About Group Therapy

James J. De Santis, Ph.D.
138 North Brand Boulevard, Suite 300
Glendale, California 91203-4618
TEL (818) 551-1714

About Group Therapy
by James J. De Santis, Ph.D.

What is Group Therapy?

Psychotherapy is for people who want to improve their lives. While individual therapy involves one person meeting with a therapist, group therapy involves a small group of unrelated people meeting together with a professionally trained facilitator who leads, or facilitates, a therapeutic meeting.

While some groups chiefly focus on the treatment of problems, others focus on personal development and growth. Some groups are primarily educational in nature, some operate as a support group, and others are "process" or insight-oriented. Some groups are time-limited and do not allow in new members, others are open-ended and allow new members in as other members leave.

A therapy group is customarily 6 to 12 members who meet from one to three hours per session once or twice a week. In order to gain the maximum benefits from group, participants are asked to make a commitment to regular weekly attendance, to arrive on time, and to remain for the full length of each session.

The nature of an insight-oriented growth group tends to be gradual and long-term. Participants typically attend anywhere from a few months to a few years. Generally, participants are expected to remain in the group until the issues they brought in have been resolved.

How Growth Groups Work

We learn from other people all the time. Insight-oriented growth groups use peer interaction and group dynamics to cultivate insight into one's personality, impact on other people, and ways of behaving in interpersonal relationships.

While the initial anxiety people feel about joining a group is universal, many find it easier to express their feelings in a supportive group of peers once they have begun. Group participants develop trusting working relationships with each other over time.

In a process-oriented group, the facilitator is non-directive. Topics for the group sessions are generally not provided by the group facilitator but arise spontaneously and collaboratively during the group session. Participants share their honest feelings and thoughts about events occurring in their lives outside the group, about issues raised by other members of the group, and about what has happened in previous meetings of the group. You are free to talk or to remain silent.

Group work is not a substitute for individual therapy. While group members work actively on the issues that brought them to group, one of the advantages is also to be able to observe patterns of interaction between people as they occur. Each participant becomes more keenly aware of their own feelings, thoughts, and behaviors that may interfere with their potential for healthy relationships. Participants respond to each other with feedback, encouragement, and support. In this way, the group becomes a laboratory for actively practicing optimal ways of relating to others.

Potential Benefits

There are many kinds of problems that bring people to group therapy, such as prolonged depression or anxiety or unsatisfactory or frustrating relationships.

The potential benefits of an insight-oriented growth group include an increase in emotional maturity, in effective communication and self-expression, in tolerance for self-examination and confrontation, in tolerance for uncomfortable feelings or frustration, in self-esteem, in capacity for trust and intimacy, and in interpersonal sensitivity toward others. Ultimately, the intention is change and growth toward the achievement of well-being and balance in life.

Initial Interview

Candidates for group therapy are initially screened by the group facilitator in a private consultation. In this meeting, you and the facilitator can discuss your concerns and define your goals. You can learn more about group work and whether it might be beneficial for you, as well as evaluate other approaches that might be helpful. Often, for example, people find that working concurrently in group and individual modalities stimulates growth in complimentary ways.

Confidentiality

Group psychotherapists adhere to a code of professional ethics. Among the standards of practice is the principle of confidentiality; information you disclose is considered private. Sensitive subjects can often arise in group discussions. Every effort to respect the privacy of group participants is required in order to encourage candid disclosure. Group participants are asked to agree that they will not disclose to anyone outside the group either the identity of other members or what is discussed by other group members within the group.

Some group members may be in individual treatment with the group leader or with another therapist. It is often considered helpful if you consent to your group facilitator consulting with your individual therapist for the purpose of continuity of care.

Cost

While fees vary among therapists, the cost of a single group session is generally less than half the cost of a session of individual therapy. The actual cost of group therapy probably depends more on the length of time you are in group rather than on the cost per session. The length of time you are in group depends on the nature of the issues that you bring to the work as well as your pace and motivation to change.

How to Locate a Group Therapist

Locating a therapy group that is right for you involves making an informed choice. Do not hesitate to ask a group therapist any questions you may have. Ask about their professional education and training as well as professional licensure and certifications. Ask how the therapist conducts their group and how it potentially would be beneficial for your particular situation.

The most current and comprehensive directory of outpatient psychotherapy groups facilitated in the metropolitan Los Angeles area by licensed mental health professionals is maintained on this website. Click here to view The Group List.