1. Self-Esteem Group Lesson Plan
Name of Facilitator: Shanelle Muse
Date group will be led: Two groups will be held, one on each of the following days:
 Tuesday, July 10, 2012 for a 45 minute duration
 Thursday, July 12, 2012 for a 45 minute duration
Overall goal(s) for the group:
 Group members will develop more effective ways to relate to themselves and the
way in which they relate to others.
 Group members will develop a greater sense of awareness regarding their
personal development.
 Group members will further develop and modify their skills, in order to become
effective problem solvers.
Short description of group dynamics in the last session: On Tuesday, July 10, the
group will be meeting for the first time in a formal session. Therefore, there have
not been any previous sessions conducted with this group.
Theme or topic for the group, rationale for theme or topic, how this is connected to
the last session:
 Topic: Getting to know one another & Self-Esteem
 Title of Session:
 Rationale 1: The rationale behind “getting to know one another” is simple in the
sense that this is our initial meeting. In order to build a group founded on trust,
understanding, and positive regard, the group members must get acquainted with
one another. This will allow the group members to explore the natural curiosity
they may have about their fellow members.
 Rationale 2: The rationale behind “Self-Esteem” is because as a group, we
decided to conduct all of our sessions on topics related to “Personal
Development”. Self-Esteem was brought up by the group and all of the
members responded positively to the idea and appeared engaged
immediately. Self-Esteem is a commonality that all the group members, at
one point or another, have had bouts with. This topic will allow the

2. members to be aware of whether or not they have a low or high self esteem,
explore the roots of where their beliefs came from, and start building on
increasing their self-esteem.
Goal(s) for this session:
 Group members will be able to create and identify norms for their group, in order
to set boundaries and a framework for a successful group.
 Group members will be able to establish initial stages of rapport and trust with
one another, in order to begin to effectively share.
 Group members will be able to increase their awareness related to their self-
esteem.
 Group members will engage in the sharing of positive feedback with their fellow
members.
Theoretical Framework: Ellis - REBT
Brief Description: This theory is based on the premise that thoughts cause
feelings. In the mid 1950’s, Ellis concluded that humans, in most cases, do not
merely get upset by unfortunate adversities, but also by how they construct their
views of reality through their language, evaluative beliefs, meanings and
philosophies about the world, themselves and others. In theory, upon resolving the
client’s issues, the client will be able to lead a happier and more fulfilling life
because they will understand that their self-talk is what’s causing their feelings and
in turn resulting in a particular action. This theory allows the client to feel more in
control by knowing that their feelings are caused by their own thoughts.
Application to Group Counseling: In a group setting, REBT can be easily
taught to the members, who can quickly learn how to apply it to themselves and to other
members. As a facilitator, we could assist the members in focusing on changing their
feelings by looking at what they are telling themselves. In a group session, the facilitator
could use REBT to (A) clarify the event, person, or situation, (B) Clarify the negative
self-talk, and (C) Clarify the feelings and/or behavior. This ABC model will eventually
give the member an opportunity to change their feelings by changing their self-talk.
Application to Present Group: REBT can be applied to this group because we
will be using Ellis’ Irrational Beliefs to generate an open discussion about how the
irrational beliefs potentially fuel their negative or positive self-esteem. Self-esteem can
be a direct result of outside situations or experiences, however, a major part of self-
esteem is the self-talk you engage in. The self-talk you engage in directly effects your

3. self-esteem because it is the final determinant in how you feel about yourself. REBT
could prove to be effective in reaching this group’s goals for the two upcoming sessions
because it can allow the members to become more aware in the self-talk they engage in,
in turn, becoming more aware of how to build their self-esteem.
Materials needed: The following materials will be needed over the course of the two,
scheduled sessions:
 Chart Paper
 Sharpie Markers
 Beach Ball
 List of Ellis Irrational Beliefs
 Post-It Notes (variety of colors)
 “MagicBox”
 Tape
 Writing Utensils (pens/pencils)
Detailed timeline of events (include which co-leader will be responsible for which
part; note: this is projected – discuss your flexibility with the group and how you
will follow the group’s lead):
It is extremely important to place emphasis on session planning. In doing so, it involved
identifying the topic of self-esteem, developing group activities to accompany it like the
“MagicBox” and the affirmation activity, as well as allotting the appropriate time for
each. Particular to this type of group, where the members are not exactly attending the
group sessions to work on specific issues to discuss, it is important to organize the
sessions with activities and discussions that will allow the group to be interesting,
productive, and worthwhile to each member. As it is imperative to remember that plans
do not always go as well as expected, consideration and flexibility will be given to the
natural flow of the group and allowing the members to lead the group in the direction
they may want.
Timeline of Planned Events:
 Welcome the group members: introduce ourselves, introduce the group’s theme
of personal development Shanelle & Arielle

4.  Establish and discuss group’s rules & expectations: Discuss the reason why
we need to discuss this is because we want this to be meaningful for every single
member. Stress the advantages of group such as we all can serve as resources to
one another. Allowing yourself to open up will in turn allow you to learn
through one another, see new perspectives, and identify commonalities amongst
us. (Chart Paper Norms To Be Posted and Added To By Members) Shanelle
& Arielle
 Ice Breaker Activity: Beach Ball questions will be posed after discussing the
rules of the game. Prior to answering a question, group members must state their
name aloud and all group members will respond by saying, “Hi, _____”.
Shanelle & Arielle
 Introduction of today’s topic: Ask the members to define what self-esteem
means to them in dyads and how they would identify their own. Define self-
esteem as the way in which we view ourselves after a lifetime of messages we
receive and perceive about ourselves. Discuss how today we hope to identify
how we feel about ourselves, explore some experiences that have attributed to
our self-esteem, and take a small step in improving it. Arielle
 Open Discussion/Rounds: Encourage the members to share their goals for the
session related to self-esteem in a rounds format. At this point, facilitators may
pose additional questions to explore and connect the members, all related to self-
esteem. Shanelle & Arielle
 Ellis Irrational Beliefs: Provide a list of Ellis’ Irrational beliefs and ask the
members to circle the one that they identify with most. In rounds, discuss how
they related to the irrational belief in a description of a time directly connected to
that. (*May provide group members with ABC model briefly for future work
sessions down the road) Shanelle & Arielle
 Self-Esteem Building Activity: MagicBox – This activity will require the
explanation of the game, open discussion amongst members, and two rounds of
responses provided by the group members. Shanelle
 Open Discussion/Rounds: Open forum prompted by the questions: How did the
magicbox activity make you feel? Was it easy or difficult for you to identify
positive qualities about yourself in front of others? Did this activity negatively or
positively remind you of another experience you’ve had? Arielle
 Affirmations Exercise: Prior to closing the session, summarize the topic and
reiterate important points brought up by the group. Define what an affirmation is
and share the one we will chant,
“I accept and acknowledge all of my strengths and weaknesses. For they make
me the unique and valuable person I am.” Shanelle & Arielle
 Closing Phase: Summary and round of sharing one thing the members may

5. do between this session and next that can positively relate to their self
esteem. Shanelle
**Although each event is preplanned and designated for a particular counselor in
training, it is important to note that facilitator will be working during all events.

6. do between this session and next that can positively relate to their self
esteem. Shanelle
**Although each event is preplanned and designated for a particular counselor in
training, it is important to note that facilitator will be working during all events.