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“Stop and Go”: In search of new ecology and dynamics in group counselling for employees in transition

  • Anita Keskinen
  • Timo Spangar
Article
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Abstract

“Stop and Go” (SG) is a group counselling concept developed for employees in transition. The SG approach has its main roots in relational psychology. This article explores the ecology and the dynamics of the SG process including the simultaneous presence of societal and social (‘meso’) factors, as well as the individual assessment of the group counselling process as a restructuring of the social level. The SG dynamics create a mediating dialogical space, based on peer dialogue, of connecting, affording participants the opportunity to relate differently to the world of work.

Keywords

Group counselling Dialogical space Ecology 

Résumé

“Stop and Go” - À la recherche d’une nouvelle dynamique dans les groupes de counselling pour employés en transition. « Stop & Go » (SG) est un concept de groupes de counselling développé pour les employés en transition. L’approche SG est principalement axée sur la psychologie relationnelle. Cet article explore l’écologie et la dynamique du processus SG qui comprend à la fois la présence simultanée de facteurs sociétaux et sociaux (“méso”) et l’évaluation individuelle du processus de groupe en tant que restructuration du niveau social. La dynamique SG crée un espace dialogique de connexions intermédiaire, basé sur le dialogue des pairs et offrant aux participants la possibilité de se situer différemment par rapport au monde du travail.

Zusammenfassung

“Stop and Go” - Auf der Suche nach neuer Umwelt und Dynamiken in der Gruppenberatung für Mitarbeiter im Übergang. “Stop and Go” (SG) ist ein Gruppenberatungskonzept entwickelt für Mitarbeiter im Übergang. Die SG Ansatz hat seine wichtigsten Wurzeln in der relationalen Psychologie. Dieser Artikel untersucht die Umwelt und die Dynamik des SG Prozesses, einschließlich dem gleichzeitigen Vorhandensein von gesellschaftlichen und sozialen (“Meso”) Faktoren sowie der individuellen Beurteilung des Gruppenberatungsprozesses als Umstrukturierung der sozialen Ebene. Die SG Dynamiken schaffen einen vermittelnden dialogischen Raum, basierend auf Peer-Dialog, der den Teilnehmern eine andere Beziehung mit der Arbeitswelt ermöglicht.

Resumen

“Stop and Go” - En busca de una nueva ecología y nuevas dinámicas en orientación grupales para empleados en transición. “Stop and Go” (SG) es un concepto de orientación grupal desarrollado para empleados en transición. El enfoque SG posee sus orígenes en la psicología relacional. El presente artículo explora la ecología y las dinámicas del proceso SG considerando la presencia simultánea de factores societales y meso-sociales, así como la evaluación individual del proceso de orientación grupal respecto de dichos factores. Las dinámicas SG crean un espacio de diálogo mediador basado en el diálogo entre pares, proporcionando a los participantes la oportunidad de relacionarse alternativamente con el mundo laboral.

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Notes

Acknowledgments

The research is part of a larger research project “Group counselling in the era of change and uncertainty: Navigating forward”.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.AkessioNokiaFinland
  2. 2.School of Educational Sciences and PsychologyUniversity of Eastern FinlandJoensuuFinland
  3. 3.Spangar NegotiationsNokiaFinland
  4. 4.NokiaFinland

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