Does Group Therapy Work?
Let’s start from the top, what is group therapy? Group therapy is a small group of people with at least one common issue or experience (personal, relational, societal) that gather to share their related thoughts and feelings. With the help of a group leader (therapist) or two, a safe and confidential space is provided where members give each other support, validation, suggestions, and ideas. Groups are either open or closed. Open groups allow members to join at any time, whereas closed groups begin with all their members.
Now that we know what group therapy is, you may be thinking “would group therapy work for me”? Thinking about being vulnerable in front of a group of strangers can be intimidating. Having some concerns and questions about the group is normal. Group therapy can offer members: a rewarding experience, camaraderie, accountability from members, empowerment, practice in sharing your thoughts/feelings with others, relief from the feelings of being the only one, self-discovery, and alternative points of view.
Can group really be just as helpful as individual therapy? Most participating members find that group therapy is in fact very helpful due to the interactions with other members that allow you to practice what you are learning both in and out of the group. Expect to get out of it what you put in, the same as you would for individual therapy. Mashinter, 2020 states, “The power of group therapy is in the recognition that the sufferer is not alone. An admission that other people have similar thoughts is one of the first steps to feeling healthy again”.
As a therapist who has facilitated group therapy before, I can say from experience that I have been able to witness the value that group therapy provides. I have seen members grow, learn, share, support each other and even look for more opportunities for group sessions in the future. Join us for group therapy and see for yourself if group therapy would really work for you.
References:
American Psychological Association. (2019, October 31). Psychotherapy: Understanding group therapy. American Psychological Association. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.apa.org/topics/psychotherapy/group-therapy
Kerslake, R. (2021, June 25). Better together? 5 benefits of group therapy. Psych Central. Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://psychcentral.com/lib/benefits-of-group-therapy
M counseling and psychological services. University of Michigan Counseling and Psychological Services. (n.d.). Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://caps.umich.edu/article/strategies-group-success
Mashinter, P. (2020). Is Group Therapy Effective? BU Journal of Graduate Studies in Education, 12(2), 33–36. https://doi.org/https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1263014.pdf
