Is Group Therapy Good for Your Mental Health?
What Is Group Therapy?
Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on emotional and social needs. It takes place in one location, including a therapist's office or a public meeting space like a community center, and more commonly today, virtually.
This kind of therapy can be a great way to get professional help in a group setting with the added benefit of the social support of others who are also going through the same thing. It can also be an effective way to cope with trauma, depression, anxiety, addiction and other issues and, in general, a great way to get back on track and manage better.
Like any other activity, group therapy can be a great way to explore new things and improve your life. However, unlike many other activities, group sessions offer something else: community. These group therapy sessions are a great way to build connections with people who share similarities with you and share a common interest or goal.
When you're part of group therapy, you can learn from each other while also building relationships—and that's an integral part of mental health! When we feel supported by our friends and family members, it helps us feel less alone. We don't have to fret about being judged or left out if we don't know how to do something—we'll ask someone else who knows more about it than we do! It makes us feel like someone can always help us when we need it most.
Individual Therapy Vs. Group Therapy: Which Is Best For You?
While both individual and group therapy have advantages, some crucial differences between the two types of care should be noted before deciding which kind of treatment best suits your needs.
Individual therapy can be helpful in that no other people are present during sessions, allowing the counselor to focus solely on helping you overcome any issues plaguing your life at that time, in particular, without having to worry about distraction from others in attendance.
Some people also prefer one-on-one sessions because they feel more comfortable talking about personal issues in front of others than bringing up details in front of someone they don't know well.
In Group Therapy, you meet with a group of other people who are experiencing similar things. Group therapy aims to provide support and encouragement for those feeling down or alone. This type of therapy aims to help people overcome their mental issues and build relationships with others who may have similar issues. It's also a great way to get help with your problems since the group leader can talk about your issues, and the other group members can offer their perspectives. You might not be able to solve all of your problems in one session, but it's still an essential part of healing.
What are the benefits of group therapy?
The benefits of group sessions are endless! You'll feel connected to others, learn new skills, build confidence, and increase your self-esteem.
Is it true that group sessions are suitable for your mental health? The answer to that question depends on what you are looking for. Some of the reasons groups can be great support include:
Feeling less alone! Group sessions are a great way to build community and create supportive relationships, essential for mental health.
People who feel like they belong in a group tend to have higher self-esteem and mental well-being than those who don't. We are meant to be in a community and doing the work of healing, and integration can be done with a 1:1 therapist, but doing it within a group, can make the job less scary and more accessible in some ways.
Doing therapy within a group can help you feel more resilient when faced with challenges or setbacks. You know you are not alone. And having a witness can be a profound healer. In addition, research shows that the more people feel connected to one another within the group, the better they feel overall.
Those in a group can provide feedback and perspective to one another, which can be helpful in gaining insight and identifying patterns of thinking and behavior.
Normalization: Seeing that others face similar challenges can help individuals feel less alone and more every day. We are not in this alone! Others are going through similar shared experiences, and seeing this truth in a group setting can help you feel less alone with whatever you are struggling with.
Group sessions can be a great way to help people with their mental health struggles. It allows people to get together and discuss their lived experiences and challenges in an environment where they can be open about their feelings. They can also help each other by sharing their experiences and talking about what they have gone through.
When you see a therapist alone, it is often hard to talk about your feelings or ask questions without sounding like you are blaming yourself or someone else. This can make it hard for them to help you solve your problem. By going to a group session, you can share everything with others who have gone through similar things and get their perspective on what worked for them when it came time to deal with their issues.
Having support groups has been shown to help many people overcome depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges. This can happen because sharing your problems with others who have gone through similar experiences helps reduce some of the stress associated with being diagnosed with a mental health condition and gives other people in the group some insight into how they might handle certain situations differently than you do.
How to Find the Right Group
Group therapy can be a great way to learn about yourself and others. It's also a great way to get support for your mental health, so we've put together this brief guide on finding a group and what you need to know about it.
Here are some tips for finding the right group:
Ask if anyone has heard of any good groups in your area.
When you find a group, check out their website or call or email the facilitator for more information. You can also ask friends who have been in similar situations.
If there still needs to be a group in your area, check out websites that list groups based on location and interest. Check on Zencare, Inclusive Therapist, and Psychology Today for some options.
For those interested in working on their relationships with others but don't want to be alone or those who have trouble connecting with others and need someone to be there for them, we at the Phoenix Rising Centers offer many therapeutic groups. All of our groups are led by a licensed therapist. We offer groups that meet every week to discuss topics such as Race-Based Trauma Processing for Black and Indigenous Identified Individuals, LGBTIQA2S+, ADHD Skills, Processing Birth Trauma, Growing our Self-Love, Self and Soul Care for Mental Health Providers, Navigating Healthy Open/ Poly Relationships, Yoga & Somatic Healing, DBT Skills Group, Grief Processing Group for Medical Professionals, Intergenerational Trauma Processing for Women Identified Individuals, Maintaining Sobriety.
Our groups are designed to be a safe space where participants can openly discuss what they're going through without worrying about judgment or criticism. The goal is to help people feel comfortable enough with one another to open up about their problems and seek support from one another and their therapist.
We are here for you! You don’t have to do this work alone. Let us be a support and refuge for you. Please reach out if you’d like to join one of our groups. Remember, YOU MATTER!