Being part of a group can offer insights that you may be too close to your situation to see. Discover why participating could be a helpful type of treatment for you.
At first, the idea of participating in group therapy might seem intimidating. Who wants to share their story with strangers? But group therapy, in which one or more psychologists lead a group of 5 to 15 people, can be very beneficial. In fact, "participants are often surprised by how rewarding their experience can be," says Ben Johnson, PhD, ABPP, a clinical psychologist, director of Rhode Island Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Coaching, and a clinical assistant professor at the Warren Albert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, R.I. “I’m a big fan of group therapy.”
Patti Cox, PhD, CGP, in private practice in New York and president of the Eastern Group Psychotherapy Society, a regional affiliate of the American Group Psychotherapy Association, says anyone can benefit from group therapy “What’s important is to be in the right group at the right time,” she says. “An acute crisis is not the best time to start group therapy because your needs are so great.”
Groups generally meet once or twice a week for 90 minutes to two hours. How much people want to reveal about themselves is very individual, but there's security in knowing that what’s said in group, stays in group.
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