What is Group Therapy?

Group therapy is a form of Psychotherapy (also known as group counseling). In this format, individuals come together to work on a common concern/issue in an environment that is known as a “safe zone.” In this environment there is no judgment as all participants are enrolled working towards the same common goal.

Participants can sometimes be encouraged to share personal histories as a means of strengthening bonds between members and utilizing each other’s experiences as guides for learning and growing. All group members are encouraged to form relationships and work towards bettering themselves with comparison to admission. There are many different types of therapy groups that can range in size, topics and length of time. Some of the more well-known therapy groups include NA (Narcotics Anonymous) AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), OA (Over-Eater’s Anonymous). Most community mental health agencies will have their own on site therapy groups which can also address additional topics such as anxiety, depression, anger, grief/loss, PTSD, coping skills etc. These groups are typically not as large as the ones mentioned above that you would find at your local community resource centers. Group therapy can be used in conjunction with other types of therapies (individual, couples or family therapy).