Group psychotherapy involves at least one psychotherapist and there is often a co-leader. Group members can be clients who are looking to benefit from learning Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) coping tools, or becoming more fluent in the skills they have already acquired. Concrete goals are established by each client, therefore almost anything can be addressed.

Behavioral issues like procrastination, overeating, disorganization, not going to the gym, addictions, communication, relationship and workplace problems can all be targeted with the help of the group setting. In addition CBT is used to help clients learn to reduce the impact of negative emotions like anxiety, anger, guilt, shame, depression, stress, and embarrassment.

Who could benefit from Group Therapy?

CBT Group Therapy can benefit those who are new to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Joining a group where you can hear how those more experienced have applied CBT successfully to their challenges is a great way to learn and can be very motivating. Likewise a group is also appropriate for someone who needs an extra night of support in addition to individual therapy. It is also an effective therapy format for those who need a safe place to improve their interpersonal skills.

Group Therapy vs. Individual Psychotherapy

Group therapy still allows each member to present his or her week’s achievements, set backs, and develop a concrete plan to target improvements in the way individual psychotherapy does. But individual psychotherapy ofers more time to this, since in the group, time is shared.

Each member also benefits in other ways when others are presenting. It is often much easier to gain perspective when others are presenting an issue similar to yours, because you are able to get some distance.

How can I begin Group Therapy?

The first step to begin group therapy would be to call the office for an intake appointment.

This is a one on one meeting with a therapist, usually the group leader. It is a 45-minute appointment where the therapist gets a sense of your strengths, weaknesses, and the kinds of goals that might be most important. The most appropriate group for you would be identified or individual therapy could be recommended if it would be better to start with that.