45 p.m. (The session will be preceded by a 15-minute rationale. The group

will run for 60 minutes.)

Format:

1. Introduction—15 minutes

2. Accident or Murder Activity—15 minutes

3. Sharing—10 minutes

4. Processing—5 minutes

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5. Generalizing—5 minutes

6. Application—5 minutes

7. Summary—5 minutes

Supplies:

• Story handout

• Blank answer-sheet papers

• Pen/pencil

Format and description:

1. Introduction (15 minutes)

a. Warm-up

i. Ask each person to please introduce his or herself and briefly tell about the

last, or one of the last items, they read that was not course related.

b. The goal for this session is that participants will discuss the value of keen

observation and analysis with regard to the specific activity and whether it can be

applied to occupational therapy practice.

i. Specifically, the group will participate in a sleuthing activity. They will be

presented a story and try to determine what happened.

c. Cognitive-Behavioral frame of reference

i. Therapist is an advisor. The activity is cognitive. It combines a brain

teasing activity and asks participants to evaluate whether any of the skills

used could be applied to real world situations.

ii. It asks participants to consider what questions they would like to ask for

further information.

d. The expectation is that all members participate in the cooperative group, think

about the activity, and provide individual responses to the activity on an answer

sheet.

i. The instructions are: Today, we are going to try to determine whether

there has been an accident or a murder.

ii. Ask one or more people to assist with reading the story.

iii. Upon conclusion of the story, please answer individually the questions:

1. Was it an accident or a murder?

2. If a murder, who do you think did it?

3. Provide your reasoning for your answers?

4. Are there any questions you would like to have asked if you were a

member of the police department and, if so, to whom would they

be addressed?

2. Activity (15 minutes)

a. Hand out stories and papers for answers.

b. Begin with a volunteer to read aloud, and move through the group.

3. Sharing (10 minutes)

a. Count up and share the answers.

b. Is anyone surprised by the answers group participants have given?

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c. Has anything anyone has heard made them change their mind and, if so, why?

d. Confirm the answer.

e. What did you think of the activity?

f. Did you learn anything from the story?

g. How did you feel about completing this activity?

h. Did you find reading the story aloud helpful, or would have preferred just having

the story to ready yourself?

i. Was there anything in today’s activity that could relate to occupational therapy?

4. Processing (5 minutes)

a. Ask members to express how they feel about the entire group experience.

b. Did you find reading the story aloud helpful, or would have preferred just having

the story to ready yourself?

c. Was there anything in today’s activity that could relate to occupational therapy?

5. Generalizing (5 minutes)

a. How can a reading and attention (or sleuthing) activity be applied to other tasks?

b. When are facts all that matter?

c. When do opinions matter?

6. Application (5 minutes)

a. Pull together some general principles from the comments.

7. Summary (5 minutes)

a. Is there anything you might do as an OT that you might do differently after this

activity?

b. Apply general principles to real life situations.

References:

Cole, M. B. (2005). Group dynamics in occupational therapy: The theoretical basis and practice

application of group intervention. Thorofare, NJ: SLACK Incorporated.

Cole, M. B., & Tufano, R. (2008). Applied theories in occupational therapy: A practical

approach. Thorofare, NJ: SLACK Incorporated.