How does Group Therapy Work?
By: Katie Veraldi
Many people when seeking therapy often associate it with one-on-one counseling or couples therapy, but one type of therapy that often gets overlooked is group therapy.
There is sometimes a thought that groups only happen in a treatment setting or perhaps a support group like AA is what comes to mind when someone thinks of groups. The truth is that there is a great variety of groups in many settings. When you Google “therapy groups near me," Psychology Today will probably give a long list of different practices, community mental health centers, or treatment facilities that all offer different types of groups. This can be very daunting and through this article hopefully, there will be some clarity.
The Phrases You May Hear
When you start looking for groups it can feel overwhelming to hear some of the phrases or acronyms used to describe a particular group. Here are some common phrases and acronyms that may be helpful as you look at groups:
Open Group: An open group allows members to attend sessions when they would like and there is not an attendance requirement for the most part, an example would be an AA group meeting.
Closed Group: This group has more rules regarding attendance and structure compared to an open group. This type of group has people commit to the length of the group and the time and it is important that everyone do their best to always make every meeting, an example would be a DBT group for anxiety.
Support Group: Support groups can be open or closed, often these meetings are held for people to get exactly what the title says, support. Sometimes there are more specific areas of support such as grief or it can be more general, an example was WellMinded’s women’s support group.
Creative Therapy Groups: Just like traditional talk therapy doesn’t always work for everyone, traditional group therapy also may not feel like a fit for everyone. Creative therapy groups can utilize a lot of different strategies such as improv to help with anxiety, nature to help with depression and attachment, art and dance therapy to help with trauma
Common Questions and Concerns About Group
It is not uncommon for people to never try group therapy especially if it feels like a looming shadow that is not talked about a lot. Even therapists often feel nervous to do group therapy. It is after all, not just you and the therapist, or you and a partner or family member in some cases, it is many different people. Part of starting a group and joining is to practice being okay with the anxiety, you will not be alone in that. Most everyone is nervous a bit and probably excited and hopeful when they first start out in a group.
What about the size of the group?
Like so many answers in life, it depends. There are general truths though as far group size goes. Often closed groups will range between 8-10 people and these will consistently be the same people each week. Open groups have a range of sizes; some meetings have 3 people, others, have over 15 depending on the nature of the group. Size may also affect the number of group leaders in a session as well. It is typical to have one group leader who stays in that role consistently but depending on location this can change. Other groups that are more peer-led do not have a group leader such as Al-Anon.
How do I know if I should do a group?
If you are not currently working with an individual therapist and you found a group on a therapy practice website the best way to get going with a group is to contact that practice. Sometimes practices want you to be sessing one of their individual therapists, others don’t do this. If you are currently working with an individual therapist, talk with them about it! Your therapist can help look for groups with you or make referrals if needed. Your therapist’s particle may have a group already in it, and they can help refer you to the person running the group at the practice you already go to.
Once you have decided where you want to do your group, you may be asked to do a brief pre-group screening. In this pre-screen often the therapist is talking to you about what makes you want to do group, what your schedule is like, how you feel about group settings, have you done group before, and of course leave time for you to ask questions.
Does insurance pay for this?
Unfortunately, it’s another classic “it depends” answer. Some groups are covered by insurance and others aren’t. In general, a group that may be focusing on a very specific topic such as eating disorders will be covered more easily by insurance than a general support group. Oftentimes payment plans can be made, some places have group therapy scholarships or sliding scales. If you want to try a group, do not let cost be the factor that stops you, ask and see if there are options.
What to expect in the first group?
Often the first group meeting is getting attendance, sometimes it includes establishing collaborative group rules and goals. Often there will be some ways to break the ice, hopefully not too cheesy but sometimes the name game works. Expect to feel a mix of emotions, some people feel anxious, some feel excited, some feel hopeful, and others neutral, try your best to be present with them as you process in a group.
So, Why Do Groups?
Many people report that groups are often a key factor in their personal journey when they do them. A large part of that is the sense of community you build when you are in a group. When you join you know that this is a group of people who are dealing with the same things you are and it is helpful to hear how someone else is processing it and it is powerful to be able to offer support to others. Groups often mimic other group-like situations in your day-to-day life and people report feeling like having done a group sometimes helps them conquer the aspects that were hard about everyday groups before. Group therapy is a unique experience not everyone gets to try, and when it is done people often report it is due to that uniqueness that they have gained new insight into their lives.
OTHER COUNSELING SERVICES OFFERED AT WELLMINDED COUNSELING
Therapy for depression isn’t the only service we offer. WellMinded Counseling offers the following counseling services: