Group Therapy

 

Group therapy can stir up different feelings for different people.  It is intended to mimic our first group experiences, often beginning with family and peer relationships.  As social creatures, humans have gathered in groups throughout history.  The ritual of creating community is one that we often do without conscious intention in modern times.  Yet it continues to be one of our most fundamental and natural needs.  We are wired to connect, so why not do so in an intentional and health-promoting way?

 

Using Expressive Arts and Drama Therapy techniques can make the group experience more effective and provide a relief from the pressure and awkwardness of talking, especially in the preliminary stages of a group.

 

One of the most effective ways to promote change in our lives is to commit to a mix of group and individual therapy.  A group setting is ideal for implementing and practicing new habits and ways of being discovered in individual therapy.  Also, the group experience can quickly bring to surface the feelings and challenges we experience in everyday life with other people.  While group therapy gives us the opportunity to work through our internal and interpersonal patterns and dynamics, individual therapy is a safe place to metabolize our group experience, slowing things down long enough to reflect and make new choices.