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What is Group Therapy? Psychotherapy is for people who want to improve their lives. While individual therapy involves one person meeting with a therapist, group therapy involves a small group of unrelated people meeting together with a professionally trained facilitator who leads, or facilitates, a therapeutic meeting. A therapy group is customarily 6 to 12 members who meet from one to three hours per session once or twice a week. In order to gain the maximum benefits from group, participants are asked to make a commitment to regular weekly attendance. While some groups chiefly focus on the treatment of specific problems or symptoms, others focus on personal development and growth. Some groups are primarily educational in nature, some serve primarily a supportive function, and others are "group process" or insight-oriented. Some groups are time-limited and do not allow in new members once the group begins, others are open-ended and allow new members to enter as other members leave. Initial Interview Candidates for group therapy usually first meet with the group facilitator in a private individual consultation. In this meeting, you and the facilitator can discuss your concerns and define your goals. You can learn more about group work and whether it might be beneficial for you, as well as evaluate other approaches that might be helpful. Group therapy is not necessarily a substitute for individual therapy. Often, for example, people find that working concurrently in group and individual modalities stimulates growth in complimentary ways. How Support Groups Work We learn from other people all the time. While the initial anxiety people feel about joining a group is universal, many soon find it easier to express their feelings in a supportive group of peers once they have begun. Group participants develop trusting working relationships with each other over time. Usually in a support group, the focus is a one particular topic or problem that all the members share. Participants share their honest feelings and thoughts about events occurring in their lives outside the group. Participants respond to each other with direct, honest, and respectful information, suggestions, encouragement, and feedback. Generally, participants are expected to remain in the group until the issues they brought in have been resolved. How Growth Groups Work In a process-oriented growth group, the facilitator is non-directive. Topics are generally not provided by the facilitator but arise spontaneously and collaboratively during the group session. Participants share their honest feelings and thoughts not only about events occurring in their lives outside the group but primarily about what is occurring at the present moment and what has happened in previous meetings of the group. Each participant is able to observe their own patterns of feeling, thought, and behavior as they occur in direct interaction with other individuals and with the group as a whole. As a result, you learn about your personality and your impact on other people and can actively practice changing behaviors that may interfere with healthy relationships. The nature of a growth group tends to be gradual and long-term. Participants typically attend anywhere from a few months to a few years. Potential Benefits The potential benefits of a group will be different for each person but may include greater comfort with self-examination and confrontation, tolerance for uncomfortable feelings or frustration, empathic sensitivity toward others, effective communication and self-expression, and capacity for trust and intimacy. Ultimately, the goal of such work is progress toward the achievement of personal fulfillment, balance in life, and a sense of well-being. Confidentiality Every effort to respect the privacy of group participants is required in order to encourage candid disclosure. Group psychotherapists adhere to a code of professional ethics. Among the standards of practice is the principle of confidentiality---information you disclose is considered private. Sensitive subjects can often arise in group discussions. Group participants are asked to agree that they will not disclose to anyone outside the group either the identity of other members or what is discussed by other group members within the group. Some group members may be in individual treatment with the group facilitator or with another therapist. It is often considered helpful if you consent to your group facilitator consulting with your individual or couples therapist for the purpose of continuity of care. Cost While fees vary among therapists, the cost of a single group session is generally less than half the cost of a session of individual therapy. The actual cost of any therapy probably depends more on the length of time you are in it rather than on the cost per session. The length of time you are in group depends on the nature of the issues that you bring to the work as well as your pace and motivation to change. See Wall Street Journal article about fees. How to Find a Group Therapist Locating a therapy group that is right for you involves making an informed choice. Do not hesitate to ask a group therapist any questions you may have. Ask about their professional education and training as well as professional licensure and certifications. Ask the therapist about their philosophy of treatment, how they conduct their group, and how it potentially would be beneficial for your particular situation. A frequently updated resource for locating groups is the Metropolitan Los Angeles Outpatient Group Therapy Resource Directory, a concise listing of over a thousand therapeutic, supportive, growth-oriented, or psychoeducational groups throughout the county. You can view or download this directory from this website. The Group List Los Angeles Outpatient Group Therapy Directory James J. De Santis, Ph.D., Editor Post Office Box 894, Glendora, California 91740-0894 (818) 551-1714 JJDeSantis@aol.com Copyright © 2009, James J. De Santis, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved. |
Group Therapy |