Benefits of Group Therapy

You’re interested in getting some help, but unsure what route you want to take: most people like to do individual therapy, but there is another option - group therapy. 

I must admit, I am biased. I love group therapy. I feel like if you are in a cohesive group (you know, one that really clicks) so much healing can happen. So here are some of the reasons why group therapy may benefit you:

1| You get support from peers

 It helps you trust others (through practicing) so you can take that trust out into your world. In order for the group to work, you have  to trust your peers which takes time (just like it takes time for you to trust your individual therapist). Through this process, you will gain awareness in what is needed for you to trust others and red flags for when to keep your walls up. That can help you trust other people in your life outside of the therapy setting. 

2| Practicing setting boundaries 

Boundaries can be so hard to put in place and enforce. It feels uncomfortable. It makes you nervous. You don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings and yet, it is so important. Group can be a wonderful opportunity to practice boundary setting with peers who are also working on the same thing. If you have a facilitator that you trust (the group therapist), they will help guide you in placing a boundary that is respecting your needs as effectively and kindly as you can with your peers. Worse case scenario, you do it poorly - well, that’s an opportunity for you to take accountability (hard stuff) and how to do it better. 

3| Giving and receiving validation with peers

It’s one thing to get validation from your individual therapist, but it’s another level of validation when it’s from your peers. While your individual therapist is genuine in their interaction with you, but there is something about getting validation and support from a fellow group member can really help you in a deep way.

Is group therapy something that you’re interested in?