Five reasons why you should try group therapy

17 May 2016

If you’re after a safe and supportive social environment to discuss and work through issues, while being guided by psychologist, than group therapy is the right option for you.

Group therapy is a type of psychological treatment that involves a small group of people meeting on a regular basis to talk, interact and discuss issues with each other, led by an experienced psychologist.

What's the purpose of group therapy?

Group therapy provides you with a safe, structured and supportive environment to work through issues and problems. It also gives you an opportunity to offer support and suggestions to others int he group who are experiencing the same issues or problems.

The group psychologist's role is to guide the group and facilitate healthy discussion, while also providing psychological interventions that benefit all the participants.

Five reasons why you should try group therapy

1. Useful feedback from others

Group therapy can help you gain useful feedback from others who are experiencing the same issues or problems. Having access to different perspectives, that is a different way of seeing things can help you grow and change as a person.

2. Learn new method of coping

Seeing how others handle similar situations is a great way of learning new methods of coping.

3. Increase your social and interpersonal skills

While a group environment helps you feel supported by others, it's also a great opportunity to develop better social and interpersonal skills.

4. Become more informed about services and support

You'll learn factual information from your group facilitator, as well as information about the type of services and support available from other members.

5. Develop a better sense of belonging and acceptance

Being a part of a group is a powerful way to help you develop a sense of belonging, acceptance and validation.

How does group therapy work?

The psychologist facilitating the group takes responsibility for planning, leading, organising and controlling the group.

The facilitator ensures there is an open environment which facilitates interaction between group respondents.

Group therapy is non-directional, meaning it encourages interaction but doesn't target individuals.

The aim of group therapy is to create a space for participants to share concepts raised in the sessions rather than the psychologist directing the traffic.

How do we decide who is in the group?

Psychology Melbourne's group therapy is strictly limited to a maximum of ten participants to ensure a suitable and effective environment.

All participants initially undergo psychological testing to ensure that they are suitable for group work.

Group members will be given a set of guidelines which will outline group conduct and confidentiality, and privacy requirements for the protection of other group members.

For more information Contact us on 1300 161 639 to find out more about our group therapy services.