Group therapy is a type of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists work with several clients simultaneously. The working style of this therapy makes people feel safe and supported. Whatever the goal of therapy, improving self-esteem, developing personal skills, personality traps, or anything else, the group will help you achieve it.
Principles Of Group Therapy
Psychologists who have worked on this therapy emphasize the characteristics that are seen during this process:
Instilling Hope
Since the clients in the group are in different stages of treatment, seeing the progress and positive effect of the treatment on the group members can give hope to others.
Universality
Being a member of a group that understands clients and has similar problems shows the individual that they are not alone and that what they are suffering from is common and universal.
Providing Information
Membership in a group is a good source of information on individual issues and problems. Group therapy gives members the opportunity to experience more benevolence and positivity by helping others and receiving help from them.
Modifying And Reconstructing Childhood Influences
In sessions, clients evaluate their childhood experiences, personality, behaviors, and emotions and learn to let go of unpleasant behaviors and experiences.
Developing Social Skills
Being part of a group is a good opportunity to interact with others, practice new behaviors and experiment in a safe environment.
Imitative Behaviors
The client can perform useful and positive behaviors towards others in the group or the therapist and understand their impact.
Receiving Feedback
By receiving the opinions of others, the client will get a better self-knowledge.
Speeding Up Healing
This principle is based on the healing power of talking with others and sharing bitter feelings and experiences in a group, which relieves pain, guilt and stress in people.
The above advantages show that working in groups can be better than individual psychotherapy. Although some of the above principles can be achieved in individual meetings, most of them require a group environment.
Guidelines And Rules For Participating In Psychotherapy Groups
Whatever form of group therapy you participate in, the general rules are the same. These rules are established for the safety of the group and the better effectiveness of the treatment. Of course, it is also possible that there are other rules in your chosen center, but these rules are constant in all groups, which are:
- Confidentiality
It is required that all information provided in the group, by the members and the therapist, be kept confidential. Failure to comply with this law can damage the trust of the parties and stop the healing process.
- Obligation To Participate In Meetings
Based on this, it is necessary for all members to participate in all meetings aat a specified time and be present until the end of the meeting. In addition to the fact that absent members miss important information and exercises, arriving late also disrupts the group’s psychotherapy process.
- Failure To Establish Friendship And Emotional Relationship With Group Members
Group therapy is not a social activity, and God willing, it is done with a therapeutic purpose. The formation of friendships or other bonds between group members interferes with the success of treatment, especially if group members are then hesitant to share information because of the presence of another person in the group. Leave friendships for after treatment.
- Talk, Don’t Act
People react differently to physical contact. So instead of expressing with facial expressions or physical actions, speak.
- Participate
If group members do not participate in discussions and exercises, the therapeutic effect will not be achieved. The rate of treatment and recovery depends on the extent to which members actively participate, share information, and learn from others. For therapy to be effective, all members must actively participate in the discussion and therapy.
How Is Group Therapy Done?
The group can be four people or even up to twelve people. The group usually meets once or twice a week for one to two hours. The minimum sessions are six, but usually a one-year course is more common.
In many cases, the group meets in a room where the chairs are arranged in a large circle so that everyone can see everyone else in the group. The meeting starts with the introduction of the members and the reason for participating in the therapy group. Also, members express their experience and progress compared to the previous group therapy session.
The format of the meeting largely depends on the group’s purpose and the therapist’s preference. Some mental health doctors believe in an open-ended style of conversation in which each person can participate in the discussion whenever they wish. Another therapist may have a specific plan for each session in which clients practice new skills with group members.
At the beginning of the meetings, each member presents his problems in the group. They also hear the feedback and problems of other members and express their opinions, feelings and thoughts about them. These interactions help to make changes in people.
Types Of Groups In Group Therapy
Group therapy is done in two forms, open and closed groups. An open group is a group that group members can join at any time, and a closed group is a group in which all members are fixed and all start treatment at the same time.
If you participate in an open group, time should be spent each time getting to know the group members. But if you want to participate in a closed group, you may have to wait a few months until a suitable group is formed for you. In addition to the open or closed group, groups are also divided on another basis:
Educational Groups
This form of group tries to provide information on a specific topic to increase the level of awareness of members in that field. Learning communication and mature behaviors is another goal of this type of group.
The treatment process is guided by a professional therapist, and communication between group members is less important than other types of group therapy. In these groups, the therapist usually plays the role of a teacher.
Treatment-Oriented Groups
These groups are based on group experience. When the group is discussing various issues, the therapist tries not to be the center of attention and simply leads the discussion. It is the group members who are the active members and the therapist is only a guide and regulator.
Activity in this group increases self-confidence and a sense of belonging in a person. In fact, people receive group psychotherapy instead of individual psychotherapy. All topics are raised in the group and members understand their conflicts there.
Experience the Power of Group Therapy!
Who Is Group Psychotherapy Suitable For?
This method is used to achieve many goals. Sometimes the therapist prefers this method to other methods, which can be better due to its compatibility with the patient’s condition or the possibility of treatment.
Group therapy is suitable for those whose health conditions make everyday life difficult for them. Others have no particular problem, but need more training and support. The following topics and issues can be treated through group therapy:
- Addiction
- Domestic violence or abuse
- Divorce
- Anxiety
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Suicide
- Low self-esteem
- Communication problems
- Parenting
- Eating disorders
- Anger management
- Mourning and sadness of loss
This list does not cover all problems that can be treated in group therapy, but some of the most common problems that are treated this way. Remember that this method may not be recommended to patients at the beginning of the treatment process. One of the reasons for this is the difficulty in sharing personal information in group settings, especially at the beginning of the treatment period.
What Activities Are Done In Group Therapy?
The activities that are done are to improve communication, trust and personal growth. These activities may be conversation-oriented such as reading and telling stories, or they may be physical and in the form of team exercises.
Physical activities such as dancing or cooking require working together to achieve a goal. These exercises are done with the aim of developing trust and respect.
Other activities like painting, playing games and playing music are to improve creative expression in the individual. Role playing helps to improve the sense of trust between team members. In this way, team members can trust themselves and people outside the group.
How To Get The Most Results From Group Psychotherapy?
This treatment method seems a little scary at first, but gradually everything becomes easier. Those who try to fully participate in the group activities and have no problem expressing their problems, benefit the most from this treatment method.
Sometimes, when this method is new to the patient, he is invited to sit quietly and listen to the experiences of others. This strategy is only effective when it finally leads to the client’s participation in the discussion.
In order to benefit from this type of treatment, you cannot sit quietly in a corner. Participating in discussions, asking questions, speaking honestly, doing exercises and assignments, and cooperating with the therapist are the best things you can do for yourself and others.
If you are interested in this therapy, consult a mental health doctor or psychologist to help you find a suitable center. You can also get the necessary information about this from reputable counseling centers.
Criteria For Choosing The Right Psychotherapy Group
When choosing group therapy, you should consider the following issues:
- Group size
- The centrality of topics and issues
- Your interest and willingness to share personal issues with others
- Along with other treatment methods
- Open or closed group
- The psychotherapist can suggest you the best and most suitable group according to your conditions.
Is group therapy enough for your problem?
For many patients, participation in individual and group psychotherapy is beneficial. Participating in both forms of treatment helps to improve the chances of treatment and change the client’s approach and beliefs. If you have previously participated in psychotherapy, and your progress has stalled, participating in group therapy can help your personal growth.
Confidentiality is an important part of group therapy rules. All members undertake to never and anywhere disclose information related to conversations within the group to others. But there is no guarantee that this will not happen. So use your logic about revealing your personal information. But remember that you’re not the only one talking about your characters’ lives in the group.
And at the same time, you get the best results from this therapy when there is honest and open communication between group members. Usually, group members look at each other as strangers, but over time, they look at each other as reliable and valuable friends. To help preserve your character information, we recommend that you do not enter into intimate friendships or romantic relationships with group members.
Risks and limitations of treatment
Group therapy is a complementary form of treatment. Usually, those who are suitable for this treatment method are treated with another method, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. But participating in meetings is also associated with risk. For example, hearing other people’s stories may make the rest of the group anxious or depressed.
If you are one of those people who have too much compassion for others and get depressed by hearing other people’s pain, maybe you should think more about this treatment method.
Difference between group therapy and individual psychotherapy?
So far, you are well acquainted with the different aspects of group therapy. It is time for a brief reminder about individual psychotherapy so that you can better decide.
What is individual psychotherapy?
Individual therapy includes situations in which one person enters the treatment process with at least one therapist. A therapist is anyone skilled in a variety of therapeutic approaches, such as a psychologist, social worker, counselor, psychoanalyst, family and marriage counselor, etc.
The level of treatment and evaluation of clients in this method is high and the therapist gives feedback during the treatment. Developing communication skills, investigating and discovering the causes of problems, finding solutions and solving the client’s personality problems are among the goals of individual psychotherapy.
Which one is better?
Maybe this question keeps repeating in your mind, which is better, group therapy or individual psychotherapy? The answer is simple: none. Each has advantages and disadvantages, so one or even both may be suitable for your particular situation.
In general, research has concluded that both forms of therapy are equally effective for almost a wide range of issues. Therefore, there is no exact answer to the above question. The best scenario is to try to participate in both treatments at the same time. Unfortunately, this is not cost and time efficient for some people.
However, deciding on the type of treatment depends on personal preference and the therapist’s advice. What has been your experience of psychotherapy? Have you ever attended group therapy sessions? Share your experience and opinions with us.