7 Benefits of Group Counseling

Group counseling is a way you can work towards healing and growth in a group setting rather than as an individual, a couple, or family. The number of participants in a typical group will vary and is often dependent on the purpose of the group. Some groups focus on learning a specific skill set (e.g. DBT skill, anger management, non-violent communication, etc.) , some groups focus on  support (recovery of substance use problems, bereavement, abuse survivors, etc.), some groups are psychoeducational (education for parents of teens, education on eating disorders, education about roles of family members in homes of addiction, etc.), and many groups are a mix. Formal therapy groups are always led by a qualified facilitator who will ensure emotional safety and keep discussion and activity structured.

Although group counseling is unable to focus solely on your personal goals, there are still many benefits to group counseling you do not get in individual, couples, and family sessions.

1. Being part of the creation of community: as a participant in a group, you receive support from others similar to you. A sense of relief can come from realizing you are not alone. Additionally, you have opportunities to support others, and a balance of giving and getting simultaneously not only feels good to the soul, but can help you in truly allowing in support.
2. Learning from others: group members often have ideas or their own experiences they can share which may benefit your unique situation. Often, you may get advice from people in your life who do not understand. The advice feels unhelpful and is often unwanted. Hearing how people have managed issues who are similar to you can help you find new solutions.
3. Honest feedback: sometimes we don’t realize our own accountability in situations. We naturally find difficulty seeing issues from someone else’s view, and being in a group can open your mind to different perspectives, allowing you to grow.
4. Complex levels of connection: although individual counseling allows for you to increase your self-awareness, group counseling allows for you to increase your self-awareness through connection. Being able to practice self-awareness while connecting with other is important in relationships, and group counseling helps you learn to master this skill enabling you to have more satisfaction in all relationships.
5. Affordability: while individual, couples, and family therapy can be expensive, group therapy is often less of a financial burden. For those who do not have the financial ability to participate in weekly individual therapy, group counseling can be a great alternative.
6. Adding a Cheerleading Squad: motivation to make changes in your life can be really hard, and seeing an individual counselor can be helpful in this. However, joining a group increases the amount of people rooting for you. By being a part of group, you may acquire motivation to tackle some hard things in your personal life.
7. Increased Understanding of Self: everyone has roadblocks to full self-awareness. Often, we come to huge realizations and “ah ha” moments when we hear other people talking about things which pertain to our own situations. Group counseling gives you an opportunity for the kind of “ah ha” that can be gathered from listening.

Overall, group counseling can provide you with different and additional avenues for growth than individual counseling. Although groups may not be an appropriate fit for all, many people find group sessions to be very rewarding. If you have interest in group therapy, but you are unsure, talk with the facilitator of the group to learn if the group may be a good fit for you.

Interested in groups? See what groups I currently am running on my Work With Me page.