Understanding Group Therapy
Introduction
If you’ve ever been to group therapy before, you know that it has many benefits that individual therapy cannot accomplish. First, you get that group social feedback with each other, and you can connect with others. The interactions with other group members become a part of the therapy process, which in real time can provide feedback for how you come across to others. Second, you can also get support from peers who are going through similar issues, or have already been through some of the issues you are going through. This can help us understand the universality of the human experience, and judge ourselves and others less harshly to enable more healing and growth.
This blog post will help you learn a bit more about the different kinds of group therapy that I offer, as well as whether it’s a good fit for you.
What is the difference between open and closed group therapy?
Open Group or “come as much as you want” therapy provides the flexibility that is helpful given the realities of our schedules. Clients can come to therapy whenever they please, without committing to a certain number of sessions or going every week.
The clinical benefits of open group therapy are:
1) there is some anonymity, because you won’t necessarily see the same people every week, and that provides an opportunity to be more honest and transparent, because there is a reduced fear of judgement.
2) open groups provide a great venue to meet and connect with more folks going through the challenges you are also facing. Because you won’t necessarily see the same people every week, you’ll see and interact with many different people at many different stages in life, and see a more diverse range of experiences.
3) there is more room for a large breadth of psycho-education from the therapist. Because there isn’t a set group, you will encounter more topics and variety in what is discussed in the groups, depending on who is present that day.
Closed Group therapy in contrast requires the clients to commit to a scheduled number of sessions with the same people. These groups have a start and an end date, and have a set structure with the ability to build upon a particular topic that is relevant to that group.
The clinical benefits of closed group therapy are:
1) there is a better ability for the group to grow with each other in the learning process. Because the same people come every week, you can reference and build upon topics because there is a shared learning experience.
2) we get to focus more on the interactional connection (“the here and now”) and process things that come up in real time. For example, if someone has a startled reaction to what another group member said, we as a group can process that with one another with more clarity because not only is there a shared learning process, but now a shared connection/relationship building process as well.
3) unlike open groups which cover topics based on who is present that day, closed groups have more of a set structure and allow for us to investigate certain topics with more depth. For instance, a closed group may allow for several sessions to focus and build on each other to develop specific skills more comprehensively.
What kinds of groups do I offer?
If you are interested in joining one or both of these kinds of groups, you are in luck. I offer the opportunity to participate in both open and closed groups throughout the year. Below I will break down the different groups I offer and provide links for you to register or get more information if you are interested.
1) Open Men’s Relational Growth Group
For most of the year, I offer an open group designed for men who are confused and frustrated with how their relationships are working out. We talk about the challenges of your relationships with others, and also discuss a lot about the relationships with ourselves, or the man in the mirror. We cover topics such as: shame, guilt, conflict resolution, emotional expression/regulation, understanding what it means to be a man and where that comes from, and how to create a life that is more fulfilling in your relationships.
If you are interested in joining the open group, here is a link to book a consultation call with me to see if you are good fit. You must check in with me before attending group to ensure this group is right for you.
Dates & Time: In person only on Mondays at 5pm for 75 minutes in my office.
Cost: $40 per session.
2) Closed “Real Talk” Men’s Relationship Workshop Series
A few times a year, I also offer closed groups, which run for 6-8 weeks. These are closed groups designed for men who are looking for more psycho-education and processing with others similar to you. We cover much of the same topics as above, but the closed group setting allows more depth for the connection and experience of group therapy.
Below I have outlined the first series I am offering as an example of what a closed group might look like. We will discuss specific topics per week, such as:
Week 1: Deconstructing relationship roles
In this session, we will deconstruct and increase awareness of relationship dynamics and expectations that we hold for ourselves and our partners.
Week 2: Effective communication
In this session we will uncover the dos and don’ts of how to communicate our needs. We will shift away from maladaptive techniques that we have adopted to get our needs met, and instead learn more adaptive and relational techniques.
Week 3: Emotional regulation strategies
In this session we will learn how to take more personal responsibility for regulating our emotions while understanding that emotions are inherently not the problem or what we try to manage. What we can control are our thoughts, behaviors and reactions to these emotions.
Weeks 4 and 5: Relationship negative cycle mapping
In these sessions we will utilize your own personal lived experience as a backdrop to practice avoiding the same traps we tend to fall into with our partners within the safe environment of the group.
Week 6: Integration
In this final session, you will walk away feeling more confident about next steps and creating the culture change in your relationship that you desire. We will debrief and think about application strategies for the future.
If you are interested in joining the closed group, here is the link to the registration form.
Dates & Time: 6 weeks total: September 23 - October 28th on Mondays at 5pm. 90minute sessions for each week (5pm - 6:30pm)
Cost: $60 per session (total $360) or pay upfront and get one session free (total $300)
