After about six months of individualtherapy, Audrey A., then 28, felt like her progress had stalled.
But she still wanted help working through a traumatic stalking incident that had happened earlier in her life.
Being in the traumatherapygroup helped Audrey feel understood and develop a deeper level of empathy, she says.
Tyler Spangler
According to experts, these are some of the best possible benefits of group-based therapy.
But how do you know whether group therapy is right for you?
Read on to find out.
First, know that theres a difference between group therapy and support groups.
you could find two overarching types of mental health support in a group setting, according to theMayo Clinic.
Group therapy, also known as psychotherapy groups, are led by therapists.
These people may or may not have training to facilitate this kind of gathering.
Support groups are often more flexible than psychotherapy groups and generally allow people to drop in as they wish.
Some therapy and support groups meet for a set period of timesay, 12 weekswhile others meet indefinitely.
Of course, during the pandemic, some groups went virtual.
Naturally, the online option may not capture the true experience of being in a room together.
Still, it can be beneficial for people processing the many burdens of the pandemic.
Group options offer an opportunity to work on your relationships.
Group [therapy] is more about you working on relational dynamics in real time.
You don’t feel alone or like you are weird, Dr. Howard says.
It helps to normalize that every person has their stuff.
Hearing other peoples stories may help you see your life differently.
Maybe a group can help you pick up on patterns in your behavior that you havent noticed before.
It gets you outside of yourself, Audrey says.
and then you realize, Wait, my depression told me that yesterday.
Group therapy or a support group can help you embrace vulnerability.
For some people, its actually easier to do this in a group than one-on-one.
This vulnerability helped Audrey, now 35, get in touch with her feelings.
My emotions would drop in because of hearing someone else’s story, she says.
It allowed me to talk more in depth about my nightmares and the PTSD symptoms I had.
It broke open my shell.
Group support can be much less expensive than individual therapy.
However, even without insurance, group therapy is often cheaper than individual sessions.
So, if one-on-one therapy is out of your budget, group therapy may still be feasible.
Group therapy and support groups can also come with potential downsides.
It can be painful to see those things about ourselves, Dr. Howard says.
Group therapy is a bit of a pressure cooker.
Without an expert to help the group stay on track, these dynamics can get dicey.
That can be true evenwithan expert in the mix.
And if you sense people are feeling that way aboutyou,it might stall your progress.
Also, if youre big on stability, groups that change regularly might throw you off.
Consistency of the group is important and ideal, Lundquist says.
When you come and go, [it] doesn’t just affect you; it impacts other people.
Heres how to tell whether group-based support might be right for you.
Ideally, this will empower you to incorporate them into the rest of your life.
To find group-based mental health care, talk to your individual therapist or look online.
SELF also covered a number of ways tofind virtual support groupsduring the pandemic.
It’s normal to be uncomfortable until you get used to it, Dr. Howard says.
It’s not necessarily easy to join a group.
If you think youd benefit from group therapy or a support group, dont let this challenge deter you.
It can really move you forward in life.
See more from ourGuide to Caring for Your Mental Health here.
