Group Therapy

Most people are somewhat intimidated by the idea of group therapy. After all, who wants to expose their inner issues to a bunch of strangers? But in reality, group therapy is an excellent option for almost everyone.

If you have never been in counseling before, then you may need to start with individual (or couple) sessions in order to begin the therapeutic process. You need to first know that you and your therapist are a good fit, that you are being heard and understood, and that your therapist really understands how to help you make the changes you want to make.

Once you are familiar with the therapeutic process, the fears you have about over-exposure dissipate. This is hard to believe when you are new and still feeling that fear. But it is true. Familiarity with the process makes this go away.

Then you are ready.

You are ready for group therapy when you can appreciate the profound value of exploring your issues with others. The thing is, everyone in a therapy group starts with the same fears. By learning the therapeutic process they have come to appreciate how being in a group with others who are going through similar experiences can help them in ways they never expected.

Group counseling is the perfect opportunity to maximize your growth, while also minimizing your expense. You not only get to work on the issues you bring to the table, you also receive the added benefit of coattailing on the work of every other participant. Therapy groups are usually formed around a common theme. Because there is a common theme, you already know that everyone in that group is going through similar experiences as you.

The camaraderie you will find with the other participants relieves much of the emotional tension you carry around. Those who have been in the group longer are able to offer insights and suggestions that have resulted from their own inner work.

Group therapy allows you to see that you are not the only one going through the experiences you are going through. This alone is incredibly helpful. Further, you get to hear how others are perceiving these experiences in their lives, the problems this is causing, how they are dealing with them, what they have tried and what is working and what is not.

You also receive the full attention of the therapist as they see a bigger picture of how you engage with other people, how you perceive the world, and the emotions that are problematic to you. Your therapist works with you within a larger context. They are also able to tie together your experiences with that of other group participants.

And then there is the big benefit: Group counseling costs only a fraction of the normal individual counseling fee. It is truly the best of both worlds, better therapeutic experience and lower cost.

We work with all counseling clients to try to move into group therapy. We advise that you use this service whenever possible. The therapists at BEing There Counseling, in addition to being extremely well-qualified individual and couples therapists, are Group Therapy specialists. The choice for individual or group therapy will always be yours. No one will pressure you. We just happen to strongly believe in its potential for your well-being.