What is Group Psychotherapy?

The Benefits of a Group Setting in Addiction Treatment

Group psychotherapy is a method of therapy where a handful of people meet as a group to discuss and share experiences under the supervision of a trained professional. Over millennia, human beings have changed from being isolationists into being social individuals. This need for social interaction is what prompted the development of psychotherapy as a discipline.

The Ancient Greeks were the first to suggest group therapy for treating mental illness. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it wasn’t until the 19th century that we rediscovered how beneficial group therapy could be in helping people overcome their problems. Our article today reviews the contemporary state of the field, to answer the question, “What is group psychotherapy?”

Using group psychotherapy in substance use disorder has shown a lot of promise. The Journal of Groups in Addiction and Recovery states in a paper that individuals that were exposed to group therapy had a much more favorable outcome rate than those that weren’t.

Interpersonal group therapy is a significant step towards helping someone suffering from a substance use disorder to overcome their dependence. But how exactly does group therapy work, and what benefits does it have over other types of therapeutic treatments?

How Group Therapy Works

Group therapy usually involves several people meeting at scheduled times during the week to discuss a particular topic. During these meetings, the discussion is guided by a trained therapist. This professional helps those gathered to come to terms with their urges and feelings towards themselves and others. Typically, the members in the group sit together in a circle facing each other.

Groups may be described as open or closed. Open groups welcome newcomers at any time, while closed groups contain the same individuals from meeting to meeting. For addiction treatment, group therapy offers a single therapist a chance to treat several individuals at once. It also gives a peer support structure and a routine that the person recovering from the disorder can follow.

Advantages of Group Therapy

Individuals recovering from substance use disorder may benefit from group therapy in several distinct ways. While individual and family therapies also have their importance in helping the individual leave their dependence behind, there are some things that recoverees only get from group therapy.

Among the benefits that someone recovering from substance use disorder can look forward to in group therapy are:

• Education about the recovery process: Individuals involved in group therapy learn how recovery works and the logic behind overcoming their dependence.
• Peer motivation: Recovering from substance use disorder is difficult, but having others there going through the same thing allows recoverees to have a bit more resilience.
• Empowerment: Group therapy talk sessions encourage recoverees to interact with each other and share their own personal struggles and how they overcame those issues for the benefit of others.
• Coping skills: Daily stressors can heighten addiction. Coping skills taught to individuals in group therapy can help them avoid those stressors or healthily deal with them.
• Build Up members: The group becomes a tightly-knit unit, and other members tend to offer moral support to their group members, building them up and keeping them focused.
• Use therapeutic tools to help deal with poor decision-making and other inherent problems which may potentially lead to relapse.
• Create structure: Recoverees usually have to piece their lives back together after getting out of an inpatient facility. These sessions bring back routine and order to their lives.

How To Know if Group Therapy is Right?

Group therapy works wonders in some situations. However, there are extraneous factors that need to be considered. The group’s composition is a crucial consideration since a dynamic group tends to bring about the best results in its members. Before a person is placed in a group, a few factors that come into consideration are:

• What stage of recovery they’re in
• How emotionally stable they are
• If they have any unique needs that the group must cater to
• What preferences do they have for their treatment

While group therapy is a valuable treatment methodology, it’s not a fit for everyone. There are situations where group therapy won’t help and would be a waste of everyone’s time. Among the individuals that may not benefit from group therapy treatments are:

• Those who refuse group therapy or don’t see it as a valid method of treating addiction recovery
• Those who are rebellious, who refuse to follow the rules, and are known for being disruptive in a group setting
• Individuals who are in crisis and struggling with severe and unmanageable symptoms
• People who struggle to build and maintain personal relationships
• Those who have a hard time adapting to being around new people or have anxiety in a group setting

In addition to these specific individuals, some groups may require special consideration. Women, mainly, may benefit more from a dedicated group. The Journal of Substance Abuse shows that women in group therapy with each other tend to lead to better outcomes. Adolescents may also need a group that has more supervision than others.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that adolescents tend to encourage each other in substance use if left unsupervised in group therapy sessions. As a result, these groups may need to remain vigilant to ensure the outcome is desirable.

What are the Stages of Group Therapy?

A group goes through several phases during its lifetime. Generally, the phrases can be broken down into:

The Beginning Stage

At this stage of the meeting, the group members will become oriented with each other and the topic they’re discussing. Slowly, they’ll start to lose their reluctance to speak and eventually contribute to the group and add to others’ experiences. This phase is also where the therapist will outline the goals of the group and any rules that the members may need to be aware of.

The Middle Stage

The middle stage is also called the “change phase” since it’s at this juncture, real change happens to attendees. The middle phase is the lion’s share of someone’s stay in group therapy. During the middle stage, members will start learning how to change their behaviors and modifies their approaches to particular real-life stimuli. The therapist will guide group members toward healthier coping mechanisms and better ways to deal with the factors that may affect them daily. This behavior modification is the core of why individuals come to group therapy.

The Ending Stage

Nothing lasts forever, and the same is true of therapy. At the ending stage, the therapist will try to bring about closure for the people involved. Ideally, the leader and the group members would keep in contact after the end of the sessions. Most of the members retain contact with the group leader and might even prove helpful in the future as a success story to others facing the same issue.

At the ending phase, the therapist would adequately recognize the group’s achievements as a whole and the individuals that make it up. Additionally, the closing phase should address any anxiety or sadness that results from the end of the group.

Models of Group Sessions

There are five distinct models that group sessions may follow, depending on the leader’s preference. It should be noted that no single model works better than any others for addiction recovery treatment. Each one can be useful under exemplary leadership and with the right group members.

Some therapy groups combine these models to make one more suitable for their members. As each group is unique, the approach to dealing with their recovery would need to adapt. These five groups are as follows.

1. Psychoeducational

The psychoeducational group attempts to educate about a person’s substance abuse disorder, mental health, other related behaviors, and the consequences of one’s actions. These groups sometimes meet in a classroom setting, with information delivered via a lecture or audio-visual media.

They also help members learn valuable skills for their personal well-being, such as relaxation and anger management. These skills are likely to benefit them when they return to society.

2. Skill Development

These groups are primarily focused on helping their members stay abstinent from drugs. They place more emphasis on leader interaction than simply learning what is presented in front of them. They help members deal with triggers to avoid falling back into a use cycle. Additionally, skills like financial management, interpersonal communication, and even parenting skills may feature this group therapy method.

3. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT works from the perspective that negative behaviors are learned and, over time, become reinforced as “normal.” For a recoveree to change these behaviors, they must work towards dealing with the feelings, behaviors, and thoughts that result in substance abuse.

CBT helps to train recoverees out of harmful thinking habits and helps them identify problematic thoughts and triggers.

4. Support Groups

One of the most common therapy methods for addiction recovery is the support group. These groups offer care and understanding to all attendees, helping them learn from their previous behavior. Group discussion and sharing helps members learn interpersonal communication skills.

5. Interpersonal Process Groups

Interpersonal group therapy helps members through psychodynamics – the way people function psychologically. They work well in groups with many unresolved issues and might spend a lot of time uncovering those issues and dealing with them. The interaction of individuals within the group as well as the entire group dynamic is crucial to this therapy methodology being successful. The content of the group isn’t as important as the interaction within the group in this methodology.

Is Group Psychotherapy Helpful?

The overwhelming evidence suggests that group psychotherapy may be beneficial for helping individuals overcome addiction, whether the setting is residential, outpatient treatment, or otherwise. If you’re trying to find group therapy that works for you, check out Rehabs Of Armerica today!

Let us help you find a place where you can overcome your substance abuse dependence!

Eric R( Content Editor )

Eric R. hails from Maine and does extensive work in the field of behavioral health as both a professional writer and passionate advocate for those suffering. From his own personal encounters with mental illness, he speaks to those seeking healthy relief from depression and anxiety and embraces wellness both personally and professionally. After losing friends and family to the darkness of suicide, Eric aims to educate and inform about the nature of treatment and render it accessible for all those seeking a way out of darkness and despair.