Psychological alterations such as Eating Disorders, trauma, grief for the loss of loved ones or anxiety disorders are complications that, many times, must be treated beyond individualized sessions in the psychologist’s or psychiatrist’s office. .
This is why group therapy exists., a form of psychological intervention in which several patients participate at the same time and that draws on the possibilities of working with people who face similar problems. Let’s see what its benefits are.
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 at the individual patient (that is, the “classical” model of psychological therapy).
Is about a type of psychotherapy in which more than two people participate and that escapes the definition of family or couples therapy; The participants normally do not know each other, but they have common characteristics related to the problems they face.
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 Help Groups (which are not technically considered psychotherapy because the roles of therapist and patients nor does it work from a clinical approach but from support and the possibility of expression) 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 group therapy modalities share several characteristics linked to communication processes and emotional bonding. that will hardly 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 provides are the following.
1. Offer a support network
In group therapy it is possible to have a group of people who are interested in one’s problems and who are capable of offering advice, emotional support, useful information…
Besides, This type of support is not only offered by therapists, and this has important implications. While professionals must actively avoid stepping outside of their role to be able to do their work, the rest of the attendees are not subject to as many limitations, and emotional bonds of an emotional and friendship nature can arise that go beyond the specific objectives. of therapy.
2. It allows you to enhance self-knowledge through communication with others
People who live socially isolated and are only exposed to a very limited series of stimuli and experiences are less likely to know themselves because they go through the same kinds of thought phases, themes of thought, over and over again. reflection, feelings, etc.
Thus, Group therapy is positive, among other things, because it raises issues and approaches that had not been considered before.which allows you to discover facets of yourself that were unknown until that moment.
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 from psychopathology or personal development makes participants see their schemas broken and can discard dysfunctional beliefs that they had been holding on to and that only generated discomfort.
In group therapy It is possible to see the example of other people who have gone through or are going through a similar situation to yourself.either because the same psychopathology has developed
The possibility of explaining the most experiential and subjective component of the problems that have led people to go to therapy makes it possible to find parallels with oneself and realize that one is not alone in dealing with these types of sources of discomfort.
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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 incentives to progress appropriately both to serve as an example for others and to not demotivate others. Besides, Seeing how other people are gradually overcoming their problems shows that it is possible to feel better.
6. Enables a more gradual process 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 entire group. Thus, it is possible not to speak during the first sessions, waiting to gain enough trust to expose one’s own vulnerabilities to others.
This fact makes many people feel less uncomfortable in the early stages of therapysince they do not feel that the focus of the session is on them.
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Another consequence of participating in group therapy is that the participants They have the opportunity to develop their social skills in varied situationssince they must adjust to different kinds of interactions depending on the proposed activity.
That is, there is a real-time learning environment about skills linked to active listening, the return of constructive feedback after listening to someone, the organization of ideas and thoughts to express them in a way that is understandable to others, etc.
Are you interested in having 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 loss of loved ones, low self-esteem, anxiety disorders, and more.
