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Question:
This is my first time planning to start an empowerment girls meet with no experience with running a group but I definitely have the desire to the job. My question is do I need to go to school in order to start my own empowerment group? Do I need any kind of psychology degree?
Answer:

Hi Lupe, and thanks for asking.
In part, the answer to your questions depends upon what you see as the primary purpose of the empowerment group:  whether to teach empowerment skills; or to treat emotional problems generated by lack of empowerment among the girls participating.  I will assume the former, and if that assumption is correct than you do not need a psychology degree or license.  Many people with different backgrounds and training histories teach empowerment skills in small groups or classes. Community colleges tend to offer classes in group facilitation, and they can also be a very good networking resource to find mentors.
Having said that your primary purpose is skill training, you may encounter some participants with stressful histories who do need encouragement and support to seek more formal personal couunseling or therapy.  That is one of several reasons why it is a good idea for you to connect with an experienced group facilitation mentor who can:
     Teach you basic facilitation skills and provide you with consultation while you learn and practice them, and
     assist you in identifying and implementing appropriate referrals for other needed services, if emotional distress or other needs arise in participants.
We do have a chapter of information on Group Facilitation that can provide you with some guidance; but If you have not done so, I suggest you first participate in an empowerment group run by an experienced facilitator, to get a feel for how it works and what to expect.  Written guidance is helpful, but supplementing that with actual experience works much better.
To find our chapter 16 (Group Facilitation and Problem Solving) click on the Learn a Skill graphic at the top of this page, then on Table of Contents.  Scroll down to Chapter 16.
Also, there is a related Tool Kit 6 on Building Leadership that may be useful.  One way to strengthen empowerment skills is to teach participants how to lead the group in specific activities, so they can experience successes and gain strengths.
We hope this information is helpful and we certainly appreciate your personal interest in learning and in empowering other girls.  Best wishes for your success!
 

Question Date: Mar, 08/23/2016