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Group Therapy as a Recovery Tool
   

Group therapy is a useful and productive recovery tool for many people. It consists on a therapist to help direct the group and keep the space under control and all the members with the same issues. The members are encouraged to speak freely with the other members and interact to encourage growth and recovery. Having many people with the same issues in a group can help all members come up with several techniques to incorporate into their lives. It offers different opinions and insight but in the safety of like persons. Being in a group setting also teaches people new ways to relate and deal with people. It allows the members to not feel isolated and alone and that there are people going through the same thing as them. It brings a higher awareness that there is help and healing. Most group therapy sessions have 6-10 members. This intimate small group makes people feel cared about and have trust in their group members. This is the largest reason for group therapy’s success rate. It is the members who decide on what to talk about, this keeps the control in the hands of the members. They will decide how the session will progress and in what direction.

For a large variety of people who have problems and difficulties group therapy is the key. This gives people with the same illness or problems a group of people to talk to who are going through the same thing. There are groups for just about everything out there, sexual abuse, single parenting, pregnancy, mental health issues, diabetes, and many, many more. In most groups you will find people of all walks of life, old, young, men, women, etc. this shows to everyone that it isn’t limited to just one group of people and no problem is isolated. A therapy group is a great way to learn better interpersonal skills and how to better communicate with others. It teaches people to be honest with their feeling and thought, how to listen, and how to express themselves with words. These groups are especially great for those struggling with intimacy issues, trust, and self-esteem. Feedback from group members and the therapist can help people change their benefit patterns and stop sabotaging themselves. One of the great benefits of group therapy is that you work on problems in the here and now and talking with others keeps them real and help people deal with their issues much better.

Group members are encouraged to give each other feedback and express their personal feeling about how something said in the group has made them feel. This type of interaction gives members an opportunity to explore new ways or acting or behaving. This also teaches them how they relate to others and if it is positive or negative. The level of trust that builds each session allows the member to feel free to speak more freely and honestly. This safe environment is kept sacred by committing to the group that all sessions and what is discussed is not discussed outside. This confidentiality is important and should never be breached. Nothing that happens should be spoken to a person outside the group. It is the psychological safety created by the group members that allow things to be discussed that would never be expressed or spoken outside the group. This is important for recovery and healing for many people. No one is ever forced to talk or pressured to tell their deepest secrets to the group. The individual decides how much they are willing to say and disclose.

There are several different styles in group therapy and it is just as important to find a group with a method that works for you as finding a group itself. Many techniques can be used such as verbal, psycho-dramatic, expressive, and art therapies. Many groups vary in what methods they use and my use more than one method or expression. Groups can also vary on the approaches they use from psychoanalytical, behavioral, or classic psychotherapy. Most classic groups stress psycho-education and are more class like in structure. The main focus areas of these groups in stress management, relationships, anger, etc. They usually have a specific amount of sessions to attend, around 10-15 and are more geared to teach behavioral skills than offer support. Therapy groups that are support based usually run permanently and several times a week. Each person considering this type of therapy should find what works for them and makes them feel the most comfortable.

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by SolveYourProblem.com : 2006

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