Give Group Therapy a Chance
A lot of my clients are skeptical when I suggest group therapy as a helpful compliment to their individual therapy process. I get it--if you’ve never done group therapy, you probably feel some anxiety or discomfort thinking about sharing with a room full of strangers. However, as most counselors will tell you, group can be an incredibly moving experience. I’ve seen time and time again how being involved in a group can help individuals increase self awareness and self compassion, help them cope with stressors, and increase their ability to relate to others in a healthy way. Over time, your fellow group members become less like strangers and more of a support network.
Plus, during the pandemic lots of groups have gone virtual, increasing the accessibility and comfortability for group participants. Group members are able to cozy up and tune in from the comfort of home!
Here are just some benefits of getting involved in group therapy:
Support
It’s easy to feel alone when going through some tough stuff like grief, sobriety, etc. Group members can usually empathize or even closely relate to you with what you’re going through.
Psychoeducation
Sometimes therapy groups are focused on skill building and increasing tools around emotional regulation. These groups provide participants with concrete tools you can use outside of group therapy while giving you space to utilize individual therapy for more processing and digging deeper.
Learn your boundaries
Group therapy can help you understand where your boundaries lie and increase your awareness regarding how you relate to others. Group therapy provides a space to communicate and practice boundary setting.
Decrease shame
When we are able to be vulnerable to others and we are met with understanding and acceptance, we are able to lighten heavy feelings of shame. In group therapy, we give our problems a chance to be normalized and understood by others.
Co-regulation
Our bodies and brains are wired for connection. When we can connect with others in a safe way, our nervous systems can shift into a calmer, more grounded place.
Increase self-awareness
In group, you can gain more awareness into what your triggers are, how you engage with others, your values, and your needs. That awareness is invaluable in changing and growing in the way you navigate your world!
Connect with our current Healing House virtual groups here, and see more about our other services. If our groups aren’t for you, reach out to our counselors and we will be happy to connect you with a group outside of our practice.
Authored by: Anna Zapata, LPC