Why group therapy is better than individual therapy

Can’t get out of old relationship problems and keep making the same mistakes over and over again?

Individual therapy will help you make sense of your history and fears, as well as find the causes of self-doubt. It will give you a fascinating opportunity to explore the influence of the past on the present.

However, individual therapy is not effective if you are looking for a long-term relationship of trust and you need to find new opportunities for communication and trust.

Unlike individual counseling, group therapy focuses primarily on relationships. During individual work, psychotherapists listen to clients’ stories about various events. And these stories may be exaggerated, distorted or inaccurate.

Working in groups, psychotherapists can observe relationship problems live. They see sudden signs of anxiety, notice how body language changes, and how you build trust.

In other words, in group therapy, you can observe in real time all the difficulties that arise when interacting with other people.

Everything that happens in life happens in the group

The transformative power of group therapy is that the work is done here and now.

Instead of delving into history, group therapy attunes us to the thoughts and feelings of the present moment, and especially to the feelings we have for our classmates. It is not simple.

Most patients protest when I advise them to work in a group. They say: “What feelings can I have for people if I see them for the first time?”, “How will I tell personal things to other people?”, “I fall into a stupor when I need to communicate in a group, and I don’t feel anything.”

We constantly have feelings for other people, although we ourselves do not realize it. And others also feel our attitude.

You enter an elevator with a stranger and a wave of feelings hits you.

Do you feel safe around this person? Does he seem attractive? Are you smiling at him? Do you avoid eye contact? Are you experiencing anxiety?

If you tune into your feelings and begin to explore them, you will understand their cause.

Does this person remind you of an old friend? Or a strict school teacher? Or maybe your first love?

Listening to feelings is the first step to living in the present moment and understanding other people’s feelings.

group contrast

Once you’ve identified how you feel about your classmates, share your thoughts and feelings with those around you. This is the best way to practice natural, meaningful communication in a safe environment.

The group format will inspire you to improve your communication in the following ways:

• voice thoughts and feelings in front of an audience;
• share associations, memories and dreams that arise when communicating in a group;
• respond honestly to comments and questions from group members;
• seek emotional risk, get out of your comfort zone.

The therapist creates a safe, orderly environment so that group therapy participants feel they are in safe hands. For group therapy to be effective, group members should:

• refrain from external social contact with group members;
• respect confidentiality;
• pay for group lessons on time;
• try not to miss meetings.

To achieve emotional freedom in communicating with a psychotherapist, it is recommended:

• express feelings that you have for him (disappointment, anger, resentment);
• tell him about the fears and concerns associated with the group;
• contact him for help and advice.

Group work

A successful realtor with rock star looks, Steven has a long history of failed romantic relationships. And I could not understand why women ran away from him.

In individual consultations, Stephen was charming and thoughtful, showing a great sense of humor and a high level of emotional intelligence.

A few weeks later I invited Stephen to join the group. He refused: “How? Talking about personal feelings in a gathering of strangers? No, thanks.»

I explained that I could not help him improve relations until I saw how he communicates with people. “Don’t even think about it! The group is not for me,” he said. But I kept up: “You hired me to deal with relationship problems. But I can’t help you. You are wasting your money.»

He reluctantly agreed.

What I saw during the first 15 minutes Stephen spent with the group was amazing.

With men, Stephen spoke friendly and at ease. But with women he was cold, insincere and arrogant. So he camouflaged his uncertainty. He became different, and it was terrible.

Naturally, the reaction of the women in the group was similar to that of the women in Steven’s real life. At first they liked him, but the more he talked, the more he annoyed them. And poor Stephen felt hurt and abandoned again. Just like in life.

One day, Stephen came to the group with sad news: his mother had a heart attack and she was in the hospital.

Steven spoke about this with tears in his eyes, and the band members felt sympathy for him. They understood his fears and shared their experiences. And Stephen answered them naturally, without any pretense and arrogance.

Stephen realized that natural behavior is much more attractive than fake. And this is the merit of the group.

One participant admitted: “I like this Steven much more. I would date this Steven without a second thought.”

Through positive reinforcement, Stephen became more and more open and outspoken. Close relationships in the group destroyed his insecurities and helped him learn to communicate comfortably. Soon, Stephen announced that he had gained unprecedented confidence.

Here are 3 reasons why group therapy is better than individual therapy:

• Group therapy is relationship focused;
• The psychotherapist gets the opportunity to observe communication problems in real time;
• Group members have the opportunity to learn about effective ways of communicating and practice using them.

In a group, we learn to accept close relationships, respect our feelings, and communicate more naturally with others. And most importantly, group therapy helps overcome unhealthy relationship patterns and social anxiety.