GROUP THERAPY

by Saima Husaini

What Can I Expect?

At Hope & Harmony Therapy, a therapy group involves our therapists providing a safe and supportive environment for three or more individuals wanting to process life situations and gain the skills necessary to effectively cope.

Typically, therapy groups meet between one to two hours each week. Some people choose to attend individual therapy in addition to groups, while others may participate in groups only.

Therapy groups can vary in their format, whereby some groups are designed to address a specific problem, such as depression, weight loss, anxiety, or substance abuse. Other groups focus more on general topics such as improving social skills, or guiding people through their struggles with conflict resolution, communication skills, cognitive distortions, or low self-esteem.

Benefits of Group Therapy

Joining a group of strangers to discuss personal and sensitive circumstances may feel uncomfortable at first; however, group therapy provides benefits different than individual therapy.  Group members are often surprised by how rewarding and beneficial this therapeutic setting and experience can be due to feeling validated and accepted by a group.

Groups tend to act as a support system and a sounding board.  Members of the group share their stories, relate to each other, give their unbiased perspectives and feedback that often help an individual come up with solutions and steps for improving their lives.  This process helps a person put their own problems in perspective and also realize that they are not the only ones who may suffer in this way.

Beyond the Support

While group members are indeed a valuable source of support for one another, formal group therapy sessions offer benefits beyond informal self-help and support groups. A therapist who has specialized training and who can teach/provide group members with skills and strategies for managing specific problems lead our groups at Hope & Harmony Therapy.   For example, a group focusing on anxiety will offer tools to identify and reframe automatic negative and distorted thought processes that may be exacerbating anxiety levels. This sort of expert guidance can help you make the most of your group therapy experience.

Take a look at the groups that are forming now at Hope and Harmony Therapy by clicking here: Current Groups

Is joining a group right for me? Check out the links below to help you figure out if joining a group is right for you:

How do I know?

6 benefits of groups