| Course | PAC 420 Group Therapy |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 8 |
| Paper type | Group ending and evaluation paper |
| Length | About 1,056 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Psychology and Addiction Studies |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PAC 420 Module 8
Saying Goodbye Well and Knowing What Worked: Ending and Evaluating a Group for Parents in Recovery
Student Name
Psychology and Addiction Studies Program, Aspen University
PAC 420: Group Therapy
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Saying Goodbye Well and Knowing What Worked: Ending and Evaluating a Group for Parents in Recovery
The ten-week group for parents in early recovery, planned in Module 3 at Lake Erie Recovery Center, the invented program in these papers, and traced through its stages in Module 4, reached its final two sessions. Seven parents had begun; six remained. This paper describes how the group ended and how it was evaluated. The six parents who finished, and the one who left, are fictional; the research on endings and feedback is real.
Why Endings Matter
For people in recovery, endings carry particular weight. Many members of this group had experienced abrupt losses: relationships ended by addiction, children removed or estranged, friends who died. A group that ends without preparation can repeat those experiences. A group that ends well can offer something different: a goodbye that is anticipated, acknowledged and survived.
Ethical Endings
Mangione et al. (2007) examined ethical issues in ending group psychotherapy. They argued that leaders have an ethical responsibility to prepare members for endings, so that members are not surprised or abandoned. Leaders should allow members to express feelings about the ending, including sadness, anger and relief, review the work members have done and what remains, help members plan for support after the group and attend to their own feelings about ending, which can lead leaders to rush or avoid the topic. They noted that endings can evoke members' earlier losses and that a well-handled ending can be therapeutic in itself.
The Adjourning Stage
Tuckman and Jensen (1977), in revisiting Tuckman's model of group development, added adjourning as a final stage. In this stage, groups complete their tasks and members disengage from one another, often with a mixture of satisfaction about what was accomplished and sadness about separation. Recognizing adjourning as a stage reminds leaders that ending has its own tasks rather than being simply the absence of further sessions.
The Final Two Sessions
In the ninth session, the leader asked each member to review the goal they had set in the screening interview, what had changed and what they were still working on. Denise said she had begun to talk with her son about her recovery; Marcus said he had stopped yelling at his daughter but still struggled with patience. The leader named the coming ending and asked how members felt about it. Kayla said she was afraid of losing the only place where she could talk about her kids without being judged.
In the tenth session, members wrote brief notes to one another about what they had learned from each person, and read them aloud. The leader reviewed next supports with each member: an alumni group meeting monthly, a parenting group in the community and their individual counselors. The group ended with each member saying one thing they would take with them.
Routine Feedback
Burlingame et al. (2018) tested whether giving group leaders regular feedback on members' progress and on group relationships, using brief questionnaires completed by members, would improve outcomes. In their randomized trial, leaders who received feedback could identify members who were not progressing or who felt disconnected and respond to them, and feedback was associated with benefits for members, particularly those at risk of poor outcomes. The study suggests that measuring progress during a group, not only at the end, helps leaders adjust.
In this group, the cohesion questionnaire was given at weeks three and eight, and parenting stress only at the start and end. The trial suggests that a brief weekly progress measure would have helped the leader notice members who were struggling.
Evaluation
| Measure | Result | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance | Six of seven completed; average attendance nine of ten sessions | Planning and child care likely helped retention |
| Early departure | One member left after week five because of a new job's hours | The kind of outside pressure that commonly drives early dropout |
| Cohesion | Rose from moderate at week three to high at week eight | Consistent with development through storming to performing |
| Parenting stress | Decreased for five of six; unchanged for one | Encouraging but uncontrolled; no comparison group |
| Members' ratings | All six rated the group helpful; most valued hearing other parents and the session on talking with children | Supports the group's purpose |
The Leader's Ending
Mangione and colleagues note that leaders have feelings about endings too, and that those feelings can lead them to rush or avoid the topic. The leader of this group found herself reluctant to raise the ending in week nine, because the group had become one of the most rewarding she had led. She discussed this with her supervisor, who encouraged her to name the ending clearly and to tell members, briefly, that she would miss the group. Her doing so gave members permission to say the same. A leader who models a goodbye that is sad but bearable teaches members something they can use in their own lives.
What Happened to the Member Who Left
The member who left after week five took a new job with evening hours. The leader called her twice, sent her the alumni group's schedule and invited her to the next cycle at a different time. Following up with members who leave early is part of ending well, since an unacknowledged departure can feel like another abrupt loss, and it also yields information, here about scheduling, that improves the next group.
Lessons for the Next Cycle
Several lessons follow. First, a brief weekly progress measure should be added, following Burlingame and colleagues' findings, so that the leader can respond to members who are struggling, such as the member whose stress did not change. Second, members asked for a session on handling visits with children placed elsewhere, which will be added. Third, evening sessions should continue, but a second time slot might keep members whose schedules change. Fourth, the ending should begin to be discussed by week seven, since members raised it on their own.
Conclusion
The parents' group ended with notes, plans and acknowledgment of what members had built. Mangione, Forti and Iacuzzi's principles shaped an ending that prepared members and honored their work, Tuckman and Jensen's adjourning stage named its tasks and Burlingame and colleagues' research on routine feedback points to how future cycles can track progress throughout. The evaluation shows encouraging results with honest limits and gives the next cycle specific improvements.
References
Burlingame, G. M., Whitcomb, K. E., Woodland, S. C., Olsen, J. A., Beecher, M., & Gleave, R. (2018). The effects of relationship and progress feedback in group psychotherapy using the Group Questionnaire and Outcome Questionnaire-45: A randomized clinical trial. Psychotherapy, 55(2), 116-131. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000133
Mangione, L., Forti, R., & Iacuzzi, C. M. (2007). Ethics and endings in group psychotherapy: Saying good-bye and saying it well. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 57(1), 25-40. https://doi.org/10.1521/ijgp.2007.57.1.25
Tuckman, B. W., & Jensen, M. A. C. (1977). Stages of small-group development revisited. Group & Organization Studies, 2(4), 419-427. https://doi.org/10.1177/105960117700200404
Reading the PAC 420 Module 8 assignment instructions
The final module of PAC 420 typically asks how to end a group well and evaluate its effects. Follow the Module 8 page in your Aspen course; the group is invented. Explain why endings matter, especially for people with histories of loss. Present ethical principles for endings. Describe the adjourning stage. Plan the final sessions concretely. Use measures of attendance, process and outcomes, and consider routine feedback during the group. Report results honestly, including disappointments and members who left early. Draw lessons for future groups, cite every source in APA 7 and connect members to ongoing support. Begin talking about the ending several weeks before it arrives. Include members' own suggestions in the lessons.
How the PAC 420 Module 8 example is put together
Seven parents began, and six finished. Mangione, Forti and Iacuzzi's International Journal of Group Psychotherapy article supplies principles: prepare members, allow feelings about ending, review the work and avoid abandonment. Tuckman and Jensen's article describes adjourning. Burlingame and colleagues' Psychotherapy trial shows the value of routine feedback on progress and relationships. The final two sessions include a review of each member's goals, written notes members exchange and a plan for next supports. A five-row evaluation table reports attendance, cohesion, parenting stress and members' ratings. Lessons include adding a weekly progress measure, a session on visits with children placed elsewhere, a second time slot and raising the ending by week seven.
PAC 420 Module 8 rubric: what earns full marks
Ending and evaluation papers earn credit for a thoughtful ending, honest evaluation and lessons for practice. This example plans the ending around Mangione, Forti and Iacuzzi's principles, including attention to members' histories of abrupt losses. The evaluation reports outcomes honestly, including one member who left early and one whose stress did not improve. Burlingame and colleagues' trial supports using routine feedback earlier in future cycles. The table makes results clear, measure by measure. The lessons are specific and come from both data and members' comments, closing the loop from planning in Module 3 to evaluation here and giving the next leader a concrete starting point. The leader's own feelings about ending are acknowledged.
Common PAC 420 Module 8 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Ending papers often treat the last session as an afterthought. Plan endings in advance, prepare members and allow feelings about separation, especially for people whose lives have included abrupt losses. Review what members have gained and what remains. Connect members to ongoing support. Evaluate with several measures, including attendance, process and outcomes, and report results honestly. Use routine feedback during the group, not only at the end, so you can respond while it still matters. Ask members what helped and what should change. Draw specific lessons. Avoid ending with only a celebration; acknowledge what was hard as well, and say what the leader learned. Offer a reunion or alumni group.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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PAC 420 Module 8 questions, answered
What does PAC 420 Module 8 usually ask for?
Aspen's PAC 420 ends with ending and evaluating groups, so planning a good ending and evaluating the group's effects is typical. Confirm with your Module 8 prompt.
Why do group endings matter?
Mangione, Forti and Iacuzzi argue that endings can repeat or repair members' experiences of loss, so leaders should prepare members and honor the ending.
What is the adjourning stage?
Tuckman and Jensen's fifth stage of group development, when the group completes its work and members separate.
Where can I find a free PAC 420 Module 8 sample paper?
Read it above: ending and evaluating a group for parents in recovery, with a final sessions plan and an evaluation table.
Does feedback to group leaders improve outcomes?
Burlingame and colleagues tested giving leaders routine feedback on members' progress and group relationships and found it helped leaders respond to members at risk.