When considering therapy for the first time or restarting, many may look to individual therapy or couples therapy if they are struggling interpersonally with a partner(s). Have you considered the benefits of group therapy? Did you know that there are different types of group therapy?
The media typically portrays group therapy as sitting in a circle with folding chairs following people as they share. Of course, there are also specialized groups like AA, NA, Al-Anon, etc. Yet, there are many different types of group therapy. This blog will introduce you to the benefits of group therapy, differentiate the types of groups, and expand your awareness of what group work can provide.
Types of groups
While there are many types of therapy groups, below are some of the more common ones
relating to psychotherapy.
Support groups typically revolve around a specific theme or demographic. This could be a grief group, persistent medical or mental illnesses, family relationships, dating, and beyond. The group provides space to share personal experiences, coping mechanisms, feelings around the topic, and firsthand knowledge. Support groups can bring more practical solutions or options to something you are dealing with.
Skill-based groups are usually time-limited and rooted in a modality or topic meant to educate. This could be a DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) group, including learning about emotional regulation, mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance. It could also include broader topics like dating or meditation. After leaving a skills-based group, you will have learned practical information and new discoveries about yourself. It is also not uncommon to do a skills-based group more than once, as you may build on the foundation laid from the first experience.
Another type of group that may be lesser known is a process group. The primary purpose of a process group is to focus on the “here and now” or what is happening in the group in the
present. The group facilitator tunes into members’ perceptions and feelings based on what
members are sharing. This type of group might evoke a different, more vulnerable sense of
intimacy. There may also be a greater sense of closeness among group members in a process group due to the nature of conversations.
Benefits of Group Therapy
Although individual therapy can undo aloneness, group therapy can add a new layer with
multiple relationships between other members and facilitators. While it is not the therapist's job to give advice, you may receive new insight and clarity from other group members. Shared experiences can bring comfort and a sense of connectedness. In a society where technology rules, imagine the opportunity to sit and feel with others or display your authentic self in a new way. When we honor how we feel, we often feel less alone.
Many of us want to avoid conflict, yet conflict is inevitable in life. Group therapy is a safe space to explore your relationship to conflict. We often confuse conflict with negative feedback; however, conflict can be as simple as differing opinions or feelings. If someone finds themselves stuck in people-pleasing behaviors, group therapy could be a space to explore new ways to communicate that honor their authentic self rather than focus on how others see them.
For those who struggle in group settings or with social anxiety, group therapy allows you to
practice skills and share openly in a group setting, or maybe not at first. Either way, you will be able to check in with your feelings in the moment and see what is coming up. Is it fear?
Uncertainty? Do you notice what is happening in your body as you share or stay silent in
groups?
Group therapy can open up a portal into your own experiences that you may not be tuning into. It can also help challenge negative feedback or insecurities. Group therapy brings about diversity. Sometimes, we may find ourselves in bubbles of people with similar backgrounds and minds. Even if a group is focused on a specific theme, group therapy opens you up to multiple different experiences based on all parts of a person’s identity.
This is especially salient when it comes to catastrophic or black-and-white thinking. Hearing
someone else’s point of view can add immediate relief and may provide a soft challenge to what may have been perceived as a wall too high to climb. While an individual therapist can provide this as well, it may land differently from a peer.
Above all, group therapy provides a space to practice healthy communication, which we all can work on throughout our lives. Whether with a partner, friends, family or in the workplace, it may be challenging to communicate in a healthy manner when feelings are intense. There may be topics in group therapy that trigger or bring on strong waves of emotion. Group therapy allows you to slow down, breathe, and practice communicating so that you feel heard and seen.
Read more on the benefits of group therapy
Not a Replacement for Individual Therapy
While you just read about some of the benefits of group therapy, group therapy does not replace or equate to the benefits of individual therapy. Individual therapy allows you to create a one-on-one relationship with your therapist that can tap into a deeper type of connection and vulnerability. There may be traumas or feelings that you feel more comfortable discussing
individually with a therapist rather than in a group, and that is okay.
Sometimes topics may come up in group therapy that are too intense in the moment to speak
on. Suppose you are in group therapy and individual therapy. In that case, you can unpack
things with your therapist and bring them back to the group when ready. Your individual and
group therapist can also collaborate care to ensure both therapists have a fuller picture of you.
Is group therapy right for me? (https://www.self.com/story/is-group-therapy-for-you)
Remember, therapy can be a space to connect with yourself on a deeper level. This may be
through the safety and trust of an individual therapist. This can also be through the support and vulnerability that exists in a group setting. The beauty of group therapy is you can show up as you are. While this is true for all forms of therapy, in group therapy, there may be days you want to observe or share more. It is all welcome. Sometimes, we learn more about ourselves by listening to others. Expand your relationship and understanding of yourself with new forms of therapy.
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