Group Therapy
Why Group therapy?
Good question! Most people think of therapy as an individual, couples, and family therapy. Rarely do people talk about going to group therapy.
Group therapy is an excellent way to develop social skills, self-confidence, self-awareness, and communication skills. Have you ever wondered why people respond to you the way they do? Well, group therapy is exactly the format that will best help you get those answers.
If you want to understand how you are perceived by the opposite sex or have the opportunity to practice skills on how to express your thoughts and feelings better, group therapy is for you.
If you wish you could go somewhere you can talk about yourself openly and have a supportive nonjudgmental environment, group therapy is an excellent option to get that sort of support.
Honestly, group therapy is for anyone who truly wants to understand and grow practical skills on how to make your relationships work with your family, friends, and significant other.
Group therapy is also an option if your budget is such that you are unable to afford individual therapy.
Currently, I am offering two types of groups.
Group one involves interactions of individuals with no commonality.
It is simply what I call a “process group,” which is a “heterogeneous” group comprised of members that do not have any specific commonality. It is comprised of different genders, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, etc.
In this group, we focus on the interactions between the members, as well as being observant of how those interactions are creating certain feelings and reactions in you. These feelings and reactions also are discussed in the group.
I have immediate openings for this group.
Group two offers support for people with a similar problem.
This is a “support group” that is homogenous and includes people who are there for the same reason or who are experiencing a similar difficulty to which they all can relate.
An example of such a group is indicative of the flyer at the bottom of this page. It is for those healthcare workers who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and the trauma, experiences, or stress they are encountering daily.
All my groups have common threads.
They both involve people coming together, under the leadership of a trained group therapist, to work on improving their lives in one way or another. It has been said that it can be the most powerful of experiences.
My groups typically consist of 4 to 10 people who meet weekly for 90-120 minutes, depending on the size of the group.
They can be as brief as several months or last 5 to 10 years.
Below, I have offered the benefits of group therapy. If your interest has been piqued, then please contact me with any questions you might have.
So why is group therapy so helpful?
Irvin Yalom is considered the “guru” of group therapy. The work he did was researched in its efficacy, and the following 11 benefits come from his work. I adhere to the same principles and style of Irvin Yalom.
In his classic work, Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy, Irvin Yalom identified 11 primary “therapeutic factors” present in all group therapy, especially ongoing longer-term groups.
11 Primary ‘Therapeutic Factors’ present in all group therapy:
Instillation of Hope – Group therapy creates a feeling of optimism about your future and the ability to cure that which needs not to be endured and endures that which cannot be cured.
Universality – You realize that you are not alone in your suffering and the problems you face and that others are willing to support them, which helps move you out of isolation and can be profoundly healing.
Imparting of Information – You are educated and empowered with knowledge about your specific situation, whether it be information about a resource or someone’s personal story of how they dealt with difficulties and experienced success.
Altruism – You are allowed to experience a sense of significance by helping other group members. As you come to recognize you have something of value to provide your fellow group members, you gain in self-worth and confidence.
Corrective Recapitulation of Primary Family Group – You receive rectification of past family and childhood events within the safety of the group, which in a way acts as a substitute family for you. New ways of relating can be formed, helping to weaken unhelpful patterns learned in your family of origin.
Development of Socializing Techniques – This encourages and advances social skills such as tolerance, boundaries, empathy, and conflict resolution. This helps reduce isolation and promotes connection with others in more meaningful ways, which is generalized over time into your life outside of the group.
Imitative Behavior – You learn more effective ways of confronting problems and managing relationships by witnessing other members apply new and appropriate methods that disrupt their old, dysfunctional patterns.
Interpersonal Learning – You are provided opportunities to learn about relationships and intimacy, in effect helping you develop supportive, authentic interpersonal relationships. Within the safety of the group space, you can openly share and communicate; in return, you receive support and respectful feedback, perhaps for the first time.
Group Cohesiveness – You gain a sense of belonging, acceptance, and value, thus providing both a nurturing and empowering experience. This promotes security within yourself and in relationship to others and is an important catalyst for you as well as the rest of the group to take the risks of self-disclosure and change.
Catharsis – You are helped to release strong or long-suppressed emotions associated with past psychological injuries, bringing a sense of relief and allowing for significant shifts in your internal framework.
Existential Factors – This involves your quest to find meaning in your life, including the process of understanding and accepting the reality of the human condition, with all its frustrations and limitations. With each other’s support, you will learn to accept life on life’s terms without seeking escape or denial, without fighting it, and without being paralyzed by it. Instead, you will learn how to live with them and through them, seeing that obstacles are not in the way of the path but facts are the path.
Current Offering
My current offering for a support group is shown here. If you know of someone who might benefit from this group, please feel free to take a picture of this flyer and send it to a friend or colleague.