The 7 benefits of going to group therapy

These are the benefits of attending group therapy when facing psychopathologies.

Psychological disorders such as Eating Disorders, traumas, grief due to loss of loved ones or anxiety disorders are complications that, many times, must be treated beyond the individualized sessions in the psychologist's or psychiatrist's office.

This is why group therapy exists.This is a form of psychological intervention in which several patients participate at the same time and which is nourished by the possibilities of working with people facing similar problems. Let's see what its benefits are.

What is group therapy?

The therapeutic group is a context in which it is possible to intervene in psychological problems from social dynamics that are beyond the scope of psychotherapy directed to the individual patient (i.e., the "classic" model of psychological therapy).

It is a type of psychotherapy in which it is possible to intervene a type of psychotherapy in which more than two people participate and which escapes the definition of family or couple therapy.The participants usually do not know each other, but have common characteristics related to the problems they are facing.

Within the range of possibilities of group sessions aimed at improving the quality of life of patients, there is an important diversity of approaches ranging from Mutual Aid Groups (which technically are not considered psychotherapy because there are no roles of therapist and patient, nor is there a clinical approach, but rather a supportive and expressive approach) to group therapy focused on the individual and psychopathology (in which the group is only a means to achieve concrete changes at the individual level).

However, all modalities of group therapy share several characteristics linked to the communicative and emotional bonding processes that are unlikely to occur between two individuals. that are unlikely to occur between two people with very different roles.

The main benefits of the therapeutic group

Although the way in which group therapy positively influences people's well-being depends on the format used, in general terms, the benefits it brings are the following.

1. Provides a support network

In group therapy it is possible to have at one's disposal a group of people who are interested in one's problems and who are able to offer advice, emotional support, useful information?

Moreover, this type of support is not only this type of support is not only offered by the therapists, and this has important implications.and this has important implications. While professionals must actively avoid stepping out of their role in order to be able to do their job, other assistants are not subject to such limitations, and emotional bonds of affection and friendship may arise that go beyond the concrete goals of therapy.

2. It enhances self-knowledge through communication with others.

People who live in social isolation and who are only exposed to a very limited range of stimuli and experiences have less chance of knowing themselves because they go through the same kind of phases of thought, topics of reflection, feelings, etc., over and over again.

That is why, group therapy is positive, among other things, because it raises issues and approaches that had not been noticed before, which makes it possible to discover facets of the person's personality.This allows one to discover facets of oneself that were unknown until then.

3. It allows you to adopt different points of view and break with dysfunctional beliefs.

Get in touch with the opinions of others about topics such as mental health, social stigmaThe possibility of recovery before a psychopathology or the personal development makes the participants see their schemes broken and can discard dysfunctional beliefs to which they had been clinging and that only generated discomfort to them.

4. It contributes referents

In group therapy it is possible to see the example of other people who have passed or are passing through a similar situation to oneself.either because they have developed the same psychopathology, or because they have developed the same psychopathology.

The possibility of explaining the more experiential and subjective component of the problems that have led people to come to therapy makes it possible to find parallels with oneself and to realize that one is not alone in facing these kinds of sources of discomfort.

5. Provides multiple sources of motivation to improve

As the experiences of those who regularly attend group therapy are monitored throughout the sessions, participants have more incentive to progress adequately both to serve as an example for others and not to demotivate the rest. In addition, the fact of seeing how other people are gradually overcoming their problems shows that it is possible to feel better..

6. It makes a more gradual process possible by exposing one's own vulnerabilities.

In the therapeutic group, the rhythms of each person are respected; it is not assumed that each individual must constantly adapt to the progress proposed for the whole group. Thus, it is possible not to talk during the first sessions, while waiting to gain enough confidence to expose one's vulnerabilities to others.

This fact makes many people feel less uncomfortable in the early stages of therapy, since they do not feel that the focus of the session is on them.The focus of the session is not on them, since they do not feel that the focus of the session is on them.

7. It allows to work on social skills

Another of the consequences of participating in group therapy is that participants have the opportunity to develop their social skills. have the opportunity to develop their social skills in varied situations, as they must adjust to different situations.The participants have to adjust to different kinds of interactions depending on the proposed activity.

In other words, there is a real-time learning environment about skills related to active listening, giving constructive feedback after listening to someone, organizing ideas and thoughts to express them in a way that is understandable to others, etc.

Are you interested in professional psychological support?

If you are looking for psychotherapy services, I invite you to contact me.

I am a psychologist specialized in the clinical field and I have more than 10 years of experience in the sector, and I can help you through online therapy by video call. I intervene in problems such as Eating Disorders, depressive disorders, grief due to loss of loved ones, low self-esteem, anxiety disorders, and more.