Learning Group Leadership: An Experiential Approach to Developing Competent and Reflective Practitioners

The text is designed for graduate courses in counseling, clinical psychology, social work, and human services. It is especially valuable for practicum or internship preparation. Undergraduate leadership programs may also adopt it for task-group or team facilitation courses. Because of its experiential emphasis, it works best in small, discussion-based classes with at least 90 minutes per session to complete activities.

Strengths: Highly practical; reduces anxiety about leading groups; promotes reflective practice; aligns with CACREP (counseling accreditation) standards; includes diverse cultural examples. Limitations: Requires an instructor trained in process-based teaching; less suitable for online asynchronous courses without extensive modification; may overwhelm novice leaders with too many simultaneous skills.

The book is built on the premise that effective group leadership cannot be learned solely through lectures or reading. Instead, Englar-Carlson advocates for Kolb’s experiential learning cycle: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. Each chapter integrates brief theoretical overviews with structured in-class activities, role-plays, and guided self-assessments. This design forces readers to move from passive learning to active practice, often within a peer “training group” that mirrors actual group conditions.