Running head: Children of Addiction- Group Design Final Product
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Children of Addiction- Group Design Final Product
Veronica Cheers
Grand Canyon University: PCN-520
July 13, 2016
Children of Addiction- Group Design Final Product
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Abstract
Children are faced with limited options when dealing with parents or guardians who suffer from
addictive behaviors. Children often mistake not being heard as a sign that parents and/or
guardians aren’t willing to make them a priority in their lives.
Each session is to help each child
focus on themselves while sharing their daily experiences with a group who understands them
and is willing to listen. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the requirements of a group in
which children feel comfortable sharing how living within a home with an addict has affected
them.
Children of Addicts
This group was chosen for several reasons. It is my belief that in some cases the children
that suffered from a loss of parents due to addiction are unheard. They have to deal with the
emotional and verbal attacks, broken bonds, living in a world filled with confusion and anxiety.
Providing an outlet or place of refuge where they can be heard can promote a sense of
acceptance, leave room for interaction and also ventilation. This group is designed to help
children ranging from 6-11 and 12-18 in groups of 6-10 per session. A standard session will last
approximately 45min to 1 hour with a 10 session maximum for participants, unless additional
sessions are needed.
Children who live with parents that suffer from addiction may live with the idea of being
different from their peers, being judged based on the actions of their parents, they have the
tendency to lie and can have a strong level of fear when determining who they can trust. By
separating them into different age groups they get to see people that look like them, they are able
to walk into an area of comfort. The goal of each session is to help the children realize that
regardless of their circumstance they are still normal children that have been faced with the task
Children of Addiction- Group Design Final Product
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of coping in a stressful and chaotic environment. Within each session we want to continually
build trust and confidence in each participant by placing them in an environment where they feel
comfortable disclosing personal information. As the counseling professional we want to teach
