Group Therapy

Group Interventions -6

Group Therapy

Group therapy differs from individual psychotherapy not only in the number of participants, but also on the rationale, methods and the outcome of treatment. 

In group therapy the main therapeutic agent is the group itself. When numerous people interact, the effects are different from those that occur when a pair of individuals (of which one is the therapist) interacts in individual therapy.

Advocates of group therapy have three main contentions:

1.   Therapeutic effects occur more readily with group therapy than individual therapy.

2.   The effects are more lasting.

3.   Social relationships improve more with group therapy.

Types of Group Therapy:

Depending on the characteristics of group and the treatment modality there are various types of group therapy.

1.   Small group and large group therapies: A small group typically consists of five to eight (ideally eight) members belonging to both sexes, between he ages of 20 and 50, with mixed social, economic and occupational background. The clinical problems are also varied. A large group may consist of 20 – 25 members, for e.g. all patients and staff in a treatment unit led by a professional therapist. Various self-help groups (e.g. alcoholics anonymous) are examples of a large group, but differ from the former by the absence of a therapist.

2.   Homogeneous and Heterogeneous groups: The homogeneous group consists of patients with similar problems, e.g. drug addicts, homosexuals, etc. In the heterogeneous group there is a wide assortment of clinical problems.

3.   Open versus Closed groups: In the closed group all members start treatment at the same time and remain together till the group is disbanded. If a member drops out during the treatment, the group members take a decision whether a new patient is to be brought in to replace the lost member. The open group permits members to terminate their treatment at different points and they are replaced by new members.

4. Psychoanalytic versus Group interactive approaches: Psychoanalytic principles are utilized in the former but in group interactive method concepts of group dynamics are applied, that is, processes occurring in a group situation are different from those between an interacting pair of individuals.

During the group meeting time, members decide what they want to talk about. 

Members are encouraged to give feedback to others. Feedback includes expressing your own feelings about what someone says or does. 

Interaction between group members are highly encouraged and provides each person with an opportunity to try out new ways of behaving; it also provides members with an opportunity for learning more about the way they interact with others. 

It is a safe environment in which members work to establish a level of trust that allows them to talk personally and honestly. 

Group members make a commitment to the group and are instructed that the content of the group sessions are confidential. It is not appropriate for group members to disclose events of the group to an outside person.

Why is group therapy helpful?

1.   When people come into a group and interact freely with other group members, they usually recreate those difficulties that brought them to group therapy in the first place. Under the direction of the group therapist, the group is able to give support, offer alternatives and comfort members in such a way that these difficulties become resolved and alternative behaviors are learned.

2.   The group also allows a person to develop new ways of relating to people.

3.   During group therapy, people begin to see that they are not alone and that there is hope and help. It is comforting to hear that other people have a similar difficulty, or have already worked through a problem that deeply disturbs another group member.

4.   Another reason for the success of group therapy is that people feel free to care about each other because of the climate of trust in a group.