4 Reasons Why Group Counseling Can Help More than You Think

Group counseling may be something you have seen in movies. Perhaps you have known a person who underwent in-patient care and then did group counseling as part of their overall treatment plan. Group counseling can be an effective way to treat many struggles that are common in today’s society.

Here are four unique features group counseling brings.

Group counseling can de-stigmatize mental health issues

Even though many cultures have come a long way, not every person’s cultural or familial background supports a healthy view of counseling. They may see it as a weakness or as something that only crazy people need. Others may simply view counseling as a tool for those who cannot solve their problems, such as marital struggles or addiction issues.

However, group counseling can be a benefit for anyone who is hesitant to see an individual counselor or who just does not know where to begin. It gives them a place to see that other everyday people just like them are also reaching out for help.

The care and respect demonstrated in a group counseling environment will often help someone who is hesitant about individual counseling. Because they get a chance to meet people whose needs are being met, they are growing and thriving. Counseling itself becomes less of a barrier for a person to imagine seeing themselves benefit from.

It can remove the shame associated with specific struggles

Because of the individual nature of counseling in one-on-one environments, your therapist cannot tell you that she has another client dealing with the same thing you are. But if you attend a few group counseling sessions, for example, for your struggle with anxiety, you will learn that you are not the only one.

It can be freeing and empowering to learn that others are going through the same things as you are. Equally refreshing is that you can see progress in others’ lives as you meet together regularly. This provides hope for your own life.

It can provide an environment where new patterns and tools help you thrive

If your child is struggling to make friends, a group therapy session can help him practice conversational skills or learn how to wait his turn in a group. These are important building blocks of friendship that are hard to learn in isolation.

In adults and teens, a struggle may be addressing conflict with someone in the family or with a co-worker. Learning how to stand up for yourself in a respectful, healthy way can be practiced in a group setting where the stakes are low. Because it is a practice scenario and not with someone you have to relate to and work with on a daily basis, you can take tiny steps and gain empowerment through practice.

Another tool someone can learn through group therapy is how to listen and develop empathy for others. When a person comes to counseling for something like anger issues, it may be that he has not learned how to listen because he was never listened to as a child. Being heard and given permission to express what is important to you in a group can be a launching pad for learning how to listen to others.

Group counseling can help you know you are not alone

There are also issues that adults and teens struggle with where a group therapy session can be more beneficial than seeing an individual counselor.

One example is divorce recovery groups or group counseling for spouses who have lost children. In each type of group, adults are going through painful experiences, and emotionally taxing times, and the grief they feel is not predictable. It can vary from person to person.

However, as you go through the healing process, navigating stages of grief, talking about it in a group with people who have already been where you can make you feel less alone.

This is particularly helpful when dealing with grief. It reminds you that learning to cope with life’s extraordinary losses is not something you are supposed to know how to do. However, a well-trained therapist can guide the group in being sensitive to one another’s needs and coach you through it.

As you can tell, group counseling is not a “lesser version” of individual counseling. Instead, a trained, experienced counselor will give the group guidelines for how to listen to each other, how to respond when it is appropriate, and what the group members can help each other learn.

You are not expected to solve other people’s problems when you go to group counseling. Instead, the group members get help organically. You no longer feel as isolated, you know you are learning and listening to others better, and you are free to shed errant beliefs and shame as you seek healing.

These are just some of the benefits of group counseling in Plano, Texas, and we would love to connect you with a group at Plano Christian Counseling to try. Reach out to us at Plano Christian Counseling in Texas for a group near you.