What is Group Therapy?

The following is a handout given to clients assigned to a therapy group.

Recently you came to the Counseling Center with something that had been troubling you. During the Intake Interview, group therapy was proposed as a treatment that could help you resolve your present dilemma. As you prepare yourself for membership in a therapy group, you probably have a number of questions. These few pages are designed to answer some of those questions.

The first question many people have is, "Just what is group therapy?" Group therapy is one of the many different forms of treatment that is offered at the Counseling Center. In group therapy, approximately 6-10 individuals (members) meet face-to-face with a trained group therapist(s). During the group meeting time, members take responsibility for their situation by talking about what is troubling them.

Members are also encouraged to give feedback to others. Feedback includes expressing your own feelings about what someone says or does. Interaction between group members is highly encouraged and provides each person an opportunity to try out new ways of behaving; it also provides members with an opportunity for learning more about the way they interact with others. What makes this situation unique is that it is a safe environment in which members work to establish a level of trust that allows them to talk personally and honestly. Group trust is enhanced further when all members make a commitment to the group. People who join groups are instructed that the content of the group sessions are confidential; in other words, it is not appropriate for a group member to disclose events of the group to an outside person.

A second question people often ask is, "Why does group therapy work?" There are a number of reasons why group therapy works:

1. When people come into a group and interact freely with other group members, they usually recreate those difficulties that brought them to group therapy in the first place. Under the direction of a group therapist, the group is able to give support, offer alternatives, and/or gently confront members in such a way that these difficulties become resolved and alternative behaviors are learned.
   
   
2. The group also allows a person to develop new social techniques or ways of relating to people.
   
   
3. During group therapy, people begin to see that they are not alone and can be helped. Many times people feel very unique in their problems. It is encouraging to hear that other people have a similar difficulty or have already worked through a problem that deeply disturbs another group member.
   
   
4. Another reason for the success of group therapy is that people feel free to care about and help each other because of the climate of trust in a group.

A third question is "What do I talk about when I am in group therapy?" You can talk about what brought you to the Counseling Center in the first place. The psychological safety of the group permits the expression of those feelings which are often very difficult to express outside the group. If you need support, let the group know. If you think you need confrontation, let them know this also. It is important to tell people what you expect of them.

In a group, you probably will be most helped and satisfied if you talk about your feelings. When we talk about revealing our feelings, we are talking about self-disclosure. It is important to keep in mind that you are the one who determines how much you disclose in a group; you will not be forced to tell your deepest and innermost thoughts. If you have any questions about what might or might not be helpful, you can always ask the group.