Group Therapy
In group therapy, 10 to 12 students meet together with one or more trained group therapists and talk about what is troubling them. Members also give feedback to each other by expressing their own feelings about what someone says or does. This interaction gives group members an opportunity to try out new ways of behaving and to learn more about the way they interact with others in a safe environment. The content of the group sessions is confidential; what members talk about or disclose is not discussed outside the group.
Group therapy
- is the primary treatment of choice for many students.
- generally meets once per week for 60 or 90 minutes.
- interactions give you an opportunity to try out new ways of behaving and to learn more about the way you interact with others.
- gives you a safe place where you can experiment with new coping skills.
What is the difference between Group Therapy, Skills Groups, and Support Groups?
Group therapy is a form of psychological treatment where a group of patients meets to work on their issues with the help and supervision of one or more therapists. The interactions between the group members are part of the treatment, with multiple sources of feedback and ideas providing the chance to learn to connect with others in new ways and change how they deal with their problems.
Skills groups are usually in a structure-based format because there is a specific theme or topic of discussion, and each group session is focused on a topic relevant to the overall theme.
Support groups are highly effective at giving people a support network for coping. The groups can help people feel less alone with their problem and provide a lot of practical problem-solving advice that might help a group member manage their situation more effectively.
Information adapted from LifeStance.com
Questions about Group Therapy
Recently you came for counseling with something that had been troubling you. During the intake interview, group therapy was proposed as a treatment that could help you resolve your present dilemma. As you prepare yourself for membership in a therapy group you probably have a number of questions. We hope these few paragraphs will answer some of those questions. Most of our groups are open-ended interpersonal groups designed to help you resolve difficulties in relationships.
When people come into a group and interact freely with other group members, they usually recreate those difficulties that brought them to group therapy in the first place. Under the skilled direction of a group therapist, the group is able to give support, offer alternatives, or gently confront the person. In this way the difficulty becomes resolved, alternative behaviors are learned, and the person develops new social techniques or ways of relating to people. During group therapy, people begin to see that they are not alone. Many people feel they are unique because of their problems, and it is encouraging to hear that other people have similar difficulties. In the climate of trust provided by the group, people feel free to care about and help each other.
Talk about what brought you to the counseling center in the first place. Tell the group members what is bothering you. If you need support, let the group know. If you think you need confrontation, let them know this also. It is important to tell people what you expect of them.
Unexpressed feelings are a major reason why people experience difficulties. Revealing your feelings is an important part of group and affects how much you will be helped. The appropriate disclosures will be those that relate directly to your present difficulty. How much you talk about yourself depends upon what you are comfortable with. If you have any questions about what might or might not be helpful, you can always ask the group.
If group is to be effective, your commitment to the following is essential:
- If you are going to miss a session, please let one of the leaders of the group know.
- The group meeting times have been set by the group leaders, and you are asked to adhere to those times.
- Having a feeling and acting on it are two different actions. Acting out your feelings is not acceptable whether you act them out upon yourself or another member of the group. The way we most respect ourselves and others is by experiencing feelings and then allowing ourselves to talk about them.
- It is your responsibility to talk about your reasons for being in the group.
- The group sessions are confidential. You, other members, and the group leaders are bound ethically and legally not to disclose the contents of the group sessions.
- If you decide that you have gained as much as possible from the group or that it isn't the most appropriate treatment method for you, we ask that you come to the group and say good-bye.
- The work of the group needs to be done in the group during group time. Therefore, we ask that you not socialize with other members of your group during the time when you are a member of that group.
We hope the group experience is a good one for you.
Common Misperceptions about Group Therapy
You control what, how much, and when you share with the group. Most people find that when they feel safe enough to share what is troubling them, a group can be very helpful and affirming. We encourage you not to share what you are not ready to disclose. However, you can also be helped by listening to others and thinking about how what they are saying might apply to you.
Actually, group therapy is often more efficient than individual therapy for two reasons. First, you can benefit from the group even during sessions when you say little but listen carefully to others. You will find that you have much in common with other group members, and as they work on a concern, you can learn more about yourself. Secondly, group members will often bring up issues that strike a chord with you, but that you might not have been aware of or brought up yourself.
It is very important that group members feel safe. Group leaders are there to help develop a safe environment. Feedback is often difficult to hear. As group members come to trust and accept one another, they generally experience feedback and even confrontation as positive, as if it were coming from their best friend. One of the benefits of group therapy is the opportunity to receive feedback from others in a supportive environment. It is rare to find friends who will gently point out how you might be behaving in ways that hurt yourself or others, but this is precisely what group can offer. This will be done in a respectful, gentle way so that you can hear it and make use of it.
Group therapy is being recommended to you because your intake counselor believes that it is the best way to address your concerns. We do not put people into group therapy because we don't have space in individual therapy, or because we want to save time. We recommend group when it is the most effective method to help you. Your intake counselor can discuss with you why group is what we recommend for you.
Most people are anxious about being able to talk in group. Almost without exception, within a few sessions, people find that they do begin to talk in the group. Group members remember what it is like to be new to the group, so you will most likely get a lot of support for beginning to talk in the group.