When you think of going to psychological therapy, you usually imagine an office, alone, together with the therapist working on your problem, right? But, what if I told you that it is possible to do equally intense psychological work but in the company of other people with the same conflict as you. It may sound a bit strange and even uncomfortable, but this may be the right type of therapy for you.
Group therapies are dynamic and playful in most of their work, but that does not mean that it is not an emotionally and physically intense intervention, since you not only open up to a therapist, but you do it in front of a group of strangers who surprisingly have a lot in common with you in that therapeutic moment.
If you are wondering if group therapy is useful for you and if it will really help you, in this article we solve all your doubts about this psychological modality.
What is group therapy
- At the beginning, it was based on support group organizations in search of positive results for the improvement and growth of the participants. But it was not until Jacob L. Moreno observed its therapeutic qualities and introduced the term ” Group Psychotherapy ” that it began to gain importance. Kurt Lewin, for his part, used the term ” group dynamics ” to accentuate the benefits that each individual gives to the group and the properties of their own experiences as a catalyst and resolution guide.
- In this sense, group therapy is based on a type of therapy in which individuals in a group benefit from experiential experiences to understand their problems and find a solution. This is because we often feel alone, that no one understands us, and once we find someone who does, the picture clears up, so that we can see the origin of the problem, the meaning we give it, and our own power to appease it.
Group Therapy Benefits
There is no room to judge
As each person presents a similar problem among all the members of the group, the pressures to be judged for their problem decrease considerably, this is due to the refuge environment that the group itself creates and to the collective empathy.
Equality always
In group therapy, the role of the psychologist is transformed, somewhat lessening his intimidating demeanor and replacing it with a role of facilitator to resolve the conflict presented in the group, instead of being the expert who “has all the answers”. Likewise, there is equality among all members since their situation is similar and everyone must work together to find the answers they want.
Experiential experiences
The greatest innovation of group therapy is the learning that is obtained through the individual experiences of the members and the morals that leave the dynamics that are carried out in therapy, since those are precisely the intervention methods: experiential activities that achieve group cohesion, individual performance and work on the conflict presented. All of this can pave the way for a resolution.
Weaknesses become strengths
In group therapy, as in any other type of psychological therapy, difficulties also arise: differences between the participants, someone who is reluctant to participate in an activity or people who do not want to share their lived experience. However, each activity allows the facilitator (therapist) to have a backup plan to act in such cases and work on them in the same activity.
How does group therapy work?
- Mainly, as in individual therapy, everything said in the group sessions is absolutely confidential. In addition, each member must commit to attend each session or withdraw from them if they do not comply with the guidelines and limits established for that intervention.
- There are, in turn, a series of objectives for each session until reaching the main objective of therapy (resolution of the conflict presented), as well as activities to be carried out outside of therapy. In the same way, the goals achieved and the individual and group development of the participants are evaluated.
- All this is done initially by carrying out a group analysis, which is an observation process where psychoanalytic and humanistic techniques are combined to detect present needs and where the steps to follow are then determined.
- The intervention is carried out through group and individual dynamics and activities where a short goal is pursued at the end of the session, then the experiences experienced and the learning that each person takes from it are discussed.
Types of group therapies
Psychoeducational
As its name indicates, the main objective of this type of group therapy is to provide information, analysis and tools for conflict management and resolution. It is frequently used in groups of addicts, with mental disorders, relatives of patients, students and workers.
Process-focused
In these therapies, emotional catharsis and the change of the psyche of each participant are promoted through dynamic activities of psychoanalytic and humanistic origin. The objective is to ensure that the group relationship encourages the presentation of problems for their approach.
Small and large groups
There is a fixed idea that an ideal group for a job is 8 to 10 participants, however there are groups with fewer members, which better promotes communication and group cohesion, as well as individual emotional openness.
While groups larger than 10 people are more proactive and the sessions are more enriching because they can play with various activities at the same time that offer a greater number of learnings. But they have the disadvantage of overloading the sessions with information or making attention difficult.
Homogeneous and heterogeneous groups
These are determined by the presence of one or several problems, whether it is the same conflict, various problems, differences between personal and sociographic data, or other variables. It is believed that homogeneous groups tend to relate and interact better, but heterogeneous groups can provide different perspectives and alternative solutions.
How do I know if group therapy is right for me?
Type of problem
In group therapy, conflicts of a more general nature are treated, which do not need extra support from any other specialist or do not present extra complications that may affect group dynamics or concentration on individual activities.
Opening
If you are a person willing to talk about your emotions, thoughts, opinions and difficulties with others and that they can answer you, question you and even guide you, for the purpose of your own benefit, then group work is for you. But if you have difficulties accepting other points of view, especially from outsiders and strangers, then I recommend individual therapy.
Interaction capacity
Although group therapy benefits people with shy or reserved tendencies, you must have a modicum of ability to relate to others or be willing to try it, as this is essential for proper therapeutic work, as well as for obtaining favorable results. both for you and for the group.
Dynamic spirit
Another factor to take into account is the natural will to participate in the activities, to share in the group the experiences lived and to experience them, without doubts or ties, just to let yourself be carried away by the moment. It may sound easy, but it requires a great deal of commitment and confidence in yourself about your potential to develop new skills and learn.
Now that you know everything about group therapy, you can firmly decide whether or not it will be useful for you. Much encouragement!
