DQ 1 :What form of resistive behavior (or difficult behavior displayed by a group member) would you find most problematic in one of your groups?
Three questions, and the third carries the grade. Pick one specific difficult behavior, say why it would be hard for you, and then describe a therapeutic response that treats the behavior as group data rather than as an obstacle.
Editorial process
Last reviewed · August 22, 2026
Working with resistance instead of removing it
The phrase to take seriously is work in a therapeutic way. It rules out the answers that come first, which are all versions of managing the behaviour out of the room: setting a rule, taking the member aside, redirecting the conversation. Those may be necessary, but they are containment, not therapy, and a post that stops there answers a different question. The therapeutic move treats the behaviour as information. The monopoliser is usually anxious about silence; the silent member may be scanning for safety; the member who advises everyone else avoids being the one who needs help; the hostile member is often testing whether the group can survive anger. Whatever you pick, say what the behaviour might be doing for that person, because that is the hinge between description and intervention. Without that hypothesis there is nothing for the intervention to aim at, and the response collapses back into the management answer the prompt has already ruled out.
Choose one behaviour and choose it honestly, since the prompt asks what you would find most problematic and the answer is about you as much as the client. Naming your own reaction is not a confession, it is countertransference material and it is markable. Then build the intervention in group terms rather than individual ones: this is a group counselling course, so an answer that treats the member as an individual client sitting in a circle has missed the modality. Consider using process commentary that names what is happening without naming a culprit, inviting other members to say how the behaviour lands on them, linking the behaviour to a theme the group is already working, and returning to the group agreement made in the forming stage. Note also that the same behaviour reads differently in week two than in week ten, and say which stage you are imagining.
Likely learning objectives
- Interpret a difficult group behavior as serving a function for the member.
- Name your own reaction as countertransference data rather than as a complaint.
- Design an intervention at the level of the group rather than the individual.
- Locate the behavior within a stage of group development.
Assignment instructions
Read the full question
Review every instruction before using the planning guidance that follows.
PCN 520 Grand Canyon Week 6 Discussion 1 Latest July 2016 DQ 1 :What form of resistive behavior (or difficult behavior displayed by a group member) would you find most problematic in one of your groups? What form of resistive behavior (or difficult behavior displayed by a group member) would you find most problematic in one of your groups? Why? How might you work in a therapeutic way with such a member’s behavior?
Course-wide instructions that accompany this question
Important information for writing discussion questions and participation Hi Class, Please read through the following information on writing a Discussion question response and participation posts. Contact me if you have any questions. Important information on Writing a Discussion Question Your response needs to be a minimum of 150 words (not including your list of references) There needs to be at least TWO references with ONE being a peer reviewed professional journal article. Include in-text citations in your response Do not include quotes—instead summarize and paraphrase the information Follow APA-7th edition Points will be deducted if the above is not followed Participation –replies to your classmates or instructor A minimum of 6 responses per week, on at least 3 days of the week. Each response needs at least ONE reference with citations—best if it is a peer reviewed journal article Each response needs to be at least 75 words in length (does not include your list of references) Responses need to be substantive by bringing information to the discussion or further enhance the discussion. Responses of “I agree” or “great post” does not count for the word count. Follow APA 7th edition Points will be deducted if the above is not followed Remember to use and follow APA-7th edition for all weekly assignments, discussion questions, and participation points. Here are some helpful links Student paper example Citing Sources The Writing Center is a great resource Welcome to class Hello class and welcome to the class and I will be your instructor for this course. This is a -week course and requires a lot of time commitment, organization, and a high level of dedication. Please use the class syllabus to guide you through all the assignments required for the course. I have also attached the classroom policies to this announcement to know your expectations for this course. Please review this document carefully and ask me any questions if you do. You could email me at any time or send me a message via the “message” icon in halo if you need to contact me. I check my email regularly, so you should get a response within 24 hours. If you have not heard from me within 24 hours and need to contact me urgently, please send a follow up text to. I strongly encourage that you do not wait until the very last minute to complete your assignments. Your assignments in weeks 4 and 5 require early planning as you would need to present a teaching plan and interview a community health provider. I advise you look at the requirements for these assignments at the beginning of the course and plan accordingly. I have posted the YouTube link that explains all the class assignments in detail. It is required that you watch this 32-minute video as the assignments from week 3 through 5 require that you follow the instructions to the letter to succeed. Failure to complete these assignments according to instructions might lead to a zero. After watching the video, please schedule a one-on-one with me to discuss your topic for your project by the second week of class. Use this link to schedule a 15-minute session. Please, call me at the time of your appointment on my number. Please note that I will NOT call you. Please, be advised I do NOT accept any assignments by email. If you are having technical issues with uploading an assignment, contact the technical department and inform me of the issue. If you have any issues that would prevent you from getting your assignments to me by the deadline, please inform me to request a possible extension. Note that working fulltime or overtime is no excuse for late assignments. There is a 5%-point deduction for every day your assignment is late. This only applies to approved extensions. Late assignments will not be accepted. If you think you would be needing accommodations due to any reasons, please contact the appropriate department to request accommodations. Plagiarism is highly prohibited. Please ensure you are citing your sources correctly using APA 7th edition. All assignments including discussion posts should be formatted in APA with the appropriate spacing, font, margin, and indents. Any papers not well formatted would be returned back to you, hence, I advise you review APA formatting style. I have attached a sample paper in APA format and will also post sample discussion responses in subsequent announcements. Your initial discussion post should be a minimum of 200 words and response posts should be a minimum of 150 words. Be advised that I grade based on quality and not necessarily the number of words you post. A minimum of TWO references should be used for your initial post. For your response post, you do not need references as personal experiences would count as response posts. If you however cite anything from the literature for your response post, it is required that you cite your reference. You should include a minimum of THREE references for papers in this course. Please note that references should be no more than 5 years old except recommended as a resource for the class. Furthermore, for each discussion board question, you need ONE initial substantive response and TWO substantive responses to either your classmates or your instructor for a total of THREE responses. There are TWO discussion questions each week, hence, you need a total minimum of SIX discussion posts for each week. I usually post a discussion question each week. You could also respond to these as it would count towards your required SIX discussion posts for the week. I understand this is a lot of information to cover in 5 weeks, however, the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Even in times like this, we are encouraged by God’s word that we have that ability in us to succeed with His strength. I pray that each and every one of you receives strength for this course and life generally as we navigate through this pandemic that is shaking our world today. Relax and enjoy the course! PCN 520 Grand Canyon Week 6 Discussion 1 Latest July 2016 Grading Rubric Guidelines Performance Category 10 9 8 4 0 Scholarliness Demonstrates achievement of scholarly inquiry for professional and academic decisions. Provides relevant evidence of scholarly inquiry clearly stating how the evidence informed or changed professional or academic decisions Evaluates literature resources to develop a comprehensive analysis or synthesis. Uses valid, relevant, and reliable outside sources to contribute to the threaded discussion Provides relevant evidence of scholarly inquiry but does not clearly state how the evidence informed or changed professional or academic decisions. Evaluates information from source(s) to develop a coherent analysis or synthesis. Uses some valid, relevant, reliable outside sources to contribute to the threaded discussion. Discusses using scholarly inquiry but does not state how scholarly inquiry informed or changed professional or academic decisions. Information is taken from source(s) with some interpretation/evaluation, but not enough to develop a coherent analysis or synthesis. Little valid, relevant, or reliable outside sources are used to contribute to the threaded discussion. Demonstrates little or no understanding of the topic. Discusses using scholarly inquiry but does not state how scholarly inquiry informed or changed professional or academic decisions. Information is taken from source(s) without any interpretation/evaluation. The posting uses information that is not valid, relevant, or reliable No evidence of the use of scholarly inquiry to inform or change professional or academic decisions. Information is not valid, relevant, or reliable Performance Category 10 9 8 4 0 Application of Course Knowledge – Demonstrate the ability to analyze, synthesize, and/or apply principles and concepts learned in the course lesson and outside readings and relate them to real-life professional situations Posts make direct reference to concepts discussed in the lesson or drawn from relevant outside sources; Applies concepts to personal experience in the professional setting and or relevant application to real life. Posts make direct reference to concepts discussed in the lesson or drawn from relevant outside sources. Applies concepts to personal experience in their professional setting and or relevant application to real life Interactions with classmates are relevant to the discussion topic but do not make direct reference to lesson content Posts are generally on topic but do not build knowledge by incorporating concepts and principles from the lesson. Does not attempt to apply lesson concepts to personal experience in their professional setting and or relevant application to real life Does not demonstrate a solid understanding of the principles and concepts presented in the lesson Posts do not adequately address the question posed either by the discussion prompt or the instructor’s launch post. Posts are superficial and do not reflect an understanding of the lesson content Does not attempt to apply lesson concepts to personal experience in their professional setting and or relevant application to real life Posts are not related to the topics provided by the discussion prompt or by the instructor; attempts by the instructor to redirect the student are ignored No discussion of lesson concepts to personal experience in the professional setting and or relevant application to real life Performance Category 5 4 3 2 0 Interactive Dialogue Replies to each graded thread topic posted by the course instructor, by Wednesday, 11:59 p.m. MT, of each week, and posts a minimum of two times in each graded thread, on separate days. (5 points possible per graded thread) Exceeds minimum post requirements Replies to each graded thread topic posted by the course instructor, by Wednesday, 11:59 p.m. MT, of each week, and posts three or more times in each graded thread, over three separate days. Replies to a post posed by faculty and to a peer Summarizes what was learned from the lesson, readings, and other student posts for the week. Replies to each graded thread topic posted by the course instructor, by Wednesday, 11:59 p.m. MT, of each week, and posts a minimum of two times in each graded thread, on separate days Replies to a question posed by a peer Summarizes what was learned from the lesson, readings, and other student posts for the week. Meets expectations of 2 posts on 2 different days. The main post is not made by the Wednesday deadline Does not reply to a question posed by a peer or faculty Has only one post for the week Discussion posts contain few, if any, new ideas or applications; often are a rehashing or summary of other students’ comments Does not post to the thread No connections are made to the topic Minus 1 Point Minus 2 Point Minus 3 Point Minus 4 Point Minus 5 Point Grammar, Syntax, APA Note: if there are only a few errors in these criteria, please note this for the student in as an area for improvement. If the student does not make the needed corrections in upcoming weeks, then points should be deducted. Points deducted for improper grammar, syntax and APA style of writing. The source of information is the APA Manual 6th Edition 2-3 errors in APA format. Written responses have 2-3 grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors. Writing style is generally clear, focused, and facilitates communication. 4-5 errors in APA format. Writing responses have 4-5 grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors. Writing style is somewhat focused. 6-7 errors in APA format. Writing responses have 6-7 grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors. Writing style is slightly focused making discussion difficult to understand. 8-10 errors in APA format. Writing responses have 8-10 grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors. Writing style is not focused, making discussion difficult to understand. Post contains greater than 10 errors in APA format. Written responses have more than 10 grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors. Writing style does not facilitate communication. The student continues to make repeated mistakes in any of the above areas after written correction by the instructor 0 points lost -5 points lost Total Participation Requirements per discussion thread The student answers the threaded discussion question or topic on one day and posts a second response on another day. The student does not meet the minimum requirement of two postings on two different days Early Participation Requirement per discussion thread The student must provide a substantive answer to the graded discussion question(s) or topic(s), posted by the course instructor (not a response to a peer), by Wednesday, 11:59 p.m. MT of each week. The student does not meet the requirement of a substantive response to the stated question or topic by Wednesday at 11:59 pm MT.
Turn the brief into deliverables
- 01One specific difficult behavior, named rather than described in general terms.
- 02A reason it would be most problematic for you personally.
- 03A hypothesis about what the behavior does for that member.
- 04A therapeutic intervention framed in group process terms.
- 05The stage of the group you are imagining.
One behavior, your reaction to it, then the intervention
The behavior you would find hardest
Name one behavior and describe how it presents in session.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A behavior specific enough to be recognised, not 'difficult members'.
Why it lands on you
State your own reaction and treat it as countertransference material.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A reaction owned by the counsellor rather than attributed to the member.
What the behavior is doing
Hypothesise the function the behavior serves for that member.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A function proposed, such as anxiety management or safety testing.
The intervention, in group terms
Describe process commentary, member feedback and links to group agreements.
What the assessor is likely looking for
An intervention that uses the other members rather than bypassing them.
Stage changes the answer
Say how your response would differ early versus late in the group's life.
What the assessor is likely looking for
A named stage with a corresponding change in the response.
Where group process and resistance are documented
Recommended databases
- NCBI Bookshelf
- SAMHSA publications
- APA
- GCU Library
Search sequence
- 1.Read a source on group therapeutic factors before choosing your intervention.
- 2.Look for guidance on managing specific difficult roles in groups.
- 3.Find a description of stages of group development to anchor the timing point.
- 4.Check what the literature says about therapist reactions to difficult members.
Reference shortlist
These are authoritative starting points, not a ready-made bibliography. A qualified reviewer must confirm that each source fits the assignment and supports the claim beside which it is cited.
Group Therapy
StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf · 2023
Group therapy structure and process, for the modality-level framing of the intervention.
Substance Abuse Treatment: Group Therapy (TIP 41)
SAMHSA, via NCBI Bookshelf · 2015
SAMHSA guidance on group treatment, including difficult member behaviours.
Keys to great group therapy
Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2019
Practitioner accounts of what makes groups work, for process commentary in practice.
Motivational Interviewing
StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf · 2024
Motivational interviewing, for a stance toward resistance that does not treat it as opposition.
Time-Limited Group Therapy
Brief Interventions and Brief Therapies for Substance Abuse, Treatment Improvement Protocol 34, NCBI Bookshelf · 1999
Time-limited group work, for how stage and duration change what an intervention can do.
Before you post to the Week 6 forum
Common mistakes
- Answering with rule-setting or removal, which is containment rather than therapy.
- Describing the behavior without hypothesising its function.
- Treating the member as an individual client rather than as part of a system.
- Omitting your own reaction, which the prompt explicitly asks about.
- Ignoring group stage, so the same response is offered for week two and week ten.
Submission checklist
- Is the behavior specific enough to picture?
- Have you said why it is hardest for you in particular?
- Does your answer include a hypothesis about its function?
- Is the intervention worded as group process rather than individual counselling?
- Have you named the stage of group development you assume?
Use this guide to plan and review your own work. Follow your institution's rules and read Brinevia's academic-integrity policy.
Written by
Maren Caldwell
MSN, RN, CNE
Medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology and NCLEX preparation
Maren is a registered nurse with over 15 years of clinical and educational experience in medical-surgical nursing. She writes on NCLEX preparation, patient care fundamentals, pharmacology and evidence-based practice.

Reviewed by
Dr. Tessa Redmond
DNP, RN, CNE
Evidence-based practice and clinical education
Tessa is a doctorally-prepared nurse educator. She reviews Brinevia content for clinical accuracy and alignment with current evidence-based guidelines.