How Group Therapy Can Improve Your Life

Therapy is an incredible tool to use when trying to improve your life. Talking through what you’re going through and having a safe space to be accountable. Therapy can come in many forms, including group therapy. Group therapy is unique in that you can hear stories from other peers going through similar situations. A licensed counselor or therapist usually leads group therapy sessions. These sessions can be of varying sizes and subjects. Some of the topics can be based on mental health struggles, but they can also be groups of different people with similar interests or titles. Group therapy can be a helpful instrument in improving the satisfaction that you have in your life.

Benefits of Group Therapy

Group therapy can be less intimidating for some people who are nervous about starting one-on-one therapy. This time of therapy can be less intimate, but it’s a great way to get used to the setting. Some group therapy can even be offered online, which could help if someone is nervous about physically being in the group setting.
Being surrounded by other people going through the same things you are can be validating and comforting. If you feel validated and comforted, you are more likely to want to share what you are struggling with. Feeling support from someone else who understands what it’s like to be in your shoes is powerful.
Being in social environments is imperative for our mental health. Partaking in peer counseling is a great way to add this socialization into your life. Lack of socialization can lead to a lower quality of life, anxiety, and depression.
When you are in a group of other people dealing with similar things you are, you are likely to learn things from other members. Everyone has different experiences and lessons that they have to offer. You may learn new ways to cope with what you are going through.
In our current world of social media, it can be difficult to meet friends who have similar interests as you do. Group therapy can also be a unique way to meet new people who enjoy doing the same things you do.

Limitations of Group Therapy

While group therapy can be helpful in many ways, there are some ways that group therapy might not be the right fit. For example, group therapy usually has one leader and several members. Because of this, members are not getting one-on-one attention. If a person is struggling with more serious issues, seeing a therapist one-on-one might be a better course of treatment.
Group therapy also might not be appropriate if someone is easily triggered by comments by others. Groups usually have rules for triggering comments, but people make mistakes, so comments may still come up.
As we mentioned above, group sessions usually have a set of ground rules. These usually include confidentiality. However, there is a chance that group members could not follow this rule.

Group therapy sessions have the potential to help you improve your life. Having therapy sessions in a group setting brings unique features that you wouldn’t usually get in individual therapy. You can experience the perspectives of other people’s stories. However, if you don’t think group therapy is the right fit for you, you can contact us about seeing a therapist here.

References:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10238302/

https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/finding-good-therapist

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/support-groups/art-20044655

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9140904/

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/11/group-therapy-first

Keywords: group therapy, therapist, support, peer counseling