About Group Therapy
Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which a number of people, usually 6 to 10, meet together under the guidance of one or two psychotherapists to be of help to themselves and each other. Group members share experiences with each other and provide reactions and support. In the safe environment of the therapy group, members can develop increasing insight into how they perceive themselves and other people and try out new behaviors, e.g., new ways of handling emotions and new ways of relating to each other.
Research has shown that group therapy is as effective as and, at times, more effective than individual therapy. Among the problems which can be effectively addressed in group therapy are:
- depression
- anxiety
- difficulty managing emotions
- stress
- loss and problems in interpersonal relationships
At Integrated Life Services, group sessions typically meet weekly and last 90 minutes. Group therapy can be used as the primary mode of therapy or in conjunction with individual therapy, couple’s therapy or medication treatment. If someone is in another treatment modality, we feel it is important for the group therapist to coordinate closely with the other practitioner.
The group therapists at Integrated Life Services seek members who will work well together. We ask for a minimum four-month commitment. We believe that it may take that long for an individual to feel able to benefit from the group therapy experience. Most group members stay significantly longer, often for several years. The four-month commitment also minimizes the potentially disruptive effect on the group of frequently fluctuating membership. For similar reasons, in all of our groups, regular and consistent attendance is emphasized.
Group members should at all time feel free to bring any concerns or questions to the attention of the group therapists. 