Connect courses

Groups work

How to design, implement and evaluate group therapy

“Brimming with ideas. Thought-provoking and motivating”.
(Speech and language therapist)

Groups can be scary places for members and facilitators. But they can also be the best stepping stone to reconnect with life and move beyond therapy.

Group based interventions are well placed to offer longer term, cost-effective therapy options for people living with stroke, aphasia and other communication disabilities.  Group work both enhances and builds upon individual work and provides rich opportunities for change in communication, confidence and identity.  However, few therapists have formal training in facilitating groups and few clients come to therapy asking for group therapy.

This course will explore some of the principles, practice and processes of offering effective group based therapy in health, social and voluntary sector settings.  Through presentations, interactive workshops and video observations participants will gain new ideas, practical skills and renewed confidence in working with groups.

Who is the course for?

Anyone interested in stroke care who wishes to enhance their practical group skills.  This might include activity co-ordinators, care workers, counsellors, dieticians, doctors, information officers, nurses, occupational therapists, PALS officers, physiotherapists, psychologists, rehabilitation assistants, social workers, speech and language therapists.

What will you gain from attending the course?

• You will gain practical tips and techniques to improve your group facilitation techniques, and for managing groups and group dynamics
• You will increase your confidence in planning, structuring and evaluating group interventions for people with stroke and aphasia
• You will be motivated to develop group based interventions in your setting
• You will be able to communicate the benefits of group work to clients, colleagues and managers more effectively – gaining practical tips for streamlining and 'selling' group work

Debbie Stanton (left), Teresa Eade (third from left) and the Mid-Essex Speech and Language therapy team

What people have said about this course

"Connect gave us the information, encouragement and confidence to challenge and change the way we provide aphasia therapy". 

Debbie Stanton, along with five members of her speech and language therapy team, attended this course in order to tackle long waiting lists for outpatient services. Feedback from people with aphasia and their relatives reflected high levels of frustration. Find out how their service has changed and staff morale is improved in news

“Has given me confidence to try out different ideas”  (Technical instructor)

“Provides a plethora of ideas, really gets you thinking about what you can achieve, has emboldened me, eager to try some things out”  (Speech and language therapist)

“Very informative and extremely useful. Will definitely make use of various ideas raised”.  (Care co-ordinator)

Mary Whittlesey who has aphasia

The Mid-Essex Speech and Language therapy team attended the Groups Work course. Mary Whittlesey (left), who has aphasia, attended one of the first "Explorer" Groups offered by the team. Mary said "I felt alone and isolated, and then came Explorer groups. Fantastic. It would have been really nice to have done those things very early".

Print your own copy of the course details

Groups work course details (44 kb)