Group Therapy for Mental Health
What is Group Therapy?
URP Behavioral Health emphasizes the use of evidence-based treatments for the best chance of ensuring favorable outcomes. Group therapy is one such treatment, and it’s a part of most residents’ individual treatment plans. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, it’s highly effective for developing and practicing coping skills, as well as increasing treatment engagement. At the mental health treatment center, patients attend cognitive behavioral group therapy sessions on a daily basis. Let’s discuss the benefits of group therapy, along with therapeutic factors and the conditions it can help treat.
It’s a form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists will lead a group session involving two or more residents. At URP Behavioral Health, these therapy groups are usually small to ensure that all residents get adequate guidance and attention from therapists. Residents attend group and individual therapy sessions, with the former taking place on a daily basis. These groups include patients struggling with similar symptoms and diagnoses, depending on the purpose of the session.
Advantages of Group Therapy
You Give and Get Support
During these sessions, you’re in a safe environment where you can express your thoughts without fear of judgment. And as other group members express their feelings, you can listen and offer support.
You Feel Inspired and Motivated
Seeing other members successfully gain control over symptoms will motivate you to remain in treatment and achieve your goals.
You Stay Accountable
When you talk about your goals in a group setting, you get feedback and guidance, which urges you to stay accountable.
You Learn About Yourself
Although skill-building is a part of individual and not group therapy techniques, the latter gives you a chance to practice your skills with others. As you do that, you start learning more about how others respond to you and vice versa.
Types of Group Therapy
Some of the modes of group therapy at URP Behavioral Health include:
Cognitive Behavioral Groups
This involves the integration of cognitive behavioral techniques in a group setting. In group cognitive behavioral therapy, you’ll learn to alleviate intrapersonal and interpersonal issues while building a stronger understanding of the connections between your thoughts and behaviors.
Skills Development Groups
In this group therapy session, you learn and improve the necessary skills to cope with unpleasant psychological symptoms. The primary purpose of these sessions is to enhance your cognitive and behavioral faculties so you can prevent harmful situations and make informed decisions.
Support Groups
As the name implies, these group treatment sessions offer your support group an environment of unconditional acceptance and empathy. They’re suitable for discussing the challenges you face due to your condition.
Psychoeducation
An essential focus of group and family therapy, psychoeducation involves informing and educating you about your condition so you can work on new coping strategies.
Group Therapy Activities
Therapists can use a variety of approaches to engage a group. While sessions usually focus on skill-building and the interpersonal process groups practicing said skills, therapists can also use activities such as the following:
Expressive Writing
Through this activity, residents write about their feelings and experiences as a way to explore their emotions and the events that lead to them.
Vision Boards
It’s an excellent activity that helps group members set specific treatment goals by creating visualizations of what they want to achieve in therapy group.
Gratitude and Reflection
Through this technique, the therapist encourages group members to recount the different aspects of their life that they’re grateful for, such as their family, partner, or career.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5844165/
- https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-022-03970-8
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08039488.2020.1826050
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30869973/
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00824/full
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23958283/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3330509/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2007530/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29179647/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK68475/
- https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-022-03918-y
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3854327/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6145450/
FAQs for Group Therapy for Mental Health
Some of the most commonly asked questions about group therapy and its impact include:
The most significant benefit of group therapy is that it reduces the feeling of isolation that accompanies most mental disorders. When you’re encouraged to socialize with other people who have had similar experiences, you build communication skills and realize that you’re not alone.
According to the National Institutes of Health, exclusion criteria for group therapy includes patients who can’t participate due to interpersonal, logistical, or cognitive factors. Some examples include antisocial or extremely shy people. Similarly, people struggling with suicidality, substance use disorder or acute stress shouldn’t be considered for group therapy and should be managed individually.
Sessions can last between one and two hours because they accommodate groups of two or more people. At URP Behavioral Health, residents are expected to attend daily group therapy sessions. The course of group therapy lasts for the duration of the treatment plan, which can vary depending on the diagnosis. Initially, residents may receive a month-long treatment plan, but this is modified every two weeks based on progress.
Let Us Guide You Towards Healing
We know that seeking treatment can be overwhelming, but our staff is here to make the process as smooth as possible. We’re available 24/7 to address any questions or concerns you may have.