Group Therapy

“You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” A. A. Milne

Most of us interact with groups of people every day. We are part of a group at our job, with our family and friends, or when going to a concert. Being in a group may feel different for you than being alone or with one other person. Given the importance of groups in today’s world, group therapy can provide a valuable and unique environment to learn from experience and to practice useful interpersonal skills.

While joining a group of four to eight strangers can sound scary, you might soon realize that others share difficulties and experiences that are similar to yours. This can help you feel supported and less isolated. Furthermore, therapy groups can act as microcosmos of real life, reflecting members’ behavior outside of therapy and enabling you to:

• Observe your automatic reaction to the group setting, its different members, and its leader

• Become aware of how others perceive your behavior – both the verbal and non-verbal

• Watch the different ways other members of the group cope with life situations that are similar to yours

• Be held accountable by the other members of the group

• Give and receive feedback from other members of the group and learn how to use the information you receive

• Practice important interpersonal skills such as effective communication, handling conflict, assertiveness, etc. in a way that enables closeness and connection