Groups Therapy | Group Therapy |New York - Anger Group |Social anxiety Group

Group Therapy Overview

Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which a small, selected group of individuals meets regularly with a therapist. The purpose of group therapy is to assist individuals in their personal and emotional growth as well as helping them in solving their problem, facing their challenges and reaching their goals.

In group, individuals learn with and from other people, and better understand their own patterns of thoughts and behavior that may be holding them back from the life they want. The safe setting enables identification of individuals’ unhealthy patterns and promotes the practice of healthier alternatives. The members learn how to develop and maintain fulfilling relationships while breaking their self-defeating behaviors.

Many people in the group may be experiencing or grappling with some of the same issues that can be beneficial to share and discuss with others. People will typically discuss a problem and look at it from various points of view. Individuals in the group receive support and are challenged to step out of conditioned roles. Group members assist each other in how their behavior and treatment may influence people around them by giving direct, respectful and honest feedback. This helps group members learn what prevents them from getting close to significant others, friends, colleagues and family members.

Groups are an effective and affordable way to address self-esteem issues because they bring the skills and insights of multiple viewpoints to the task of solving problems. Group members utilize the power of the group, and the therapist as a facilitator in this process, to grow and create the life they want.

Sessions meet regularly once a week for ninety (90) minutes. Generally, the first few group sessions are important for group members to get to know each other better and establish trust. This will allow each member to open up more freely and talk about themselves and their difficulties. The members must agree to make a commitment to the group in order for everybody to feel as comfortable as possible. The group format includes lecture, experiential exercises, individual exercises/homework, interaction, readings, writing/reflection, and group discussion. The group facilitators are trained to help the group with this process.

It is important to note that group therapy does not serve as a replacement to individual therapy, and individual are encouraged to seek professional help when needed. Also, before the beginning group therapy, a therapist will perform an individual intake session to gather information necessary to select appropriate members to the group.

Group Therapy Benefits

Improve social skills - Social learning or the development of basic social skills occurs in all therapy groups. It helps group members in improving their interpersonal relationships (e.g., friends, partners, peers, boss, and marital problems). In group, members can learn new social techniques, ways of relating, and how to better cope with difficulties. Group members offer diverse views, responses, and feedback to one another about the appropriateness of the others' behavior. While this may be painful, the directness and honesty with which it is offered can provide much-needed behavioral correction and thus improve relationships both within and outside the group.
Instill hope - All clients come into groups hoping to decrease their suffering and improve their lives. Because each member in a therapy group is inevitably at a different point on the coping continuum and grows at a different rate, watching others cope with and overcome similar problems successfully instills hope and inspiration. New members or those in despair may be particularly encouraged by others' positive outcomes.
Sense of belongings (universality) - You recognize that other members share similar feelings, thoughts and problems. You realize that you are not alone in your feelings and concerns. Group can counteract feelings of isolation and a sense of being alone with one. Many who enter group therapy have a challenge developing and sustaining interpersonal relationships. Group therapy provides a powerful antidote to these challenges.
Provide information & skills - An essential component of many therapy groups is increasing members' knowledge and understanding of a common problem. Group allows members the chance to explore and better understand themselves, their shared challenged, such as, anxiety, depression, anger, relationship etc. is often a key part of the therapy. Most clients leave the group far more knowledgeable about their specific condition than when they entered. This makes them increasingly able to help others with the same or similar problems.
Gain self understanding – Members are able to develop their observing ego while gaining self-understanding and insight into psychological motivations underlying their behavior and emotional reactions. You gain personal insight about your impact on others through feedback provided from other members. We often do not realize how our behavior affects others, and the group is an effective way to learn and modify our behavior.
Help others (altruism) - Group therapy offers its members a unique opportunity: the chance to help others. Often individuals facing difficulties believe they have very little to offer others because they have needed so much help themselves; this can make them feel inadequate. The process of helping others is a powerful therapeutic tool. Extending help to other group members, you greatly enhance your self-esteem and feeling of self-worth.
Overcome issues with the primary family - Some people who enter group therapy had or have problems with their family-of-origin. In this regards, the group may become a “substitute family” that resembles—and improves upon—the family of origin in significant ways. This recasting of the family of origin gives members a chance to correct dysfunctional interpersonal relationships in a way that can have a powerful therapeutic impact.
Serve as a test field - The group is also a working laboratory for experimentation where newly learned skills can be put to the test. You can reenact critical relationship dynamics with group members, learning how to interact with others better. The group serves as a microcosm of clients’ reality and provides opportunity to be real with others in an environment of safety and respect, while able to try out new behaviors. The result is a richer and deeper experience promoting members to take on life's challenges.
Become responsible - Members learn to accept responsibility for life decisions through observing the other group members and through working through your own problems.
Learn from each other - The group provides you with an environment that fosters good communication and the development of socializing techniques. The group provides promote members to learn from each other and interact in a more adaptive manner.
Promote existential factors - Existential factors are certain realities of life including death, isolation, freedom, and meaninglessness. Becoming aware of these realities can lead to anxiety. The trust and openness that develops among members of a therapy group, however, permits exploration of these fundamental issues, and can help members develop an acceptance of difficult realities.
Affordable, effective and proven method – In addition for therapy to be very cost effective, group therapy can be a powerful, life-changing experience. As group is also highly effective treatment modality, it is influential venue for major personal growth and change.

Resources

Psychology Information online – Internet psychology resources

We invite you to review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Group Therapy and are open to new requests for specific workshops or groups. For more information, please contact Moshe Ratson, Executive Director, at 917-692-3867, or email us.

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