Group Therapy
GROUP THERAPY
Group psychotherapy is used for various personal problems (such as personal crises, addictions, anxiety and depression disorders, eating disorders, difficulties related to the genesis of PTSD and CPTSD, difficulties in relationships and many others).
I conduct group therapy in the integrative trend, which combines a psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioural, humanistic, and Transactional approach and elements of Gestalt therapy.
How does group psychotherapy work?
In the course of numerous studies on the effectiveness of group psychological therapy, researchers have identified several distinct mechanisms of change. The first is to arouse and sustain hope.
Each therapeutic group has people whose condition has improved and those currently experiencing a crisis. Watching people get better gives others hope for improvement. During group psychotherapy and self-help groups, stories of people who have managed to heal, cope with loss or overcome addiction are also used to inspire hope.
Patients often face a sense of isolation and the belief that they are the only ones struggling with embarrassing or socially unacceptable problems. Group therapy allows such people to experience honest and open conversations with others experiencing similar difficulties. It can be a great relief to see that you are not the only one experiencing these difficulties and that they are universal.
Group therapies are also a place for exchanging information between people struggling with the same problems. Participants in therapy give each other advice on how to deal with their difficulties. The specialists leading the group also share their knowledge and ways of dealing with a given disorder or symptom with the participants.
In addition to exchanging mutual advice, therapy group members offer mutual understanding and support. Group psychotherapy encourages mutual help, providing it is a source of satisfaction and increases self-esteem. Being in a therapeutic group is also an opportunity to establish new, close relationships and effectively confront one's behaviour with reality in safe conditions.
Group therapy also provides social skills development. Techniques such as role-playing or giving each other feedback are used for this. Thanks to this, the patient can become aware of his habits and behaviours that adversely affect his social relationships, e.g. avoiding eye contact or constantly folding his arms.
In addition, people participating in group therapy benefit from observing the therapeutic process of another participant and trying to imitate the healthy behaviour of others. In addition, during the meetings, patients share their profound experiences - they relieve their emotions (experience catharsis) and then find acceptance from the group.
It often happens that in a therapeutic group, we unconsciously copy the patterns from the first and most important group to which we belonged, i.e. the family of origin. However, in group therapy, early childhood difficult experiences and unresolved conflicts can be repeated in a corrective way, thanks to the presence of a therapist who monitors the roles of group members and encourages them to new behaviours.
Some group therapies (focused on people who are bereaved or struggling with life-threatening illnesses) have a significant role in talking about existential topics, i.e. death, isolation or meaninglessness. Patients have the opportunity to see the limits of the support and help they can receive from others and come to terms with a kind of fundamental loneliness. However, all this occurs in close "coexistence" with people in a similar situation.
What methods are used in group therapy?
Several methods used in group therapy were mentioned, but the forms of work differ depending on the current trend. I use an integrative approach, and the psychotherapeutic groups we work through:
Use of psychodrama and dramatisation;
Interpersonal skills training;
Conducting a group conversation on important personal topics;
Exploring participants' personal experiences and reflections;
Completing individual psychotherapeutic work against the background of a group;
Recognising and analysing relationships in the group.
It might look formal and intimidating. Still, in reality, it is just a group of people struggling just as much or even more than you sitting together and sharing with each other in a safe and accepting environment.
