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Deanna Knapp
Self Image Counseling Group for Adolescent Females
A. Rationale
The adolescent years of an individuals life are critical for the person that they will become. I am
undertaking this project because as a future school counselor, I will be working with many
students (both male and female) who have poor self-image or body-image. It has been my
experience that although males are not necessarily less likely than females to have poor self-
image, they are less likely to express their insecurities and issues with their bodies; whereas
females may be more comfortable in disclosing insecurities about their bodies. As this is the
case, I would like to create a group counseling plan for working with female adolescents who
have disclosed these insecurities with me. I would like to keep the group to all females so that
the students feel more comfortable in sharing their feelings and experiences (as they may not feel
if males were present). In the future, I would like to also have a similar group for males (which
will change minimally), but for now I would like to focus on the issues with self-image in
females. According to Golan, Hagay, and Tamir (2013), adolescents naturally gain weight
through puberty and it is frequently seen that adolescents are dissatisfied with their bodies due to
this process. Brake (2012) describes that adolescent females are influenced by many different
people and factors including home, school, their peers, society, and the media. Our society has a
set idea of how the ideal female SHOULD look and this has a large impact on adolescents. In a
culture that glorifies thinness, some adolescents, mostly girls, become excessively preoccupied
with their physical appearance and begin to diet obsessively in an effort to achieve or maintain a
thin body (Golan et al., 2013, p. 1). In many cases, adolescent females develop some sort of
disordered eating behaviors as a result to poor self-image or low self-esteem. Knowing that


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adolescent females face this oppression leads me as a future school counselor to develop this
group where students can join together to discuss their experiences with self-image and learn
from myself and each other what the effects of negative self-image are and learn to develop ways
to cope with it and also eliminate the idea that we have to be perfect women.
B. Goals
1. Provide a warm and open environment in which students will feel comfortable in disclosing
information about themselves.
2. Help each student develop a sense of awareness for their feelings about their bodies and their
personalities.
3. Students will learn about how society and media influence our everyday lives and ultimately
our self-image and self-esteem.
4. Students will learn the effects of poor self-image and low self-esteem.
5. Each student will be actively listened to and heard when it comes to their emotions and
experiences.
6. Promote positive attributes of each group member.
7. Students will gain self-confidence in knowing that they are not alone in their feelings.
8. The school will be different because the group members will reflect what they learn and
discuss in the group and apply it to their everyday lives outside of the group. This will hopefully
help other members of the school when it comes to self-image.
9. Encourage an acceptance of self and others with regard to body and appearance.
C. Pre-Group Process
Students will be referred by the administrators, school counselors, and school social workers to
the facilitator of this group process. Good candidates will be selected by the school counselors


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and the school social workers. The potential group members will consist of students who have
exhibited concerns with appearance and self-esteem. The group will consist of a diverse
membership of 9th-10th grade females. Any students that do not seem to be interested in the
group will continue with individual counseling with the school counselor. Each potential group
member will meet with the facilitator one-on-one before being introduced to the group in order
to tell if the student would be a good candidate for the group. The potential group members will
be asked if they would like to have a chance to participate in a group of girls who are meeting to
discuss their experiences and to essentially have girl talk. This will hopefully draw the interest
of the students and make them interested in being a part of the group. In this initial meeting, the
potential group member will fill out a questionnaire with questions regarding their self-image
and levels of self-esteem and confidence. The intake session will involve the group facilitator
observing behaviors and attitudes of the student and through observation and discussion, the
facilitator will determine whether or not the students will be a good fit for the group process.
With the students and parental consent, the student will be able to start in the group process. The
group will meet once a week for 6 weeks and will meet during the extended day period (optional
9th period) for 35-40 minutes.
D. Activities
1. First Impressions- Students will be shown several images by the facilitator. Each image will
consist of a person. Students will be given index cards and will be instructed to write down one
word per card that describes each person that they see. Depending on the level of comfort that
the group is having at the time, the facilitator will either collect the anonymous index cards to
look over and evaluate how the group was feeling overall, or they will go through one by one
and describe to the group what they wrote and why they wrote it (if the group is at a higher


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comfort level). The group will then discuss how the activity made them feel about themselves.
We will then discuss how society has shaped our views of not only the first impressions we had
with these pictures, but also the feelings that we have about ourselves in the process.
Schedule:
a. 2:15-2:25- Welcome group. Have students go around and introduce themselves to the other
group members.
b. 2:25-2:30- Discuss the activity with students. Students will look at a series of photos and will
write down on an index card any word that describes each person that they see. Take this time to
hand out index cards and a writing utensil while setting up the computer to display the photos.
c. 2:30-2:35- Show the students each photo and have them write down a word that they think
describes the woman in the photo. Give them time to think.
(samples of pictures, not limited to these)

d. 2:35-2:55- The counselor will evaluate the comfort level of the group members. If the group
seems comfortable in sharing, have them go around and discuss the word that they selected for
each photo. If they would like to pass in this activity that is fine. The group will then discuss
ways that society has shaped our views and impressions of individuals in these pictures. Then
have the students discuss the feelings that were brought up for them during this activity.


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e. 2:55-3:00- Wrap-up last minute thoughts. Hand out journals and discuss with students that
they should write down their feelings on the activity and their feelings throughout the week.
2. What does it mean to be beautiful?- Students will be asked to break into pairs and discuss with
each other for ten minutes what it means to them to truly be beautiful. The pairs will then turn
into groups of four and the two groups of pairs in each group will compare and contrast with
each other what they thought it meant to be beautiful. Finally the whole group will come together
as a whole and discuss what they came up with. This should lead to feelings being discussed by
group members and will help facilitate awareness of these feelings. Group members can do this
activity by writing things down, drawing, writing a poem, or acting it out.
a. 2:15-2:20- Welcome students back to the group. Ask students how journaling is going and
answer any questions that the students may have.
b. 2:20-2:30- Have students break up into pairs or triads a discuss with each other what it means
to truly be beautiful. The purpose of the exercise is to have students discuss what really makes up
beauty, including non-physical aspects. Encourage students to really think about what beauty is
and discuss it with their partner.
c. 2:30-2:40- Have the pairs of students turn into groups of four. In these small groups have
students compare and contrast with each other what they thought it meant to be beautiful.
d. 2:40-2:55- Have the whole group come together and talk about what they came up with. This
will hopefully facilitate feelings about each students experiences. If not all students feel
comfortable in sharing their experiences, have them take the time to write down their
experiences and feelings in their journals. Also give the students the opportunity to act out their
experiences if desired.
e. 2:55-3:00- Wrap-up. Remind students to keep working in their journals.


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3. Students will watch the following video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk .
This video shows that women see themselves sometimes in a more negative light than others
perceive them. This video is powerful and I will show the students this and it will help them to
think about how they truly see themselves and how they think others see them. Following the
video, the group will take time to write down their feelings in their journals. After writing their
journal entries, students will discuss how the video made them feel about themselves and how
they see themselves versus how they think others see them.
a. 2:15-2:20- Welcome students back to the group. Ask about how journaling is going and see if
any students have any questions or any experiences they have had recently that they want to
discuss.
b. 2:20-2:25- Have students watch video.
c. 2:25-2:30- Have students write in their journals about their feelings after this video.
d. 2:30-2:55- Have a group discussion on the video. This video should facilitate reactions from
the students that at this point should prompt a strong discussion on feelings and experiences.
e. 2:55-3:00- Wrap-up.
4. Character Traits- Students will receive a list of character traits. They will be given five
minutes to look over the character traits and will highlight in yellow the traits that they see in
themselves and highlight in pink the traits that they think other people see in them (or have heard
other people have seen in them). If any of the traits overlap, they will simply underline the trait.
After they take the time to do this activity, the group will discuss how they see themselves and
how others see them and compare the two.
a. 2:15-2:20- Welcome back. Cover any questions that the students may have. Ask about how
journaling is going.


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b. 2:20-2:35- Hand out character sheets worksheet and a yellow and pink highlighter to each
student. Explain to them that they will have 5 minutes to look over the list of character traits list.
Explain that they should use the yellow highlighter to highlight in yellow the traits that they see
in themselves and highlight in pink the traits that they think other people see in them ( or have
heard them say about them). If any of the traits overlap, they should underline the trait.
c. 2:35-2:55- Group discussion. Have a discussion with students about their thoughts and
feelings that came up when they were doing this activity.
d. 2:55-3:00- Wrap-up.

(Sample of character traits worksheet below)



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5. Mask project- Students will be given construction paper and a pile of magazines and utensils
(crayons, markers, pencils, glue, etc). Over the course of two sessions, we will be making self-
identity masks. One side of the mask will be meant to reflect who they are on the inside (this is
the side of the mask that would be against their face) and the outside of the mask will be meant
to reflect how others view them (or how they think others view them). While the students are
creating these masks, the facilitator will be going from person to person and seeing what they are
putting onto the mask while prompting them with questions as to why they selected certain
pictures, words, colors, etc. After making the mask, the students will go around one by one and
explain each part of both the inside of the mask and the outside of the mask.
Session 1-
a. 2:15-2:25- Explain to students what the mask project is and how it is going to be a fun activity
for them to explore their inner feelings about their self-image.
b. 2:25-2:55- Students will make masks.
c. 2:55-3:00- Store masks in a safe place. Wrap-up. Have students write in journals for
homework how it was to work on their mask and what they were thinking of and what feelings
they had when they were making their masks. Remind students that they only have one more
group session left (if the group is not continuing).
Session 2-
2:15-2:20- Welcome back. Remind students about their mask project. Hand masks back out.
2:20-2:50- Have students go around and discuss why they made their masks the way that they
did. The rest of the time will be used to facilitate a discussion on the feelings and emotions that
came up for them during the activity.
2:50-3:00- Wrap-up. Remind students that (if not continuing with the group) they will continue


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to have individual sessions with the school counselor.
E. Evaluation
In the initial intake session, students will be given a questionnaire asking about their self-image
and levels of self-esteem and confidence. The students in the group will fill out the same
questionnaire in the final individual session that will happen after the group process is complete.
This will help to see if the group was effective overall and see if it was beneficial to the group
members. Each activity will reflect a particular goal that is outlined in the group plan. The
evaluation after each group activity will help to do an overall evaluation of whether or not the
goals have been met. In the final individual session, the facilitator will ask each group member
how they feel now compared to before the group experience. This session will be used almost
like a semi-structured interview to receive information on how successful the group was each
individual. Observation will be used through each group session and each activity and the
facilitator will take notes to discuss how the group is progressing and how each individual seems
to be progressing throughout the group process. Each group member will also be presented with
a journal to keep throughout the course of the group process. At the individual exit counseling
session that will occur for each group member (with the counselor), students will have the option
to share their journals with the counselor. If students feel comfortable with sharing their journals,
those journal entries can also be used as a way of evaluating the progress and success of the
group sessions.






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Sample Intake/Exit Questionnaire
Answer the following questions: 1=strongly agree, 2=agree, 3=disagree, 4=strongly disagree
1. I feel that I am a person of worth, at least on an equal basis with others 1 2 3 4
2. I feel that I have a number of good qualities 1 2 3 4
3. All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a failure 1 2 3 4
4. I am able to do things as well as most other people 1 2 3 4
5. I feel I do not have much to be proud of 1 2 3 4
6. I take a positive attitude toward myself 1 2 3 4
7. I am satisfied with myself 1 2 3 4
8. I wish I could have more respect for myself 1 2 3 4
9. I certainly feel useless at times 1 2 3 4
10. At times I think I am no good at all 1 2 3 4
11. I feel as though people judge me for my appearance 1 2 3 4
12. I am constantly bullied for the way that I look 1 2 3 4
Please answer the following questions as best as you are able:
13. I look at myself in the mirror and feel:
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14. Looking at magazines makes me feel:
______________________________________________________________________________
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