Anne Hales site is worth a visit.
Practitioner question
There is someone in your training group whom you fear and dislike. You don’t like conflict very much and have not spoken about this. How might you prepare yourself to address this conflict? An answer suggested by Ann E. Hale, M.A., TEP
An excerpt from her response follows:
It is important for the well being of a group to have conflicts surface, especially if the concerns are tying up energy that could be expended on other group issues. A person who brings a conflict to the attention of the group is vulnerable, particularly from people who do not want conflict, or want something else to happen in that moment. A facilitator will recognize the need to take the pulse of the group and attend to the issue of readiness. At the same time, the person raising the concern needs to be supported with acceptance and respect. If the issue involves someone else who is a group member, whether present or not, this person may need time to check inside and identify their feeling and response to being part of another person’s issue. If the person is not present it may be opportunistic to address the issue without having to “worry” about their feelings or input; however, involving the group member directly is preferred. This will give both persons the opportunity to experience support from the group. Having to delay, until all parties are present, also sets in place a norm, that if you miss a group session for some reason, your position in the group will be protected until your return.
Some good principles here.
I see opportunity to dialogue in this but the methods don’t quite encourage that.